Our priorities

We call for an effective EU budget that does less but better and reflects the real needs at local and regional levels. Instead of new own resources, we call for budget reallocations and more performance-based budgeting to improve efficiency and achieve concrete results.

An impactful and efficient cohesion policy is vital to ensure Europe's prosperity. We believe that cohesion policy should focus on its primary objective, which is to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion and to reduce regional disparities.

At the same time, cohesion policy must be aligned with the EU's main priorities, most notably strengthening the EU's competitiveness and resilience. This should encompass greater support for a just transition, rural and border regions, infrastructure, research and innovation and tackling the demographic crisis in EU regions. 

We are committed to making cohesion policy more simplified and flexible and reducing its administrative burden. To improve the effectiveness of cohesion policy, we call for better synergies between the EU, national and local and regional strategic objectives and sources of funding, reinforcing links between investments and reforms and making it more performance-based while preserving its core principles of a place-based approach, multi-level governance and partnership.

We are committed to regional policy that considers regional specificities. We believe in fostering development in internal and external EU border regions through more flexible and less bureaucratic cross-border cooperation programmes. We would like to see the establishment of new macro-regional strategies to help address common challenges and increase the resilience of defined geographical areas.

Europe’s industries and all transport sectors need a gradual and just transition. Technological neutrality is our guiding principle, and we are committed to supporting the European automotive industry and regions in transition, including with a call to reverse the 2035 ban on combustion engines and reducing transport costs for citizens. Air connectivity is essential to Europe's regional cohesion and inclusiveness and we call for improved conditions for regional airports to operate.