CEMR urges EU leaders to secure an ambitious long-term budget that empowers local and regional governments
As EU leaders prepare to decide on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) calls for a robust budget and a cohesion policy that keeps local and regional governments at its core.
The need for an ambitious MFF
CEMR stresses that ambitious European goals, sustainable development, the Green Deal, and social inclusion, cannot be delivered without a strong budget. Any further cuts to cohesion policy, such as those recently proposed, would undermine Europe’s ability to meet its commitments. Local and regional governments, as the key actors implementing EU policies on the ground, rely on a timely agreement to ensure a smooth transition to the next funding period.
Just Transition and partnership
CEMR welcomes the creation of a Just Transition Fund to support regions in the shift towards a low-carbon economy. However, these new measures must come with additional funding, not at the expense of cohesion policy. Equally vital is the Partnership Principle, which guarantees that municipalities and regions are directly involved in programming and implementing EU funds. This principle must remain a cornerstone of cohesion policy.
Europe’s ambitions will only succeed if local and regional governments have the tools to deliver them. A strong MFF, safeguarded cohesion funding, and reinforced partnership are the foundations of a Europe closer to its citizens.
For more information, contact:
Advisor – Territorial Cohesion & Local Finances
