Mr Rollandin pointed out in his introductory speech that the priorities of Valle D'Aosta are in line with the EU2020 Strategy, notably enhancing competitiveness, innovation and the sustainability of the region's economy, valorising and preserving the territory and the environment as well as increasing employment and social inclusion. He said, "We call on the EU to recognise in the future of cohesion policy the distinctive features of mountain areas and take into account the costs they face such as altitude, slope, lack of critical mass, higher transport and production costs, difficulty to start-up businesses, etc.".

 

Besides ad hoc legal and fiscal arrangements, other indicators complementing GDP should be developed, looking in particular at aspects such as natural risks, poverty risks, depopulation, etc.

 

The President of the EA group Mr. Szwabski reiterated that striking the right balance between urban and rural development is key in order to achieve territorial cohesion in the EU and that smaller cities, rural and geographically challenged regions should not be overlooked.

 

"Mountain areas, he added, are extremely rich in natural resources, they play an important role to protect ecosystems and provide other areas with valuable assets and services. Nevertheless they have to cope with specific challenges and obstacles and must be provided with adequate support. We firmly believe cohesion policy should continue helping rural and mountain areas where it is particularly hard to attract investments from the private sector".

 

The Bureau members committed to coordinate their action in the CoR and in the EU relevant fora to ensure  cohesion policy post 2020 keeps supporting all regions across the EU and with an adequate budget.