By Ruth Marsden - 16th November 2010
By focusing our future investments on energy efficiency, renewable energy and innovation and thus creating jobs, we will get the results we want with the EU 2020 strategy
Johannes Hahn
European regional policy commissioner Johannes Hahn has pledged to put regional policy "right back at the very heart of the EU".
Speaking after the European commission unveiled its fifth cohesion report on Tuesday, the Austrian commissioner said the report set "very clear" priorities for the future cohesion policy.
However, he warned that implementation may not be so simple, and called for a more "results-orientated policy".
This would involve member states and regions choosing their own specific priorities from EU "menu of priorities", to ensure EU-wide projects were implemented more efficiently.
Hahn said, "By focusing our future investments on energy efficiency, renewable energy and innovation and thus creating jobs, we will get the results we want with the EU 2020 strategy."
Committee of the Regions (CoR) president Mercedes Bresso told reporters that the report came "at a difficult time for the EU".
Insisting that the EU 2020 strategy requires a broad partnership and shared responsibility with the regions, Bresso said that "the report does not give much information about the impact of the financial crisis".
While she described it as "a step in the right direction," she raised concerns that cohesion policy would be dealing with a lot of issues, such as strengthening conditionality, stopping structural fund transfers and moving into an operational phase.
It would also deal with territorial cohesion and the urban programme and Bresso warned that this would mean "shouldering the burden of all major EU strategies".
Bresso concluded by stressing the importance of monitoring the whole Europe 2020 process and the CoR's role in fulfilling reporting obligations.
The development of new indicators to measure prosperity, well being and quality of life in Europe was also important she said.
Michel Delebarre, chairman of the CoR commission for territorial cohesion, said it was important for all member states and regions to be involved in the implementation of EU 2020.
"The more regions involved the more people who will hear the European voice," he added. "It is up to us to lay down the goals."
The CoR believe the EU must work together to support the process and encourage territorial pacts between regional and local authorities in order to reach Europe's 2020 targets.
