Cohesion is the new climate policy and the EU needs a commissioner for regional and urban development

Unveiling the draft Commission portfolios is now taking place on 17 September. A week from now, the European Parliament will start gearing to host the parade of commissioner-designates for a round of hearings (better known as grilling).

In the run-up to the showdown, policy and politics will merge and expectations will be high. Such one expectation concerns the future portfolio for regional development and cohesion where for over a decade our team has been authoring EU legislation and setting the standards for policy reforms.

Myth busting first: EU’s cohesion policy showed unparalleled positive impacts on regions, cities, rural, border and remote areas. It build the EU in times of peace and rebuild it in times of crisis. It contributed to EU’s priorities and to a number of reforms in the Member States. Check out the European Parliament’s report authored by us: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0174_EN.html.

Therefore, a vital policy needs to turn a page and become bigger and better. EU’s regions, cities, rural, border and remote areas have been under increased pressure from climate change - slow onset events and extreme weather events, including coastal erosion, desertification, rising sea levels, wildfires, floods, landslides or heatwaves. However, mayors are often alone. Cohesion should become local authorities’ toolkit for climate change adaptation and disaster prevention and preparedness. The logic is simple - resilient and strong urban and rural areas lead to resilient and strong regions, to resilient and strong Member States and to... You got it! Resilient and strong EU.

Given that context, the policy should retain its shared management, multi-level governance and partnership principles to tackle unique regional development problems on the ground, with even more attention to the diversity of territories. Cohesion policy should continue tracking the local landscape of needs in order to address them effectively - tailor-made investment approach geared towards specific needs on the ground. Designated place-based investments in both urban and rural areas.

However, simple means SIMPLE (and faster). Therefore, a thorough modernisation of the delivery model is needed – a shift from an activity-to-payment cycle to a performance-based implementation, based on tangible milestones, together with linkages to reforms. The Commission should keep in check any gold-plating by the Member States.

Of course, transparency, accountability, the protection of the Union’s financial interests and the rule of law should be key enabling conditions for every euro invested.

As to the Member States, there is no time to play net payers and net beneficiaries. There are direct and indirect returns on all cohesion investments. No-brainer economics: railroad investments in country A are backed by money from country B but the rolling stock is produced in country B and that is where the money comes home. In the end, the entire internal market of the EU benefits. The beauty of cohesion - only net winners and a growing economy.

To all regions, cities and stakeholders out there: there is an extra week to push for a strong regional development portfolio. Time to roll up those sleeves.