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AER Task Force on Cohesion Policy

#CohesionPolicyTips – Member of AER? Join the AER task force on Cohesion Policy

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.

This week’s tip.

Are you a member of AER? You should definitely join the AER Task Force on Cohesion Policy. 

Contact our Institutional Relations coordinator for more information:

Institutional Relations & Advocacy

Vania Freitas

Mobile: +32 2 400 10 86
E-mail: v.freitas(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: vaniamisafreitas
Languages: pt, en, fr, es

Articles by Vania

  • Institutional Relations
  • Bureau and Task Forces Coordination
  • Observatory on Regionalisation

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#CohesionPolicyTips – Reach out to national policy-makers

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.

This week’s tip.

Reach out to national policy-makers, including Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy and Budget to present their/AER/Cohesion Alliance positions. Advocacy must be tailored to the decision-maker they are communicating with. And the message must be shaped in a way that reflects the specific situation and interests of the region. Gathering some evidence (fact and figures) will help make our case stronger. The Eurostat data on cohesion policy and the Eurobarometer – citizens’ awareness and perceptions of EU regional policy can be useful sources of evidence. 
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#CohesionPolicyTips – Reach out to your local MEPs

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.
This week’s tip.
Mobilise regional EU Offices to influence at EU level, notably by reaching out to national MEPs and Permanent Representations and their respective representatives following the COREPER and Working Party on Structural Measures, which deals with cohesion policy. 
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#CohesionPolicyTips – Contribute to the Committee of the Regions’ opinions

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.
This week’s tip.
For those regions represented in the CoR, contribute to the Committee of the Regions opinions and influencing work on the future MFF and cohesion policy.
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#CohesionPolicyTips – Get the attention of the regional media

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.
This week’s tip.
Get regional and national media’s attention. They can be useful to put yours and our message across.
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Bureau Members adopt AER’s political priorities for 2018-2019

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During the AER Autumn Bureau Meeting, that took place on the 29th of November in Maastricht, Bureau members voted on the 2018-2019 political priorities for AER.

It was an interesting process, as the priorities were drafted and voted on, in the same day. The discussions leading up to this were therefore very dynamic and fruitful.

Setting the overarching political goal

Members and guests sat in 5 groups of 12 to 15 and each group was asked to develop a sentence made of 10 words, outlining the global political priority.

After this session was complete, Bureau members were invited to vote for the one they thought fit the most with AER’s ambitions.

Defining the political priorities for 2018-2019

Once the political goal was voted on, the next step in the process began.

Groups were once again created and asked to develop 4 points each based on the above-mentioned priority. With 5 varied, engaged and dynamic groups, this process ran very smoothly and the priorities quickly appeared from the various gatherings of regional politicians.

The rapporteurs from each groups were then asked to gather all the suggestions and merge them in a one-pager outlining the AER political priorities for 2018-2019.

See the political priorities here.

The vote

Once the one-pager was ready, member reconvened and constructively amended the document, making it ready to be voted on.

The vote was unanimous, as all members voted to adopt these political priorities for the 2018 – 2019 period.

What next?

Now that the political priorities have been adopted by the AER bureau, they must be ratified by the General Assembly, that will gather in Oppland in May 2018.

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#CohesionPolicyTips – Mobilise regional EU offices!

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.
This week’s tip.
Mobilise regional EU Offices to increase your influence at the EU level.
Ways of doing this can notably be by reaching out to national MEPs and Permanent Representations and their respective representatives following the COREPER and Working Party on Structural Measures, which deals with cohesion policy.
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#CohesionPolicyTips – Liaise with neighbouring regions in your country

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AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.
This week’s tip.
Your neighbours are your allies in the fight for a strong renewed Cohesion Policy. Contact them to stand strong behind a renewed and refreshed Cohesion Policy beyond 2020. Liaise with other regions in your country for concerted, collaborative and therefore, stronger, advocacy.
If you ensure that your Cohesion Policy messages are shared and understood by your neighbours, then the weight of your opinions will increase. Countries stand together at the European level, regions should do the same.
See last week’s tip on joining the #CohesionAlliance! See the summary video! 
Want more information on what AER and others are doing for a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy? Contact our Institutional Relations coordinator:

Institutional Relations & Advocacy

Vania Freitas

Mobile: +32 2 400 10 86
E-mail: v.freitas(at)aer.eu
Skype ID: vaniamisafreitas
Languages: pt, en, fr, es

Articles by Vania

  • Institutional Relations
  • Bureau and Task Forces Coordination
  • Observatory on Regionalisation

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Sign the #CohesionAlliance declaration!

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What is the Alliance?

Currently worth one third of the EU budget, the EU’s cohesion policy reduces regional disparities, creates jobs, opens new business opportunities and addresses major global issues such as climate change and migration.

The #CohesionAlliance is a coalition of those who believe that EU cohesion policy must continue to be a pillar of the EU’s future. The Alliance was created through cooperation between the leading European associations of cities and regions and the European Committee of the Regions. It demands that the EU budget after 2020 makes cohesion policy stronger, more effective, visible and available for every region in the European Union.

From national, regional and local governments to SMEs, NGOs, schools, universities, cultural organisations, anyone who believes in EU cohesion policy is welcome to join the #CohesionAlliance.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, SIGN THE DECLARATION

AER’s tips to influence: Towards a stronger and more effective Cohesion Policy beyond 2020

Over the next few weeks, we will be offering small and big tips on how to approach and create a dialogue with your local and regional politicians to raise awareness on the needs of a strong more effective cohesion policy post-2020.
Signing this declaration, is the first tip. See the summary video! 
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AER adopts its position on cohesion policy

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The AER’s Summer Bureau meeting took place in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria (AT), on 1 June 2017 to debate the future EU cohesion policy beyond 2020.
At the meeting, AER Bureau members adopted a position on cohesion policy post 2020, setting out AER’s views and recommendations for the forthcoming policy reform.
The position calls for a strong renewed cohesion policy for all regions. Emphasising the added value of Europe’s largest investment policy, it notes that an effective cohesion policy will be essential if the EU is to successfully address the challenges confronting Europe today and deliver the results for a greater economic, social and territorial cohesion beyond 2020.
By this text, AER underlines that the high level of ambition for the future cohesion policy must be matched by adequate financing. It further stresses that in order to ensure an inclusive and sustainable growth that reduces disparities between EU regions and delivers for the EU and its citizens, the future cohesion policy instruments and delivery mechanisms must allow for greater simplification, flexibility and predictable funding.
Acknowledging that regional authorities will continue to be crucial in making economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU a reality, the position reiterates that regional authorities’ engagement in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the future cohesion policy must be enhanced by putting in place genuine partnership mechanisms, on the basis of a multilevel governance approach.
The position was drafted by a Task Force led by Mr Michiel Rijsberman (Flevoland – NL) and is the result of an extensive consultation with AER members, through questionnaires and meetings. It will serve as a background for AER’s advocacy work towards European institutions on the future of cohesion policy beyond 2020.
Read full position:
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Cohesion policy’s challenges and the voice of AER

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Challenges posed to the EU cohesion policy, according to EPRS

Last month the European Parliament Research Service issued a briefing on the issues in the forthcoming post-2020 reform, entitled “Challenges for EU cohesion policy,” which was authored by Mr. Vasilis Margaras, Policy Advisor, European Parliament.  In a nutshell, there are numerous issues facing the post-2020 EU cohesion policy reform. They cover a range of topics, such as the 2020-2026 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the impact of Brexit, economic governance and reform, flexibility with a focus on new policy challenges, performance and simplification, financial instruments and European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the urban agenda of the EU with consideration to areas with geographic specificities, alternative indicators to GDP, a stronger focus on lagging regions, and the outlook.

AER’s work on cohesion policy

We, at the Assembly of European Regions (AER), are aware of the challenges facing the EU cohesion policy and have put a strong emphasis on it. In fact, in the past year, AER has focused a big part of its efforts on the future of the EU cohesion policy. In the course of the past year, AER made two political declarations on the renewed regional policy post 2020 and the importance of regional policy. In addition, AER has held a conference on the contribution of the EU Regional Policy towards the management of future challenges. Lastly, Mr. Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister in the Province of Flevoland (NL), was appointed Rapporteur on the future of cohesion policy in June 2016, and is currently leading a task force on cohesion policy post-2020.

How to get involved with AER on cohesion policy?

  1. You can voice your region’s interests by taking the questionnaire, whose goal is to give a comprehensive overview of the issues at stake for AER member regions regarding cohesion policy.
  2. You can join the Task Force and take an active role in drafting AER’s position on the future of cohesion policy.
  3. You can join us for the first meeting of the Task Force in the framework of the Committees’ Spring Plenary in London on 23 March 2017.
  4. You can participate in the Bureau meeting in Lower Austria (AT)  on 1 June 2017 and join the discussions for the political declaration.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the AER Secretariat!

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First results of the Task Force on Cohesion Policy post-2020

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General Documents

  • Concept note on the task Force (pdf – word)
  • Questionnaire on the future of Cohesion Policy (online – pdf)
  • Registration to the Task Force (online)

Task Force meeting, 23 March 2017, London (UK)

  • Preparatory document for the Task Force meeting on 23 March in London (pdf – word)
  • First results of the questionnaire (pdf)

The regions which took the questionnaire:

  • Abruzzo (IT)
  • Auvergne Rhône Alpes (FR)
  • Bihor (RO)
  • Brussels-Capital (BE)
  • Calarasi (RO)
  • Catalonia (ES)
  • Covasna (RO)
  • Cyprus
  • Donegal (IE)
  • Friuli Venezia Giulia (IT)
  • Gelderland (NL)
  • Hampshire (UK)
  • Hedmark (NO)
  • Hunedoara (RO)
  • basel-Stadt (CH)
  • Karlovac (HR)
  • Korce (AL)
  • Noord Brabant (NL)
  • Nordjyland (DK)
  • North Karelia (FI)
  • Norhwestern Switzerland (CH)
  • Olt (RO)
  • Ostbelgien (BE)
  • Jämtland (SE)
  • Örebro (SE)
  • Östergötland (SE)
  • South Ostrobothnia (FI)
  • Västerbotten (SE)
  • Västernorrland (SE)
  • Västra Götaland (SE)
  • Vienna (AT)
  • Vojvodina (RS)

–> TAKE THE QUESTIONNAIRE

The members of the Task Force

  • Chair: Flevoland (NL)
  • Brussels-Capital (BE)
  • Jämtland (SE)
  • Västernorrland (SE)

–> JOIN THE TASK FORCE

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AER task force on cohesion policy

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In AER, we put a strong emphasis on the future of cohesion policy and look for our members to jump in the process!

A bit of background…

In the last years, AER took part to a number of debates and workshops aiming at a necessary re-thinking of the European cohesion policy and its delivery mechanisms, as well as objectives, tools and assessment criteria. In a first meeting with Commissioner Corina Cretu, AER President Hande Özsan Bozatli higlighted the lack of involvement of the regions in the shaping of the future cohesion policy and the absolute necessity to maintain it as a strong mechanism of investments for all regions in Europe.

At the 2016 AER General Assembly in Nordland (NO), the members decided to get the grips with the future of EU regional policy and appointed Mr. Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister in the Province of Flevoland (NL) and AER Bureau member, as Rapporteur on the future of cohesion policy. In the next weeks and months, AER took an active role in the initiative for a “Strong renewed regional policy post 2020 for all regions“, signed by more than 300 Presidents of regions.

At the occasion of an AER Breakfast Briefing on 28 September, various paths were explored to align positive thoughts and stand united for the future of cohesion policy, followed by a conference and the handover of the Book of Signatures to Corina Cretu (EU Commissioner for Regional Policy), Iskra Mihaylova (Chair of the European Parliament’s REGI Committee), Peter Javorcik (Permanent Representative for the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union) and Markku Markkula (President of the European Committee of the Regions).

The AER Bureau gathered in Vienna on 24 October discussed the consequences of the Brexit for the European project, and dedicated a wide part of their declaration “status quo is not an option for the European regions” to the importance of regional policy to avoid populism and bring the citizens closer to Europe. On 9 November, in the framework of the Committees’ Autumn Plenary in Izmir, members decided to set up a task force on cohesion policy post-2020, chaired by Michiel Rijsberman.

Moving on with concrete proposals

A questionnaire (still possible to answer!) has been set up to get a comprehensive overview of the elements at stake for the AER members, and the first results will be discussed and assessed during the first meeting of the Task Force in the framework of the Committees’ Spring Plenary in London, on 23 March 2017.

Four main areas have been identified for the work of the Task Force:

  • Simplification & audit
  • Cohabitation with other fund and programmes
  • Multi-level governance & gold plating
  • Philosophy of the Regional Policy and long term vision

Some of these topics have already been partly addressed and introduced to Commissioner Corina Cretu. You can also find her latest speech on the topic here, which was presented to the head of regional offices in Brussels on 20 february 2017.

How can you take part?

  1. It is still possible to take the questionnaire to voice your region’s interests, objectives and ideas
  2. You can join the Task Force and take an active role in drafting the AER position on the future of cohesion policy
  3. Bring some innovative ideas with you and join us for the meeting of the Task Force in London (23 March 2017)
  4. Take part in the Bureau meeting in Lower Austria (AT) and join the discussions for the political declaration (1 June 2017)

Contact

For any question, please contact us!

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AER and cohesion policy: fighting for regional interests

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The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is closely following the ongoing European debates on cohesion policy, whose future is uncertain. Aiming at defending regions’ interests in this field and make their voices heard, AER has been and will continue to work intensively on this issue.

Context

To begin with, on 28 September 2016, during the Summit of the Regions in Brussels, AER and its long-time partner Lower Austria (AT) organised an important event that gathered together high ranking European politicians and officials. More than 300 regions signed and sent to EU politicians, including Mrs Corina Creţu, EU Commissioner for Regional policy, a book asking for regions to be more involved in shaping cohesion policy.

Between 7 and 10 November 2016, the AER Committees met in Izmir for the Autumn Committees Plenaries. AER Committee 1 established a task force on cohesion policy post 2020, for which Mr Michiel Rijsberman (Flevoland-NL) will lead the work as Rapporteur. The task force will listen to the needs of the regions, inform them about the latest developments as well as find consensus among the regions and represent AER in the external fora.

Survey and call to join task force

We prepared a survey to collect our regions’ views on how cohesion policy should work. It is of crucial importance that all of our members take part in it. We will then create a common position based on your needs, which we will use to defend our shared interests within the European institutions. The deadline is 20 February 2017.

Our political members are also invited to join our task force on cohesion policy post 2020. Should you be interested, please contact by email Mr Alexandre Brecx, Coordinator for membership and institutional relations.

Future events

On 2 March 2017, a seminar on cohesion policy will be organised by the Committee of the Regions in Warsaw (PL), in which Mr Rijsberman will present the next steps to follow.

On 23 March 2017, the AER Committee 1 Plenary meeting will take place in London (UK). It will include a meeting of the task force on cohesion policy post 2020, chaired by Mr Rijsberman, and followed by the preparation of a report, to be presented on 3 June 2017, when Lower Austria will host the AER Bureau meeting on the future of cohesion policy. In this occasion, a political declaration will support the report, which will be finalised in the following months.

Another AER Committee 1 Plenary meeting and meeting of the task force on cohesion policy post 2020 will take place in Nancy (FR), in October 2017.

We hope to work with you soon on cohesion policy.

You can find a PDF version of the survey below:

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EU Cohesion Policy and its governance: an academic debate

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On 9 November 2016, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) organised a conference to present and debate on the “Handbook on Cohesion Policy in the EU”, edited by Prof Dr Simona Piattoni, from the University of Trento, and Dr Laura Polverari, Senior Research Fellow at the European Policies Research Centre of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. The conference was moderated by Sarah Sheil, Head of Unit “Structural Policies” at the European Parliament Research Service.

Dr Piattoni presented the handbook. Instead of chapters on how Cohesion Policy (CP) impacted each one of the EU Member States, a different approach, focussing on problems, was chosen. Authors insisted on the highly political nature of this policy and the debates behind it. Several chapters analyse the relations between EU institutions and CP. The Handbook addresses several questions. For example, what are CP’s goals? How does CP contribute to democracy? How is it related to institutional capacity? Which are its relations with other European policies?

Dr Polverari explained that, in the handbook, countries are grouped according to perceived development problems. These groups are the Southern Periphery, the Service Economy of the North, the Rich Central Regions, the Sparsely Populated Countries and the Central and Eastern European Countries. A long-term overview was provided. Among the interesting facts, the impact CP has had in administrative practices in the Southern Periphery, and the high level of catching up, although not regionally balanced, of Central-Eastern European Countries and of Sparsely Populated Countries thanks to its implementation.

Dr Polverari then mentioned other chapters of the book. Massetti and Shakel, for example, wrote on the influence CP has on regionalist parties’ stances towards the EU. Atkinson and Zimmermann highlighted the problems pertaining CP implementation in urban areas. Fargion and Profeti discussed the social dimension of CP.

Dr Justus Schönlau, advisor at the CoR, took part in the conference as well. He wrote a chapter of the handbook on the relations between the CoR and CP, highlighting that the CoR is acting to defend more regional interests in CP. He also mentioned that multilevel governance has moved from an analytical concept to a practically implemented issue.

Wolfgang Petzold, Deputy Director at the CoR, spoke on behalf of Peter Berkowitz (Head of Unit, European Commission, Regional and Urban Policy DG), who could not attend the conference. According to Mr Bergowitz, simplification is a key issue to work on in the future, as well as better understanding conditionality and recuperating the links between CP and European Integration.

A discussion followed the speakers’ interventions.

More about the book: Simona Piattoni/Laura Polverari (eds, 2016): Handbook of Cohesion Policy in the EU, Edward Elgar (free access to the introductory chapters).

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