Lessons learned from the 2013 reform of EU cohesion policy

EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

Salzburg Global SeminarMind the Gap! Innovating for Regional Cohesion and Smart Growth

Salzburg, 18 May 2014

Wolfgang PetzoldCommittee of the Regions, Brussels

Email: wolfgang.petzold@cor.europa.euTwitter: @WolfgangPetzold

Three remarks

•The recent reform of EU cohesion policy has strengthened its theoretical, legal and institutional foundations through the place-based narrative, a closer link to the Europe 2020 strategy and to EU economic and financial governance.

•During the negotiations, institutional players at EU level had sufficient possibilities for conflicts and compromises and saw an increased role and involvement of the European Parliament. As a result, a number of provisions seem to have deepened the Europeanisation of regional and urban policies (e.g. European code of conduct; Common Strategic Framework; common regulation for different instruments)

•The price of an increased number of regulatory provisions may, however, be institutional resistance at lower levels of government, in particular in countries/regions for which cohesion policy funding is marginal. The question of proportinality will be raised again.

European Structural and Investment Funds2014-2020

Watch video “Europe 2020 and the regions“:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_6n0_S-8B0&feature=youtu.be

Sub-nationalpublic investment

Estimated public investment per head,average 2002-2006 in PPS

Source: Eurostat and DG REGIO, November 2010

Quality of subnational governmentStandard deviation from poor quality (negative)to high quality (positive),2009

European Commission DG REGIO,Gothenburg Quality of GovernmentInstitute, 2012

Standardized Index based on Absorption data end 2013 for all funds (ERDF, CF, ESF, EAFRD, EFF) and World Bank Governance Index 2012.

Absorption of European Structural and Investment Funds and Governance

What next?

2014: In July, the 6th Cohesion Report will confirm increasing regional disparities and societal inequality; Cohesion Forum on 8/9 Sept; programming of 320+ programmes to last until end 2014; 2015: Mid-term revision of Europe 2020 strategy; revsion of the EU Treaties to be launched

2015-17: Reflection about cohesion policy reform post-2020 (DG REGIO)

2016-17: Mid-term revision of EU budget 2014-2020; 7th Cohesion Report to present reform options for post-2020

2018: EU budget 2021-2027 (?) and cohesion policy regulations post-2020 to be proposed

2020: new EU budget and cohesion policy to be agreed upon