Representatives from the European regions and cities, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council met in Brussels to debate about regions and cities contribution to the growth agenda in the occasion of the Forum on the Common Strategic Framework (CSF) 2014-2020 organised by the Committee of the Regions (CoR). The event took place just a few days after the adoption of CoR's crucial opinions of the new regulation on cohesion policy.

The Forum on the Common Strategic Framework 2014-2020 gathered more than 300 participants from all EU institutions as well as from local and regional authorities. It was an opportunity to exchange views on three main topics including multi-level governance of the Common Strategic Framework (CSF) funds post-2013, the Europe 2020 Strategy and the challenge of an integrated territorial approach, and how to deliver results by ensuring coherent approaches.

During the sessions of this Forum President of the Committee of the Regions, Mercedes Bresso, highlighted some of the most important concerns held by the European cities and regions. President Bresso stressed the need to balance the thematic concentration of resources and to provide more flexibility in order to address local need. Furthermore, the adequate involvement of regions and cities in the framing of programmes was at stake as well as the firm opposition to macroeconomic conditionality and the risk of compromising the impact of multiannual strategies through annual adjustments brought under the pretext of aligning them with the national reform programmes.

Commissioner Andor and Commissioner Cioloş underlined the compromise of the Commission to put in place the necessary mechanisms to increase the involvement of local and regional authorities, both at the policy planning stage and the implementation process. The Commission encourages integrated approaches to territorial development and community-led local strategies, for which it calls for CoR active support. On the European Parliament's side, REGI committee chair, Danuta Hübner highlighted the fact that the crisis has aggravated the differences among regions and has therefore, increased the need for flexibility.

The Forum on the Common Strategic Framework 2014-2020 was celebrated only a few days after the adoption at the may plenary session of four opinions by the Committee of the Regions on the regulations related to the Structural funds. By adopting these opinions the members of the Committee made clear their position for a successful cohesion policy for the period 2014-2020. European regions and cities requested a place-based approach to the thematic concentration of resources, a stronger flexibility in the definition of the funds allocation and clear rules for the involvement of regions and cities in defining operational programmes and partnership contracts.