Calls for a simplified, effective and visible EU

Cohesion Policy post-2020

While addressing the General Affairs Council on European Cohesion Policy in Brussels, Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds and Social Dialogue Aaron Farrugia stated that,

“Cohesion Policy should be simplified and flexible enough to allow funding priorities to vary according to territorial and regional specificities of Member States, focusing on achieving positive results”.

The Parliamentary Secretary also said that Cohesion Policy is aimed at bettering European citizens’ quality of life and stressed that it ought to incorporate a tailored approach to address the specific challenges that some EU regions might face after 2020.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that Cohesion Policy must be linked effectively with structural reforms as it is a vital tool by means of which European objectives can be reached.

Dr Farrugia emphasised that Cohesion Policy post-2020 should not lose sight of its original objectives of creating economic and social development convergence between Member States and different regions across the EU bloc, particularly across maritime border regions.

He continued by saying that the effectiveness of Cohesion Policy depends on eliminating

unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and administrative burdens that may hinder Member States and regions from fully benefitting from it. He further stated that, “simplification is crucial for the Cohesion Policy’s continued future success”.

Discussion at the General Affairs Council meeting centred on the recent publication of the 7th

Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion by the European Commission. This

report comes at a critical time following the publication of the White Paper on the Future of

Europe, and ahead of the Commission’s Multi-Annual Framework post-2020.

On the margins of the General Affairs Council, the Parliamentary Secretary met the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev who gave an overview of the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency pertaining to European Cohesion Policy. They also discussed the

upcoming General Affairs Council on Cohesion Policy to be held in May 2018 in Brussels

which is to focus on the follow-up to the Communication Actions, which had been presented by EU Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cre u during the General Affairs Council on Cohesion Policy under the Maltese Presidency.