The MFF determines the priorities and scope of EU policies. This is important for LRAs because regions and cities have to manage the direct and indirect impact of the EU's financial actions, as beneficiaries of EU funds or through the implementation of the EU budget within its shared management. The rapporteur therefore considers the MFF to be first and foremost a policy tool for identifying European strategic targets. Keeping this in mind, he calls for flexibility in the MFF and the annual budgets, in order to provide answers to unexpected events or new challenges. At the same time the CoR opinion asks for the introduction of new own resources in the next MFF, which would make gross national income-based contributions to the EU budget unnecessary. With reference to the economic situation, the rapporteur demands more attention to rural and local development, including the introduction of specific measures for sparsely-populated areas because investment there keeps the economic and social fabric alive and creates a proven multiplier effect by giving the regions a fundamental role in their management of investments. Furthermore he proposes a thorough analysis of the use of financial instruments and a simplification of procedures.
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