Debate contributions by Dragoş BENEA

Mr President, dear colleagues, thank you all for your interventions. With the provisional agreement on the mid-term review of cohesion policy, we are sending a clear message to all Europeans: The European Union remains responsive and united in the effort to combat disparities and promote balanced development in all European regions, and cohesion policy is flexible and able to adapt to the new realities on the ground. Let me thank all my colleagues, shadow rapporteurs, Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, representatives of the European Commission and the Council, and the Danish Presidency for the excellent cooperation and intensive work on this report as a matter of urgency. Tomorrow, the European Parliament will vote on the provisional agreement, so long awaited by the managing authorities of our countries. I hope that the provisional agreement will be supported by Members of the European Parliament in the vote tomorrow, and after the adoption of the new regulation, Member States, regions and managing authorities will turn this agreement into concrete projects and benefits for communities in all regions of the European Union. We will continue to monitor and support this process so that the benefits of cohesion policy reach every corner of Europe and are reflected in the lives of every European citizen.

Mr President, Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, dear colleagues, cohesion policy is the basic pillar of European solidarity, being the concrete expression of our common commitment to reducing disparities and promoting balanced development in all regions of the European Union. Today we are at an important moment for regional development policy, and the mid-term review offers us a unique opportunity, not only to analyse the progress made in the current programming period, but also to adjust, where necessary, the instruments and interventions, in order to be able to respond promptly and firmly to the new challenges facing our regions. Talks over the past few months have not always been easy, and rightly so. Cohesion policy reaches the heart of European solidarity and investment, and it is natural to have strong opinions and diverse views on its direction and priorities. Despite the differences in perspective, we have managed to build a common ground where it matters to ensure that cohesion policy, regional development policy continues to serve our citizens and regions in the most efficient and fair way possible. The provisional agreement provides for significant steps to adapt our instruments to today’s realities, by introducing five new priorities aligned with new emerging challenges, as well as increasing flexibility and absorption capacity of funds. This mid-term review reflects both the continuity and the evolution of cohesion policy. Preserving its core values while adjusting implementation to ensure greater impact. Let me summarise some of the important agreements we have reached with the Danish Presidency, supported by the European Commission in these negotiations. Parliament has accepted defence as a new priority. However, when it comes to investments in industrial capacities or infrastructures, priority must always be given to dual-use ones. In the future, we will ask the Commission to verify whether this provision has been complied with by the Member States. We have also succeeded in introducing civilian training in all types of territories, which is particularly important for the European Parliament. Another key element agreed is integrated water management and its resilience, which we managed to align with the European Water Resilience Strategy. We succeeded in referring to sustainable housing alongside affordable housing throughout the text of the regulation. This afternoon we are sending a clear message to the thousands of European families facing difficulties in finding affordable housing, that we have extended the scope of this provision for both socially vulnerable and middle-class families. I would like to convey good news to the regions located on the eastern border of the European Union, namely that they will benefit from a single additional pre-financing amounting to 9.5% of the total support provided by the ESF+ and ERDF programmes. Finally, let me mention that we have limited support to large enterprises to those in Cohesion countries, while maintaining a primary focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. I propose that we reaffirm, through tomorrow's vote, our commitment to a cohesion policy that works for all, for all citizens in urban and rural areas, in less developed and most developed regions, for young people and the elderly, for communities in transition and for those facing the challenges of the war in Ukraine, so that no one is left behind and every region has the chance to develop sustainably and fairly. I look forward to your interventions.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, cohesion policy is the European Union's main long-term investment tool and the foundation for a more resilient, inclusive and competitive Europe. I note with concern that regional development policy is increasingly under pressure and for this reason, as Chair of the REGI Committee, I call for a strong budgetary allocation for cohesion policy, comparable to its current share of 30% in the current multiannual financial framework. Any reduction in funding for this important instrument would deepen disparities between European regions and slow down the long-term growth engines of the European Union. At the same time, we cannot accept that the 530 OPs are reduced to only 27 national programmes. Each region has specific needs, and decentralisation, partnership and involvement of local and regional authorities, from design to programme implementation, shared management and multi-level governance, are vital. The future MFF must continue to support a modernised, simplified and reinforced cohesion policy open to all regions, but with a special focus on the most disadvantaged regions, such as rural areas, the eastern borders affected by the war in Ukraine, regions facing natural disasters and the outermost regions, so that no region or municipality is left behind.