Welcoming Frans Timmermans, 1st Vice President of the European Commission, to the CoR plenary session, newly elected CoR President, Markku Markula, expressed concern that there is not enough reference to vital policies affecting local and regional authorities in the 2015 Commission Work Programme. "We miss a clear reference to specific policies such as regional policy, cohesion policy, urban policy and the environment" he said. Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the CoR, proposed that subsidiarity monitoring and territorial assessments of new policies should be better incorporated in the Commission's work. In this context, the CoR's "Future of Cohesion Policy beyond 2020" platform and the Subsidiarity Monitoring Network could provide a valuable input.
"We will be looking at the new structural funds to see if the operation programmes are appropriate. This is vital information for you as we have first-hand knowledge" Schneider underlined. "We would also like to know if there is any intention to assess the territorial impact of new regulations and legislation."
Commissioner Timmermans responded by stating: "We need to start cutting red tape and bringing back trust in Europe's ability to grow… And for this, we need your expertise and knowledge to get it right". On the subject of subsidiarity, he said that the European Commission cannot be complacent. He added, "Your Committee can be an important agent for the people in your regions, who can see ways to make EU regulation more lenient. efficient"