🏛️ AER Autumn Bureau Meeting
📅 10 December 2025 | 🕘 09:20 – 10:20
Shaping the Post-2027 Cohesion Policy Framework
Cohesion Policy is one of the European Union’s most important instruments for strengthening economic, social, and territorial cohesion, fostering development, and reducing inequalities between regions. As discussions begin for the 2028–2034 Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF), regional voices must play a decisive role in shaping the future of Cohesion Policy after 2027.
Held within the AER Autumn Bureau Meeting, this session aims to support a strategic exchange between regional representatives and Members of the European Parliament, ensuring that regional needs and territorial realities are strongly reflected in the next European budget design and future legislative framework.
Insights from this meeting will directly inform the final AER position paper, aligning it with the advocacy priorities of the European Parliament.
Why This Matters
The European Commission’s proposed MFF 2028–2034 (worth €1.98 trillion / 1.26% EU GNI) introduces National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) as the main funding delivery mechanism. While positioned as a simplification tool, it raises critical concerns regarding:
- Subsidiarity and regional participation
- Reduced territorial focus and resources for cohesion
- Competition between programmes for funding
- Potential diversion of funds from cohesion to other EU priorities
- Risk of further widening regional disparities
Europe’s regions — particularly rural, island, remote, outermost, and depopulating territories — continue to face uneven impacts of climate, digital, demographic, and economic transitions. Maintaining a strong, place-based cohesion policy is essential to ensure that no region is left behind.
With its strong commitment to territorial development, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) calls for urgent improvements to maintain cohesion as a core mission of the European Union.
👉 Join us on 10 December 2025 to be part of this vital conversation:
Agenda
9:20 – 9:30 Task Force updates from the Co-Chairs
The co-Chairs of the Task Force will share the latest updates from the activities planned and carried out by the AER Task Force on Cohesion Policy.
9:30 – 9:40 The Future of Cohesion Policy / An updated AER position paper
The Co-chairs of the Task Force on Cohesion Policy will present the key messages of the updated position paper.
9:40 – 10:15 From Regions to Institutions / Aligning AER messages with the European Parliament
Discussions will be held with representatives from the European Parliament’s Committee on BUDG and REGI.
10:15 – 10:30 Adoption of the Position Paper
Following the discussion, members will be invited to proceed with the adoption of the new position paper.
