The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament call on the European Commission to rethink its idea to take back cohesion policy from regional and local authorities and concentrate it into the hands of national capitals.The S&D Group also believes it would be wrong to allow access to cohesion funds for regions subject to structural reforms by national governments in policy areas that are not related to regional development. They also advocate for finding adequate funding for different unexpected crises and challenges to European security, but this must not come at the expense of depleting cohesion funds.
These are some of the key messages the S&D Group included in the position paper "Cohesion Policy post-2027: a resilient future for European territorial equity" adopted at the group meeting today.
Mohammed Chahim, vice-president of the S&D Group for the Green Deal for industry, energy and climate and financing the Just Transition, said:
"With this position paper we set the scene for a meaningful debate with civil society, local and national authorities, the other political groups, as well as with the European Commission and the member states in the Council. Now is the time to discuss what cohesion policy should look like after the expiration of the current one – covering the period 2021-2027. The position paper is our vision on why this policy matters and should be preserved, contrary to what the European conservatives believe. The next cohesion policy should place social justice at the core of the green, digital and demographic transition as a way to create a better life and environment for all citizens. Cohesion policy funds should continue the roll-out of broadband, 5G and 6G, especially in scarcely populated areas, to help people who prefer to work outside of large cities. A better-funded cohesion policy should fuel a much-needed European housing strategy, concretely contributing to solving the pressing EU-wide housing crisis.
"We call on President von der Leyen to listen to our message: killing cohesion policy may only fuel the anti-European narrative of the extremists with their talks on how Europe does not think and contribute to improving the lives of all Europeans by limiting the disparities. There are no second class Europeans – in our outermost regions, in rural or mountainous areas, on our islands or in our communities bordering Russia and Belarus. Cohesion policy is pivotal to deliver on this promise!"
Marcos Ros Sempere, S&D spokesperson in the European Parliament's committee on regional development, said:
"The Socialists and Democrats call for a robust and ambitious Cohesion Policy post 2027 in the context of the upcoming negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework – the EU pluriannual budget for after 2027 – as well as in the context of raising insecurity on our external border with the return of war to our continent. We do believe our own defense capabilities are crucial for the European autonomy and security in a turbulent world. In order to achieve this, the funds from the cohesion policy, if they are mobilized, should keep in mind the purpose of cohesion policy, such as fostering employment, public services, competitiveness, and territorial equality.
"We call for a change in considering the GDP as the main indicator for allocation of resources. Cohesion policy has to be modernised by adding the socio-economic aspect into the big picture – what is the level of poverty and social exclusion, the sectoral structure of a regional economy, health, access to decent and affordable housing. We should also add climate and environmental aspects like the exposure to the effects of climate change, therefore define the adaptation needs of a particular community. This will make cohesion policy even more adequate to citizens' concrete needs and will convince them the EU works for them. The S&D Group stands to guarantee this is not just a slogan, but a reality in the next programming period after 2027."
