Weakening regional policy is deal breaker for MFF

Just days before the Commission presents its roadmap for the next long-term EU budget (MFF), the EPP Group has unanimously adopted its position paper on the future of regional policy today. It outlines the view and the key demands of the biggest political group on financing the EU regions.

"The EPP Group is the group of regions, cities and rural areas. We are on the ground, we see and hear. The EPP Group has red lines regarding the Commission's proposal for regional policy beyond 2027. Overstepping those would be a deal breaker for approving the long-term budget. It is time for regional policy to be defined for the regions, by the regions. They should have a 'veto' power on any detrimental reforms," says Andrey Novakov MEP, the EPP Group’s Spokesman on Regional Policy.

Among other points, the EPP Group is calling for an assessment of local needs based on multiple criteria, to determine where and how much to invest, emphasising a bottom-up rather than a top-down allocation. We will not accept any centralisation of resource allocation.

The EPP Group is also demanding that the cohesion policy remain a separate, well-funded pillar in the EU budget. “We call for strategic, locally driven programming, better synergy between funds, and clear demarcation from other EU instruments. It is essential that this policy is not considered to be a pot of last resort money,” says Novakov.

The full text of the EPP Group's position paper is available here.