Cohesion policy must remain at the heart of the next EU long-term budget, with adequate funding, simpler rules and a strong role for cities and regions in delivering investments. This was the central message from members of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions (EPP-CoR) during the annual joint meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER), held on 15 October as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities.
Under the theme “Keeping Cohesion at the Heart of Europe's Future”, the meeting featured a keynote address by Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, followed by a discussion on “Strengthening economic and territorial cohesion: turning challenges into opportunities”.
Sari Rautio: The world outside does not wait for us
Sari Rautio (FI/EPP), President of the EPP-CoR Group, stressed that cohesion policy should be understood as an investment in Europe's competitiveness, security and long-term prosperity, rather than simply as a mechanism for redistribution.
“Cohesion policy is an investment policy. It actually means that we invest in competitiveness, in security; we invest in a good future for Europe,” she said. Rautio also underlined the urgency of adopting the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and ensuring that sufficient resources are available to deliver on Europe's priorities. “We need a budget that is big enough, and then we must implement it. The world outside does not wait for us.”
She warned that delays would have consequences for rural communities, businesses and citizens, highlighting the importance of respecting the deadlines for the next budget so that investments can continue without interruption from 2028 onwards.
Ivan Žagar: Simplification must never become centralisation
Ivan Žagar (SI/EPP), EPP-CoR Coordinator of the COTER Commission, called for maintaining the overall level of cohesion funding in the next MFF while using the negotiations as an opportunity to modernise and simplify European policies.
Žagar who serves as Mayor of Slovenska Bistrica stressed that unnecessary bureaucracy is not created exclusively at EU level, but also through additional requirements and controls introduced by national administrations. Genuine simplification therefore requires a common commitment from all levels of governance. “Under the banner of simplification, we must not weaken the role of regions and cities. Simplification should never become centralisation.”
Addressing Executive Vice-President Fitto, Žagar also welcomed the initiative on the Right to Stay, arguing that European policies must give people opportunities not only to remain in their home regions but also to return and contribute their skills and experience to local communities. “If we truly want to support the right to stay and the right to return, this ambition must be backed by adequate financial resources. Local authorities cannot be expected to deliver these objectives without the necessary means.”
Mieczysław Struk: Security threats facing Pomerania must be recognised
Mieczysław Struk (PL/EPP), President of the Pomorskie Region, welcomed the European Commission's focus on security and resilience, particularly its efforts to support regions along the EU's eastern borders.
He drew attention to the security challenges facing Pomerania, which is experiencing the consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine despite not being situated directly on Poland's eastern border. Referring to a report by Poland's national development bank, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), Struk explained that Pomerania faces threats comparable to those affecting eastern Polish regions.
He highlighted the particular vulnerability of major cities such as Gdańsk, given the region's proximity to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, and called for these security risks to be reflected in European policies and infrastructure investment priorities.
His intervention underlined the importance of ensuring that EU cohesion and resilience measures respond to the specific geographical and security challenges facing different territories.