Slovenia advocates for a strong post-2027 Cohesion Policy
Minister Jevšek at the General Affairs Council meeting. | Author General Affairs Council
“Slovenia is in favour of maintaining a strong Cohesion Policy in the next programming period. We support a Cohesion Policy that builds on competitiveness, resilience and innovation. Together with other countries of the group of Friends of Cohesion, we expect that the legislative framework will be published as soon as possible, building on simplifications, cutting red tape and being as concrete as possible. It is important that Cohesion Policy funding is distributed among regions fairly and equitably, as, after all, the country is only as strong as its regions are,” said Minister Jevšek before the meeting.
In his intervention, Minister Jevšek underlined that Cohesion Policy was and remains the main instrument of investment in competitiveness and research, development and innovation. In the 2014-2020 period, the European Regional Development Fund alone, together with national co-financing, provided 120 billion euros, topped up by a further 110 billion euros in the current period under the policy objective A smarter Europe. This clearly shows that Cohesion Policy is an investment policy for long-term competitiveness and future development of the EU.
The proposed framework for the next programming period includes a wide range of objectives and allows for the needed flexibility. It is key, though, that the existing delivery systems that work well are preserved in the future. Mechanisms must be clearly defined at the very start, as over-centralization of funding and programmes at the national level means moving away from the basic principles of Cohesion Policy, i.e. partnership, multi-level governance and place-based approach.
“Instead of introducing new complex systems, we should rather focus on what matters most: quality, targeted investments aimed at boosting the competitiveness of European economies and ensuring quality of life for all EU citizens, no matter where they live,” said Minister Jevšek.
Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy also approved Council conclusions on the EU Agenda for Cities.