EPP-CoR members today engaged in a crucial debate with Anne Funch Jensen, Deputy Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Serafín, on the design of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The debate strongly reiterated the EPP-CoR’s call to reject centralisation and to empower local and regional authorities, ensuring no village, city, or region is left behind. Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR Group, presented the group's formal position to Anne Funch Jensen.
Anne Funch Jensen reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to local authorities: “Regions and local authorities remain at the heart of our vision — and they are equally at the heart of my Commissioner’s agenda.” She stressed that the Commission is in the final stages of preparing the MFF and intends to preserve key principles, notably cohesion policy, multi-level governance, and place-based development. She added, “We hear your concernsand I want to assure you that the Commission’s approach already aligns with many of the messages you’ve expressed today.”
María del Mar Vaquero Periáñez, Vice-President and Regional Minister for Presidency, Economy, and Justice of the Government of Aragón, highlighted her region’s demographic challenges. “In Aragón, with an average population density of just 27 inhabitants per km² — and in some areas, below 12 — we urgently need a revision of the criteria used to allocate funds. These criteria must reflect real territorial challenges.”
Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, cautioned against centralisation: “It gives more power to those who may misuse it — and less to the communities who need it most. Cities bear the brunt of transformation efforts. If we centralise further, we silence cities, slow transformation, and weaken Europe’s ability to deliver real change.”
Eleni Loucaidou, Member of the Municipal Council of Lefkosia, said: “Cohesion funds are the EU’s most impactful tool. They build trust. They bring Europe home. Without cohesion policy, we risk losing not just public support — but the very connection between the Union and its citizens.”
Isabel Urrutia, Regional Minister of Cantabria, stressed the need to move away from one-size-fits-all approaches. “We cannot accept that European programs are developed from a centralised logic. The next MFF must link cohesion with competitiveness, especially through innovation, lifelong learning, the green transition, and digital transformation.”
Thomas Schmidt, Member of the Saxon State Parliament, asked why the EU could not simply improve existing systems. “Why can’t we take the cohesion policy — a system that has worked — and simply make it more flexible, responsive, and less bureaucratic? Proposing an overhaul, with new names and new structures, will incur high costs and risk citizen disillusionment.”
Marcin Kuchciński, Councillor of the Warmia-Masuria Voivodeship, insisted that LRAs must be included in every MFF design phase. “A territorial approach and the partnership principle are key. Border areas, especially on the EU's eastern edge, face unemployment and depopulation. The MFF must reflect and respond to these challenges.”
Ivan Žagar, Mayor of Slovenska Bistrica, referred to the ten priorities already outlined by the CoR. He voiced concern over the impacts of centralisation and stressed the need for sufficient funding for both ongoing and emerging challenges. “Simplification and access to funds are indispensable.”
Francisca Ramis Pons, Director General for Institutional Relations and Relations with the Parliament, Balearic Islands Government stressed the need to integrate LRAs into the MFF’s strategic planning phase. “The next MFF must ensure that the EU is capable of tackling challenges cohesively. Flexibility, regional governance, and promoting economic and social resilience are key.”
Tanya Hristova, Mayor of Gabrovo, cautioned against merging cohesion policy with other frameworks. “Yes, cohesion must modernise — but it is not just money. It is a vision of solidarity and inclusion. If we are given the tools and the trust, cohesion policy can truly resonate in every corner of Europe.”
The debate powerfully reinforced the EPP-CoR’s collective message: that centralisation must be resisted and that a future-proof MFF must reinforce the role of regional and local authorities in delivering on Europe’s core values — inclusion, resilience, and democratic legitimacy.