Progress of the Romanian EU Council Presidency on European Funds post-2020, presented at the General Affairs Council – Cohesion
Last meeting of the General Affairs Council (CAG), in Coeziune format, in the mandate of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will end on 30 June, took place yesterday in Luxembourg.
The Romanian Presidency provided ministers with a review of the achievements achieved during the mandate on the legislative package on the Cohesion Policy for the period 2021-2027, presenting at the same time the current stage of the negotiations. Council meeting, chaired by Ms. Roxana Mînzatu, president of CAG-Coeziune, focused on two main topics. The first was a review of the progress made under the Cohesion Policy package during the Romanian Presidency. Following the European Commission’s proposal of May 2018 on this legislative package, the Romanian EU Council Presidency partially adopted negotiating mandates with the European Parliament for Regulations defining the prerequisites for the use of future European funds (CPR, ERDF, ESF + and Interreg). All four of these documents are related to discussions on the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) and are relevant to the development of the new investment framework by EU Member States. “Romania has made remarkable progress in simplifying and rationalizing the rules and ensuring the necessary legal clarity.
The Council’s position includes further simplification measures beyond the Commission’s proposal and improves many requirements that will make life easier for EU fund beneficiaries in the Union without compromising the strategic role of the Cohesion Policy that remains very close to our heart. The consensus reached during the Romanian Presidency received strong support from ministers responsible for EU Cohesion Policy. We thank everyone for the good collaboration. The Council will have the mandates to negotiate with the European Parliament in order to reach an agreement and to allow the start of the new operational programs in due time, “Ms Ms. Roxana Mînzatu.
Representing the European Commission, Ms. Corina Creţu, Commissioner for Regional Policy, thanked the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council for the efforts made and the progress made on the legislative package 2021-2027. Commissioner Cretu added that “today’s debates have reached important issues for the future of Cohesion Policy. Although there have been different opinions over the past few years, we have always been able to find the right solutions in the interest of our citizens to strengthen territorial and economic cohesion. ”
The debate then focused on the linkages between Cohesion Policy as the Union’s main investment policy and the economic governance process – especially the link with the European Semester.
The delegations thanked Romania for the work done during the six months of the mandate and for the way it led the negotiations. They also showed that the success of the Cohesion Policy depends in the future on the ability of all relevant actors to contribute to its modernization and to adapt it to the current realities and concrete needs of European citizens, important challenges.
At the end of the CAG-Coeziune meeting, Ms. Mânzatu pointed out the results obtained by Romania in the 6 months. “We are very proud of this first Presidency of the EU Council Presidency, where we have had remarkable achievements in the managed dossiers. I thank everyone, on behalf of the Government of Bucharest, for cooperation and contribution to Romania’s success, a country that must be revealed to its true value and beauty. ”
Source: Finanțare.ro
