European Union News - Regional Policy

The European Commission informed that following the recent entry into force of the new Financial Regulation, has adopted its new detailed Rules of application. As of 1 January 2013 thanks to simplified procedures, the delivery of EU funds to businesses, NGOs, researchers, students, municipalities and other recipients will be improved.

The European Commission presented a new proposal which is intended to lighten administrative burdens and make it easier to assess the potential impacts of major projects, without weakening existing environmental safeguards.

The president of the Committee of the Regions, Ramon Luis Valcarcel, expressed the Committee's support to the demands made by the Commission in regard to the need to increase the budget allocated to the European Union Connecting Europe Facility. It also stressed the key role of the Facility and the actions developed as drivers for growth.

According to the first ever Eurobarometer survey conducted at a regional level, public perception across the EU of the current economic situation and quality of life indicate major variations not only at national level but even more so at a regional level. The report results also show that with the exception of certain parts of Germany, unemployment is the top priority and main concern across all the EU regions, and environment has almost gone off the agenda of most citizens.

A third general approach, which is a political agreement of the Council pending the adoption of a first-reading position by the European Parliament, was agreed by the Council on the cohesion policy legislative package. The approach is partial since some elements are excluded, in particular the sums to be devoted to cohesion policy and the eligibility of different regions.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has backed the Energy Roadmap 2050, European Commission's plans to reduce energy consumption and commit to shifting towards more sustainable energy resources. However, it urged that far more needs to be done to support local and regional authorities if these objectives are to be achieved.

The opinion drafted by the vice presidency of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) calls for an increase in the 2014-2020 budget worth 1.14% of European Union gross national income. This document also reflects CoR's concern about the difficulties that local authorities, regions, and also certain Member states would face in view of the new budgetary framework.

According to an opinion to be adopted in CoR's next plenary session, the European Commission failed to simplify the current legislation on public procurements. The CoR's Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS) regrets that the European Commission proposals will entail administrative burden, particularly for local and regional authorities.

Regional representatives from around Europe will participate on the biggest annual event in the world of regional and urban policy, the OPEN DAYS 2012 – that will take place on 8-11 October, in the frameworkd of final talks on the EU budget, and when major reforms of how the structural funds operate are on the table.