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“The cohesion policy must not be marginalized,” said Marek Woźniak at a high-level conference in Brussels. The President of the Wielkopolska Region and Head of the Polish Delegation in the Committee of the Regions drew the delegates’ attention to the fact that the EU cohesion policy may require reforms, but cannot be marginalized.
The role of the cohesion policy in the search for a possible way out of the economic crisis, as well as its future beyond the current programming period were the core themes of a high level conference held last Wednesday in Brussels. Among the participants were top politicians and experts representing EU institutions, as well as regional and national governments.
The conference entitled: “The Cohesion Policy – Thoughts for Today and Tomorrow” was organized by the Brussels Offices of Polish Regions, together with the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU and the Union of the Regions of the Republic of Poland. The list of participants included over 500 guests from the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions, Permanent Representations to the EU and European regions.
The participants were welcomed by Mr Jan Tombiński, Polish Ambassador to the EU, whose address emphasized the significance of the cohesion policy on the background of other EU policies. He argued that it is not only a policy of solidarity, but also a tool for tackling such challenges as climate change or demographic issues.
Among the key-note speakers was also Mr Jan Kozłowski, President of the Union of the Polish Regions, Mr Paweł Samecki, Commissioner for Regional Policy and Ms Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Minister for Regional Policy. The President of the European Commission, Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, who was not able to attend the event, sent a video message.
The main highlight of the conference was a discussion panel with the participation of: Mr Jan Olbrycht, MEP, Mr Marek Woźniak, President of the Wielkopolska Region, also representing the Polish delegation in the Committee of the Regions, Mr Adam Struzik, President of the Mazovia Region, as well as representatives of European governments: Mr Peter Heil (Hungary), Mr Pierre Dartout (France), Mr Luis Espadas Moncalvillo (Spain) and experts: Mr Dirk Ahner, Director General for Regional Policy of the European Commission, Mr Mario Pezzini, representing the OECD and Mr Fabrizio Barca – General Director in the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, author of the frequently quoted “Barca Report” on the future of the cohesion policy.
During the conference, the speakers often reiterated that the role of the cohesion policy is pivotal for the correct development of the European Union. President Jan Kozłowski stressed the fact that the policy should be aimed at all European Regions, not only the poorest ones, since it contains tools that would make it possible for them to attain the goals set forth in the Lisbon of the Goteborg Strategy. Commissioner Paweł Samecki pointed out the important need to create a strong development policy, enabling the regions to release their potential and improve their integration with the single market.
Most speakers made direct or indirect references to the recent non-paper of the Commission regarding a review of the EU budget. Minister Elżbieta Bieńkowska stated that the Commission’s draft only superficially touches upon the territorial dimension and the coordination between European policies. The Minister also endorsed the view that the cohesion policy should maintain its strong position on the European arena: “The cohesion policy is a good policy for a time fraught with challenges (…), it is an integrated and territorially-oriented policy”. In her speech, the Minister stressed that the development of the European Union hinges on its regions and their untapped potential, and therefore, it is indispensable to align the cohesion policy with the their needs. To achieve that, European regions should be able to voice their opinion on the future shape of the policy itself.
President Marek Woźniak warned that “if the cohesion policy is relegated to the back shelf, we will have to face a question about what the European Union actually is. We are aware that the policy leaves ample room for improvement. But we must also use the potential of regional development that exists in Europe”. In addition, Mr Marek Woźniak underscored the need to directly involve the regions in the cohesion policy: “In the process of their development, the regions aspire to be the subject of development rather than mere tools in somebody else’s hands”.
Conference participants emphasized that the cohesion policy is vital for Europe, although some improvements are necessary. Most delegates agreed that the simplifying of implementation procedures for member states and regions is essential. It was also clear that in the next programming period, cohesion policy should cover all European regions, since even the most affluent of them grapple with problems such as demographic or climate changes, which the cohesion policy can successfully address.
See the speech of Mr Wozniak
See the photos in the Gallery
Author: BIWW, CoR
Photos: Hans Westerling
