
Local politicians want regional policy and inclusive growth to be at the heart of the debate triggered by the White Paper on the Future of the EU, and present proposals for the period after 2020.
Investing more to reduce regional disparities and to mobilise regions and cities to create opportunities for citizens should be the key answer to the challenges of the post-Brexit scenario. This was the main message shared by members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) at a meeting in Warsaw on 2 March with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu and the ministers for development from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia as well as Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia.
Cohesion policy – worth €454bn until 2020 – is by far the largest investment tool of the EU, supporting inclusive and smart growth in every European region. It reduces development gaps, spreads innovation and enhances the competitiveness of the EU economies by involving EU institutions, national governments as well as local and regional authorities.
The meeting was attended by Nikola Dobroslavić, President of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and a member of the European Committee of the Regions and Gabriela Žalac , Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds of Croatia.
