EPP Group sets out its position on the future of cohesion policy

Cohesion policy is the EU’s key instrument for investment in the real economy, promoting jobs and growth across all EU regions. The EPP Group adopted its position paper on the future of cohesion policy yesterday.

“The EPP Group supports a strong cohesion policy in the second half of the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and post-2020. We are willing to provide the necessary corrections to improve the implementation of cohesion policy and also to promote a better approach based on the main scope of this policy: jobs and growth”, stated Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chairman responsible for the EPP Group’s Budget and Structural Policies Working Group.

The €371 billion cohesion policy funds aim at backing projects to reduce disparities between regions and help the least developed get closer to the rest. This figure represents nearly one third of the total EU Budget for the 2014-2020 period.

"We need to work towards further simplifying the funding so that we can speed up investments in the EU, especially for start-ups and SMEs as they are essential for more jobs and growth. For the future cohesion policy, I would like to continue on our road of solidarity and prevent the balkanisation of Europe", explained Lambert van Nistelrooij MEP, EPP Group Spokesman in the Regional Development Committee of the European Parliament.