Europe's recovery will fail without a strong cohesion policy and a real partnership among EU, national, regional and local actors
Interventions from the conference (alphabetical order):You can rewatch the event here.Ann-Sofi Backgren, Presidentof the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and Member of the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, stressed the need of a stronger Cohesion Policy within the new MFF and the Recovery Fund taking into account European territories facing specific difficulties such as border, mountain, peripheral regions, islands and other maritime regions; additional constraints like sparse and/or aged population, brain drain, lack of infrastructures and public services; and of course general challenges, namely climate and demographic changes, transition to more sustainable development approaches and energy sources, optimal digitalisation, and resilience to global threats like Covid-19. Many border regions share many of these circumstances, and there are further difficulties related to the growing need to coordinate diverse national regulations which might collide at national boundaries.The #CohesionAlliance calls for a strong, effective and flexible cohesion policy based on long-term perspectives and the principles of partnership involving local and regional governments in all recovery measures.
- Ann-Sofi Backgren, Presidentof the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and Member of the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, stressed the need of a stronger Cohesion Policy within the new MFF and the Recovery Fund taking into account European territories facing specific difficulties such as border, mountain, peripheral regions, islands and other maritime regions; additional constraints like sparse and/or aged population, brain drain, lack of infrastructures and public services; and of course general challenges, namely climate and demographic changes, transition to more sustainable development approaches and energy sources, optimal digitalisation, and resilience to global threats like Covid-19. Many border regions share many of these circumstances, and there are further difficulties related to the growing need to coordinate diverse national regulations which might collide at national boundaries.
- The #CohesionAlliance calls for a strong, effective and flexible cohesion policy based on long-term perspectives and the principles of partnership involving local and regional governments in all recovery measures.
- This will help kickstart and rebuild the economy, foster sustainability and strengthen territorial and social cohesion in the European Union.
- This is why we need a strong cohesion policy and a fair and cohesive recovery.
- Cohesion DNA can be seen throughout the Commission's recovery proposals: the generous provision for cohesion policy and the cohesion method in the recovery fund and elsewhere.
- Short-term recovery must be complementary to the pursuit of long-term objectives, in particular economic, social and territorial cohesion.
- Anyone who believes in a strong EU cohesion policy is welcome to join the #CohesionAlliance by signing the new declaration.
- All 12.000 signatories of the initial declaration are invited to reaffirm their political commitment by raising awareness about the vital role of cohesion policy and the need for a strong cohesion policy in the next long-term EU budget and Recovery Plan.
Background: In October 2017, the European Committee of the regions launched the #CohesionAlliance in partnership with the leading associations of regions and cities – Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR) and EUROCITIES – to raise awareness about the vital role of cohesion policy. Since its launch, the Alliance's declaration has been signed by more than 12 000 individual signatories, 121 regions, 135 cities and counties, 50 associations of regional and local governments, 40 Members of the European Parliament and 35 EU sectoral associations.