On October 11, 2017, the 8th meeting of the Interregional Group on Less Developed Regions took place at the seat of the European Committee of the Regions. The Members of the Intergroup adopted the Position paper on simplification on Cohesion Policy post-2020.
The meeting was opened by Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions who congratulated the work undertaken by the Interregional Group on this very important issue for all regions.
President Tadeusz Truskolaski highlighted that the adoption of this position coincided with increased debate on the future budget of the European Union.- "The European Week of Regions and Cities, which is currently the perfect time and place for discussion on the future of cohesion policy, exchange of experiences on cohesion spending in the years of crisis and preparation of land for cohesion policy after 2020" - stressed Truskolaski – "Cohesion Policy supports developments in less developed regions of the EU and is a major source of investment. We must be aware, however, that despite the gradual diminution of regional economic disparities, less developed regions without adequate support will not be able to even out differences, and even, as recent studies show, the distance to the rich has increased."
"The implementation of the Cohesion Policy should guarantee stability of the legal environment, reduce administrative burdens and ensure implementation of the simplified procedures expected by the Member States. It should focus on creating a framework that will facilitate the successful implementation of Cohesion Policy objectives rather than attempting to retail all possible situations". – said President of Białystok. – "Cohesion policy should be more effective than results-oriented. Hence, it is imperative that the agreed development objectives are paramount to the implementation solutions implemented. A clear division of responsibilities between the European Commission and the Member States and regions should be ensured to maximize the potential of this governance model".
