Members of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Committee of the Regions’ (CoR) Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) today assessed the mid-term implementation of the EU’s 2021–2027 Cohesion Policy. The debate brought forward both national experiences and shared concerns, with an emphasis on the need for administrative simplification, strategic clarity, and local empowerment.
Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR, underlined the importance of engaging regions and cities from the start of every policy cycle: “The most successful projects are those developed at the local level. We must ensure that cities and regions are involved decisively from the earliest stages. Cohesion policy must uphold its core elements: place-based planning, multilevel governance, the partnership principle, and shared management. This is not just about funding—it’s also about competencies and co-creation among regions to build a competitive and greener Europe.”
Ivan Žagar, EPP-CoR COTER Coordinator and Mayor of Slovenska Bistrica, raised concerns about uneven performance and persistent bottlenecks: “We cannot be content with the current implementation levels. In Slovenia, for instance, the results are disappointing and the cost-benefit ratio is far from optimal. We have always supported flexibility, but it must go hand-in-hand with a bottom-up approach that respects local realities. Funds exist, but projects are lacking—often due to excessive administrative burdens that must be addressed.”
Radim Sršeň, Mayor of Dolní Studénky, described the Czech Republic as a frontrunner, while warning against structural penalties for performing regions: “We’ve already allocated over 95% of our funds through registered projects, with 58% of legal acts in place and 21% already paid. But our success paradoxically limits our flexibility—we cannot benefit from 100% financing or respond to post-disaster needs like flood recovery. Cohesion policy should remain a long-term strategic tool, not be repurposed continuously for emergencies. Undermining the partnership and subsidiarity principles would be a serious mistake.”
Georgios Papanikolaou, Mayor of Glyfada highlighted the fragmentation between different EU funding instruments and questioned their operational coherence: “We face recurring difficulties in coordination and administrative assistance. Different programmes with varied timelines and objectives create confusion and slow progress. Are there ways to streamline these overlaps—such as between the RAREFF programme and other EU funding phases—to ensure better alignment and project cooperation?”
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and COTER 1st Vice-Chair, praised EU efforts on simplification but urged new funding to match future priorities: “We’ve seen real progress in simplification and flexibility from the Commission this period—thank you for that. But with new 2025 priorities like affordable housing, water resilience, and energy transition, we cannot simply reshuffle existing funds. Without fresh financial resources, we are forced to abandon current projects to take on new ones. That’s not viable. New priorities must come with new money.”