Europe’s Cohesion Policy must remain a strong investment tool rooted in regions, cities and municipalities, members of the European Committee of the Regions stressed during a plenary debate on the outcome of the Midterm Review of Cohesion Policy with Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms. Speakers warned against excessive centralisation, called for stronger multilevel governance and partnership, and argued that the future post-2027 framework must guarantee that every territory can continue to benefit from European investment and retain its people.
George Hatzimarkos, President of the South Aegean Region stressed that the midterm review showed progress in implementation, but also exposed growing pressure on the absorption of funds in the current programming period. He noted that the 2025 reprogramming exercise had mainly redistributed existing resources instead of providing fresh investment, raising concerns over public investment levels, national co-financing and territorial balance. Hatzimarkos insisted that the Committee needed “clear and transparent data from the Commission” and argued that the lessons from the current cycle must shape the post-2027 framework. “Cohesion Policy must remain a genuine investment policy for Europe’s regions, cities and municipalities,” he said, warning that smoother governance, stronger partnerships and full respect for multilevel governance would be essential for the policy to continue delivering across Europe.
Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź highlighted the concrete impact of EU-funded projects worth more than €865 million, which support revitalisation, modernisation, nature protection and social development across local communities. She argued that Cohesion Policy succeeds because it reflects the specific needs and ambitions of each territory. “Every city and every region has its own challenges and its own vision for the future,” she said, adding that after 2027 the policy must continue connecting urban and rural areas while avoiding excessive centralisation. She also defended a strong multilevel governance model with clearly defined responsibilities for national and regional authorities.
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca framed the future of Cohesion Policy around what he described as “the right to stay” — the ability for Europeans to build prosperous lives in their home regions rather than feeling forced to leave in search of opportunities elsewhere. “The right to stay must become one of the great ambitions of the European project,” Boc said. While Europe had long celebrated freedom of movement and the opportunities created by the single market, he argued that many citizens were now questioning whether they could still build a good life where they were born. He said future Cohesion Policy must respond not only to economic needs, but also to questions of dignity, belonging and identity, making the “right to stay” a cornerstone of Europe’s commitment to its citizens and territories.