Regions to Fitto: “Budget up to challenges and local authorities core of new Cohesion”

Brussels – Yes to collaboration with the European Commission, no to centralization far from local realities of policies for territories. European regions are flocking to Brussels en masse to renew their call for reform of Cohesion policies for centrality of regional administrations in decision-making and reform. The 144 European regions of EURegions4cohesion, an initiative launched in May 2024 by the New Aquitaine (France) and Emilia-Romagna regions, meet with Executive Vice Presidents Roxana Mînzatu (Social Rights and Skills), Raffaele Fitto (Cohesion and Reforms), and Commissioner Piotr Serafin (Budget) to reiterate demands and request the guarantees they need.

On the one hand, there is a desire to strengthen the cohesion policy after 2027. In this sense, the work on the new EU multi-year budget (MFF 2028-2034) “represents an important step for the defence of regional interests.” This is what reads the note of the delegation on the mission to Brussels, composed, among others, also of the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Councillor for agriculture and relations for the EU, Alessio Mammi, and the Presidents of the Lazio and Lombardy regions, Francesco Rocca and Attilio Fontana.

First and foremost, the clear call is for “a budget that responds to a long-term approach to investment by putting the regions at the centre of programming and implementation” through programs negotiated directly with the European Commission. These must be followed up with regional implementation to better respond to the needs of the realities that local administrators know best, as stressed by the President of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca: “Precisely because of their proximity to the unique problems and opportunities of their territories, the regions can respond effectively to the needs of citizens while promoting balanced development throughout the European Union.”

The regions recognise that cohesion policy needs to be reformed. They do not discuss the need to update programs for which they say they are ready to cooperate with European institutions. Still, European regions “oppose trends of centralisation” that would reduce their central role in policy planning and implementation. 

A message, the latter, was also delivered to Fitto by the president of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana. “We are opposed to a multi-year financial framework that cancels the resources for Cohesion Policy in a macro-container with other funds and to a model for National Plans that reduces the Regions from managing authorities to intermediate bodies or simply to beneficiaries.” So the support offered by Italian team member von der Leyen is good.

“The most important fact is the willingness to listen, the willingness to confront,” Fontana admits. “Vice President Fitto has been extremely willing to listen to us.” With him, “we have established that we will see each other again and address all the various dossiers that Fitto was aware of.” What pleases the Lombardy governor is that “we did not have to explain, but he already knew everything. So this is a positive thing.”