Regions and Cities Set Out Demands Ahead of European Commission’s MFF Proposal
As the European Commission prepares to unveil its first proposals for the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) on 16 July, members of the European Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) convened in Brest, France, on 26 June to adopt a forward-looking vision for the EU’s next long-term budget.
At the heart of the discussion were 10 key demands that call for an ambitious and inclusive EU budget that positions local and regional authorities as strategic and trusted partners in delivering the EU’s policy agenda. These include:
- A post-2027 EU budget that respects the ‘do no harm to cohesion’ principle.
- Legally binding guarantees to ensure National and Regional Partnership Plans formally involve local and regional authorities.
- A new European Partnership Pact, built on a thorough analysis of diverse territorial needs, to connect EU policies with coherent financial action.
With fewer than three weeks before the Commission’s MFF communication, local and regional leaders emphasised that only a truly multilevel and place-based approach can close Europe’s investment gap and secure a resilient, competitive future.
Sari Rautio Appointed Rapporteur and Urges a Cohesive, Flexible and Fair Budget
COTER members appointed EPP-CoR President Sari Rautio as rapporteur on the future MFF. In her first reaction, Rautio said: “I have just returned from the EPP summit in Brussels were the next MFF was one of the topics discussed. I find it clear that the next MFF must treat cohesion, competitiveness, and resilience as mutually reinforcing pillars of EU growth. We need predictable, place-based investment that reflects the socio-economic diversity of Europe’s regions and ensures fair access to funding across all territories. Stronger application of the partnership principle and active subsidiarity are essential. Programmes must be flexible enough to respond to crises, but cohesion policy must remain a long-term structural investment tool—not be diluted by ad hoc instruments. The EPP-CoR will continue to be the voice of cities and regions to ensure the EU budget delivers for citizens.”
From Principles to Practice: Empowering Local and Regional Authorities
COTER members reiterated the CoR’s long-standing call for:
- A robust EU budget supported by additional new own resources.
- Enshrining partnership and multilevel governance in legally enforceable terms across all funding instruments, including those managed centrally.
- Enhanced flexibility and responsiveness within the MFF to meet territorial needs and respond to unforeseen crises, including via a larger emergency reserve.
- The full and active involvement of local and regional authorities in shaping investment priorities—particularly for new instruments such as the proposed EU Competitiveness Fund.
They firmly rejected any proposals for centralising cohesion policy post-2027, stressing that its core principles—place-based policymaking, multilevel governance, and partnership—must remain non-negotiable.
Policy Momentum and Institutional Dialogue
The CoR’s recommendations were debated in Brest with key EU institutional stakeholders, including Jan Olbrycht, Special Adviser to EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, and Alejandro Blanco Fernandez, Member of the European Court of Auditors.
This dialogue follows recent decisions by the CoR plenary on 14–15 May, where members adopted two urgent resolutions on the next long-term EU budget and the mid-term review of cohesion policy programmes for 2021–2027. They also endorsed an opinion reinforcing cohesion policy as a fundamental engine for achieving the EU’s strategic goals and reforms.
The EPP-CoR has already adopted its policy paper on the next MFF and discussed its position with MEPs from the EPP Group at the European Parliament earlier this month.