"We are the party of mayors, of the local and regional councillors, we are the party that is close to citizens. When it comes to cohesion policy and agriculture policy in Europe, we have big political fights in front of us. For example, looking at the next MFF and the review of the different policy areas, but together we can be successful." Manfred Weber, President of the EPP and Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament made these remarks when addressing the EPP Local Dialogue in Dubrovnik.
The EPP Local Dialogue was hosted by Nikola Dobroslavić, President of Dubrovnik-Neretva Region and Member of the EPP-CoR. Welcoming local, regional, national and European leaders he said "The EPP Local Dialogue emphasises once again that Croatia's membership in the EU is a success for both Croatia and the EU. Further enlargement of the EU is desirable, but with the fulfilment of the criteria for membership by the candidate countries. Membership in the club is not possible without following the rules of the club." Dobroslavić described cohesion policy as the fundamental policy of the EU adding that reducing the capacity of cohesion policy is not acceptable. "Without cohesion, there is no EU."
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP-CoR Group and President of the West Pomerania Region commended Croatia success stories in the EU "I want to underline your success not only for adopting the Euro but also for joining the Schengen area. Thanks for being a strong pro-EU supporter for all those waiting to adopt the Euro, join Schengen or join the EU."
Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography and former Mayor of Dubrovnik said "In 10 years of membership, Croatia has shown that the youngest member in the EU family can also be one of the most dynamic. The success is also thanks to the continued support from Cohesion Policy, one of the most tangible investment policies of the European Union. Think of the Pelješac Bridge- it shows the essence of the European Union in bridging and connecting- from rural and urban areas, to people and cultures, all through common EU values."
Addressing the event was also Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia and President of Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). He said "We have implemented decentralisation and passed laws which allocate more income to local governments. We have also granted local and regional governments greater fiscal autonomy, allowing citizens to benefit more from the money earned in their local area." Plenković added that the government is channelling more funds into Croatia's least developed regions, allowing them to catch up with the most developed areas of the country.
Karlo Ressler, Member of the EPP Group in the European Parliament siad that Croatia's success in the EU was thanks to the leadership the government, Prime Minister Plenković, the engagement of mayors and regional leaders across Croatia, and the support of the EPP. He also spoke on the work ahead to make Croatia an even more developed EU Member State. "The digital transformation, adaptation to new green technologies and new complex security problems are challenges we will face in the coming decade. Human capital will become the most valuable asset – green and digital transformation will not be worth anything to us unless we work together and tackle the demographic challenges we face across Europe."
Jan Olbrycht, Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament said "To face new challenges like war and natural disasters, we need an EU budget which is flexible. But this must be achieved in a way that does not affect the level of cohesion funds available to Member States. We must have resources to react to unexpected challenges, but money for long-term investments must be guaranteed in order to achieve our long-term goals and reduce disparities across the Union."
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and Chair of the CoR Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget said "For the EPP, creating and maintaining jobs is the most important political priority. Jobs are the best form of social protection. The single market and cohesion policy are two sides of the same coin. We need a strong cohesion policy so that all EU citizens can access the benefits of the single market."
Sari Rautio, Member of Hämeenlinna City Council and Member of the European Commission's Reflection Group on the future of Cohesion Policy said "Cohesion policy is and will be in the heart of EU. The new European growth model needs better, fair and impactful cohesion policy. Since cohesion policy is a place-based tool, the cohesion policy should also be performance-based policy. The impact matters."
EPP-CoR members also adopted the Dubrovnik declaration which celebrates the successes achieved in ten years of Croatian membership, the opportunities for Croatian citizens while recognising the exceptional contribution that Croatia is making to shape EU policies. The declaration also calls for a renewed commitment to enlargement, particularly in areas such as the Western Balkans. Furthermore, local and regional leaders called for more legal guarantees to be set out in future programming periods to ensure greater decentralisation and the full engagement of local and regional authorities in the design, implementation and management of Cohesion Policy projects on the ground, in line with the principle of subsidiarity.
Further information
The event can be watched here.
The interventions of all speakers are available here.
About EPP-CoR: Since its creation in 1994, the European People's Party Group is a leading force in the European Committee of the Regions; the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives.
EPP Local Dialogues: Members of the EPP-CoR Group host on a regular basis EPP Local Dialogues in EU villages, cities and regions, discussing topics of particular interest to citizens as well as tackling
subjects at the centre of European policy with key stakeholders. This initiative sends a strong signal for a bottom-up, united and value-based Europe, which brings Europe closer to its citizens whilst ensuring that EU policies reflect the aspirations of citizens and realities on the ground.