According to a document issued by the Ministry of Finance, Romania, together with 16 other EU member states within the “Friends of Cohesion” Group, intends to send an alarm signal concerning proposals to reduce the funding allocated to the Cohesion Policy in the upcoming multiannual EU budget.
It is noteworthy that Romania has been one of the main beneficiaries of the EU cohesion funds, established to lessen the development gap between Eastern and Western European countries.
According to the Ministry of Finance, there is a possibility that, in the future multiannual EU budget, a reduction in the funding allocated to the Cohesion Policy may be proposed, in a context of European skepticism regarding this policy.
Through a joint effort of these 17 states, Romania aims to draw attention to the importance of ensuring flexible and tailored implementation conditions that decisively contribute to reducing development disparities, especially in the regions most affected.
To this end, it is proposed that Romania present and circulate, within the “Friends of Cohesion” Group, a common position paper that supports:
– Maintaining a viable and solid budget for the Cohesion Policy in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, at least at the same real level as currently, to guarantee the resources necessary for the continuous reduction of regional disparities, the strengthening of the EU’s resilience and competitiveness, and the achievement of strategic priorities, while taking into account the growing needs and challenges of all regions;
– Preserving the current shared management mechanism as the method of implementing the Cohesion Policy after 2027, to ensure that all regions contribute to the realization of the EU’s strategic priorities and can benefit from the investments required for both convergence and competitiveness, based on their specific development opportunities and needs;
– Maintaining the current system of classifying regions, based on the regional GDP per capita as the main allocation criterion.
The common position paper will be finalized following consultations with the member states within this group and subsequently circulated to the European Commission immediately after the text is approved by the joining member states, so that it may be included in the preparation process of the proposal regarding the future MFF. It will later be presented at the meeting of the General Affairs Council – Cohesion format, scheduled for March 28, 2025, during which conclusions regarding the future of the Cohesion Policy will be approved.
“Friends of Cohesion” represents an informal group of 17 EU member states that support maintaining a strong stance for the Cohesion Policy in the EU budget. The group includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
