A group of local and regional EU representatives of the European Committee of the Regions has backed four draft opinions calling for a modernised Cohesion Policy that keeps regions and cities involved in deciding how EU funding is used.
Cohesion Policy should be renewed but opposed budget cuts and what they described as moves to sideline regional and local authorities in favour of national governments, according to a statement on 5 February from the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and the EU Budget (COTER).
The draft texts respond to the European Commission’s proposals for the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028 – 2034, including a plan to merge cohesion, agriculture, fisheries and other policies into a single large fund managed through National and Regional Partnership Plans.
COTER members called for safeguards for principles they said underpin Cohesion Policy, including the “partnership principle” — meaning EU institutions, national governments and local authorities work together — and “multi-level governance”, involving decision-making at different levels.
They proposed a “multilevel governance assessment”, described as a user manual for member states, to require the involvement of subnational authorities when the new plans are designed, while respecting national constitutional arrangements.
A “subsidiarity clause” was also proposed, which would allow regions to ask the European Commission to reject plans if they are “overly nationalised.”
Transparency, spending controls and military mobility
COTER members argued that the new plans should not become a “single pot of money” controlled by member states, and said separate funds such as the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund should keep clearly allocated amounts because of their different purposes.
They supported simplifying how the efficiency of EU spending is monitored but called for safeguards to keep “territorial cohesion” — reducing disparities between regions — as a priority.
Under the proposed changes, meeting “milestones and targets” would replace the current system in which EU money is paid back based on documented expenses, and COTER warned this could bring extra red tape and controls.
COTER members urged the Commission to provide EU-wide training and technical assistance for public officials who would have to apply the new performance framework.
The group also welcomed the planned continuation of the Connecting Europe Facility beyond 2027 and called for regions and cities to be involved in its governance, monitoring and evaluation.
COTER said it also welcomed a proposed funding increase for military mobility under the programme, but argued that “dual-use” projects — infrastructure serving both military and civilian needs — should deliver civilian benefits, particularly for regional connectivity and resilience, in coordination with Cohesion Policy spending.
The four draft opinions are scheduled for final adoption at the May plenary session, COTER said.
