By Martin Banks - 11th March 2010
We are not in agreement with those who declare that cohesion policy should be intended for only part of Europe
Claudio Martini
Commission president José Manuel Barroso has been urged to give a "strong and genuine" commitment to future EU regional policy.
Claudio Martini, president of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), said, "We are in a phase which compels us to no longer accept declarations and we ask Barroso for a strong and genuine commitment to the development of an ambitious cohesion policy.”
Martini was speaking after meeting new regional policy commissioner Johannes Hahn in Brussels.
The Italian argued the case for the 161 CPMR members, many of whom come from some of Europe's outermost regions.
While he expressed "satisfaction" with Hahn's commitment to future regional policy, Martini called on regions to "be vigilant."
His remarks come amid a continuing EU consultation process on cohesion policy after 2014.
Regional funds account for a huge chunk of the EU's annual budget but there are fears that, in future, such funding will be seriously pared back.
An intense lobbying campaign is now underway by organisations like the CPMR, as well as the Committee of the Regions, aimed at protecting regional funding in the next seven-year EU spending period.
In the period from 2007 to 2013, regional spending will account for 36 per cent of the EU budget. In cash terms, this represents spending over the seven years of nearly €350 billion.
The effort focuses on three objectives: convergence, competitiveness and cooperation, which are grouped together in what is termed cohesion policy.
Martini said the aim of the meeting,also attended by CPMR secretary general Eleni Marianou, was to establish a "close relationship with the new commissioner.
Martini said it was also a chance to jointly lay the foundations of an action plan to increasingly promote the "vital role of European regions in the implementation of the European project."
He said, “Cohesion policy remains the only solution to a development policy that Europe needs in order to emerge from the economic and social crisis.
"It relies on unique multi-level governance for implementation of the broad objectives laid out in the commission’s EU2020 document."
He added, “We are not in agreement with those who declare that cohesion policy should be intended for only part of Europe.
"We are opposed to any hypothesis which would stipulate that European social funds be excluded from cohesion policy.”
After the meeting, Hahn said, “The CPMR is an important ally for us in the process towards the negotiation of a strong and effective European cohesion policy."
He sought to reassure the CPMR by stressing that EU2020, which has just been published by the commission, refers to the regions on several points and particularly on their role in the implementation of regional policy.
He also agreed to participate in the next CPMR general assembly in Aberdeen later this year, saying, “The timing is excellent as it is just before the presentation of the 5th cohesion report by the commission.”
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