EESC en Eurocommissaris Hübner spreken over het cohesiebeleid ten aanzien van de economische crisis (en)

PRESS RELEASE No 42/2009

2 April 2009

EESC and Commissioner Hübner debate Cohesion Policy's role in overcoming the crisis

On 1 April the EESCSection for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO)held a debate with Ms Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy,on the current financial crisis, the priorities and the future strategies of the Union's Cohesion Policy.The discussion also focused on a joint initiative taken by EESC Member Carmelo Cedrone (Employees Group, Italy) and MEP Miroslav Mikolasik (EPP-ED, Slovakia)These two men had written together to the Commissioner with two proposals seeking to increase the efficiency of cohesion policy and the national programmes of the European Union.

Carmelo Cedrone (Gr II-IT), Rapporteur for the opinion "On the results of the negotiations concerning cohesion policy strategies and programmes for the programming period 2007-2013" (ECO/230)and Miroslav Mikolasik, EP Rapporteur on the same issue, underlined the need to set up a restricted working group, comprising representatives of the different institutions in order to propose a radical revision of this policy in the future. Secondly, they jointly proposed that more education and training for local government officials should be stimulated at European level in order to benefit from all the possibilities that the Union's cohesion policy offers.

Ms Hübner applauded the two Rapporteurs, thus underlining the full collaboration between the Institutions and announced that she intended to involve the Committee fully in preparing all the documents, in recognition of the EESC's experience in achieving consensus between citizens. "The EESC plays a key role in connecting the regional and local levels with Europe" the Commissioner concluded.

The Commissioneralso underlined the need to adapt Cohesion Policy to the 'global new deal' and to capitalise on local and regional assets in order to boost its competitiveness. "In this time of crisis, it is more important than ever that regions make the best possible use of this support" Ms Hübner said. She underscored the added value of cooperation across national borders. She also pointed out that, at the Council's request, the Commission was preparing a Strategy on the Baltic Sea. "Many see this as a test case for territorial cohesion which could be extended to other macro regions."