• Home
  • AER Elections 2025 – Shape the Future of Our Network
    • Call for amendments – AER Political Priorities 2025-2030
  • About
    • Governance & Structure
      • AER Procedures
      • Statute & strategies
      • The AER Executive Board
      • The AER Secretariat
    • AER stands with Ukraine
    • The History of AER
  • Members
    • Who are AER’s members?
    • Member Directory
    • Join AER!
  • Mutual Learning
    • About Mutual Learning
    • Knowledge Transfer Events
    • Working Groups
      • Ongoing Working Groups
      • Past Working Groups
  • Advocacy
    • About Our Advocacy Work
    • The Bureau
    • The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
    • AER Political Priorities 2020-2025
  • Projects
    • About Our Projects
    • Ongoing Projects
    • Look for Partners
    • Completed Projects
  • AER Programmes
    • Eurodyssey – A traineeship mobility programme for young people, entirely managed at regional level
    • Intercultural Regions Network
    • AER SUMMER ACADEMY
    • AER Youth Regional Network (YRN)
  • Events
    • AER Event Calendar
    • AER events
    • Other events

Assembly of European Regions

Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985

You are here: Home / Projects / Funding / Acting together for the future of cohesion policy

Acting together for the future of cohesion policy

19 May, 2016 By Editor

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail
Share this!

AER met on 19 May with Commissioner Corina Creţu in charge of regional policy. A delegation reflecting the diversity of AER members, led by President Dr. Hande Özsan Bozatli with the presence of Magnus Berntsson, AER Vice President, and AER Secretary General Mathieu Mori discussed the future of cohesion policy.

Ms Crețu highlighted her priorities for the future of cohesion policy : flexibility, performance and delivery, simplification.

AER President insisted on the following AER messages : cohesion policy must continue to cover all regions for the post 2020 period ; grants must continue to be a key funding instrument for all regions. Finally, at a time when Europe is so criticised, it is crucial that the policies which benefit in the most concrete and closest manner to the citizens be continued.

AER is involved in the initative on the future of cohesion policy which gathers hundreds of European regions. On behalf of this group, Ms Ilse Penders-Stadlmann (Niederösterreich-AT) highlighted the importance of the political backing that cohesion policy must come from the regions. In order to strenghten Commissioner Crețu’s messages on the importance of the policy, AER members and all members of the initiative will gather hundreds of signatures from regional presidents on a joint political declaration to strengthen cohesion policy. These signatures will be presented to the Presidents of European institutions on the 28th of September at the occasion of a big rally of regions in Brussels. AER President will be present and we already invite our members to block their President’s agenda. The political declaration has now been finalised. AER will circulate it to its members to get the signature of their Presidents.

Ms Sidony Venema (Flevoland-NL) presented the Commissioner with a report with recommendations on how to simplify the access to structural funds and the auditing process. Commissioner Crețu assured us that proposals for more flexibility and simplifications will be made during the midterm review and the post 2020 discussions.

Mr Mitar Vasiljevic (Vojvodina-RS), as a representative of a non-EU member, stressed the fact that his region like many others on the road to accession, are following these discussions very closely and are working hard in order to be ready to gain access to regional funds once they will become members.

 In short, AER backs Commissioner Cretu’s efforts to continue cohesion policy. This support is very much appreciated and needed. We therefore count on all AER members support. You can show your support by signing the political declaration on cohesion policy that we will send out to you in the very near future (or contact Alexandre Brecx for more information).

Meeting pictures

13243924_699022600246850_4197106066020245832_oCommissioner Corina Creţu and AER President Hande Özsan Bozatli

Meeting Commissioner CretuThe AER delegation with Commissioner Corina Creţu and her team

IMG_0315AER Vice-President Magnus Berntsson and Commissioner Corina Creţu

IMG_0568Mrs. Ilse Penders-Stadlmann, Head of the Brussels office of Lower Austria (AT) presenting the initiative on cohesion policy to Commissioner Corina Creţu

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Follow AER!
Facebooktwitterlinkedinrss

Filed Under: Funding, Policies Tagged With: Cohesion, Cohesion policy, Future of Regions, Institutional affairs, Regionalisation

← Interreg Atlantic Area: 1st call for projects is open! For a better digital single market with regions →

More articles on this topic

AER declaration: status quo is not an option
Sign here for the future of Cohesion policy
Bureau Members adopt AER’s political priorities for 2018-2019
AER task force on cohesion policy
Poland and Romania implementing the cohesion policy: A comparative study

AER. Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985.

Follow our newsletter!




View previous campaigns.


  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

2025 AER General Assembly

  • AER Elections 2025

AER Projects

  • Ongoing projects
    • EU-BELONG: An Intercultural Approach to Migrant Integration in Europe’s Regions
    • MEET: Mobilise Europe = Engage Together
    • CL-YE | Climbing the Ladder: Fostering a Culture of Youth Engagement
  • Partner search

Library

Statutory Documents
AER Strategies
Minutes
Media Kit
Activity Reports
Newsletters
European Regions Map

Join AER!

Become a Member

Job Opportunities

Sign up for our Newsletter

Website map

Brussels · Strasbourg · Alba Iulia

A Network, a Partner and a Voice of European regions, since 1985 · Copyright © 2025 · Assembly of European Regions · [email protected] · Log in