European Union News - Regional Policy

The opinion on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 adopted by the Committee of the Regions calls for more flexibility within budget headings, a stronger role for regions and cities in the elaboration of operational programs and a call to stop wasting time postponing the introduction of a new own resources system including a tax on financial transactions.

The European Commission welcomed the approval by the Council the monitoring and reporting on financial instruments available under cohesion policy. Thanks to this new rule, the Commission will be able to produce accurate and comprehensive accounts, which give a true image of the Union's assets and of the actual budgetary implementation.

According to the local and regional leaders, the new model of European governance must also involve citizens, businesses, civil society and any other relevant stakeholders in order to reach these common goals. They also stresses the need of the full participation of local and regional authorities to achieve the Europe 2020 strategy objectives.

Parliament's Budgets Committee approved EU Solidarity Fund aid totalling to repair earthquake and flood damage in Spain and Italy. The two aid requests, totalling €38 million, will be met out of unspent funds for rural development programmes.

The Regional Development and Employment Committee debated the cohesion policy reform proposals tabled by the Commission. Among the conclusions drawn from the debate, MEPs welcomed the regulation on provisions common to the various EU structural funds as a big step forward which should enhance the efficiency with which regional policy is implemented by better integrating its components.

MEPs voted in favour to pay up to 95% of regional development project costs in in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Latvia and Hungary so as to permit and accelerate investment in growth and jobs. In addition, the Regional Development Committee agreed that the Member States concerned need to prioritise projects and show that under the current maximum co-financing rates, they could not have afforded to pay their share of the projects.

The ministers had on the 14 November an exchange of views on a regulation establishing rules for direct payment to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy (CAP) and a discussion on the greening of direct payments. In addition, most delegations were in favour to strictly maintain the deadline for implementing the directive on the protection of laying hens.

According to the latest statistics published by Eurostat on agricultural diversity, almost half of total harvested EU cereal production came from France, Germany and Poland and Germany, Spain and France the largest producers of pig meat in the EU. In addition, Germany, France and Italy are the largest cheese producers in the EU.

Farm policy reform plans were debated at a unique meeting of EP Agriculture Committee MEPs, Member States' farm ministers and the European Commission. This was the first time in the EU's history that legislative proposals for farm policy reform were discussed in the one room by the two co-deciding bodies - the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Pyrenees Working Community (CTP) have recently signed an agreement to work together in order to assess climate change impacts in the Pyrenees. According to Jacqueline McGlade, the EEA Executive Director, temperatures are rising faster in mountainous regions, making them particularly vulnerable to climate change.

The responsibility of Member States and beneficiaries with regard to the European regional policy communication and transparency have been some of the points that were highlighted during the workshop "Communicating regional policy today and after 2013" held at the Open Days in Brussels.