On the invitation of Georgios Chatzimarkos, Regional Governor of the South Aegean and member of the EPP-CoR Group, more than 100 regional and local leaders, Members of the European Parliament, young local elected politicians and national political representatives gathered in Rhodes on 29 May 2026 for the EPP-CoR External Group Meeting to discuss the future of the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034. Under the title “Delivering Europe Together: Placing Regions at the Heart of the Next MFF”, participants adopted the Rhodes Declaration calling for an ambitious and robust EU budget capable of addressing both traditional and emerging priorities, while preserving cohesion policy as the EU’s main long-term investment tool. Speakers stressed the need for new genuine EU own resources to avoid cuts to key programmes, called for the timely adoption of the next MFF by the end of 2026, and underlined that Europe’s future budget must remain place-based and territorially sensitive, with cities and regions fully involved in the design and implementation of the future National and Regional Partnership Plans.

Opening the meeting, Georgios Chatzimarkos stressed that the Rhodes Declaration sends “a strong and clear message” from cities and regions across all 27 Member States that “strong Local Government is the cornerstone of the European project itself.” He underlined that Europe’s future cannot be measured only through “fiscal indicators and accounting balances”, but must be built on democracy, participation, cohesion and solidarity between territories. He also called for a Europe that invests in local communities and ensures that cohesion policy is adapted to respond to new geopolitical and social challenges.

Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR Group, stressed that if Europe wants to deliver both on existing priorities and on new ambitions, “the budget must be more ambitious as well.” She reaffirmed that cohesion policy remains “one of the European Union’s most concrete expressions of solidarity” and the only long-term investment tool based on territorial needs. She also insisted that EU spending must remain place-based and territorially sensitive, taking into account the diversity of Europe’s territories, including islands, rural areas and regions facing structural disadvantages. 

European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin highlighted that an ambitious EU budget will only be possible through an ambitious package of new genuine own resources. Warning that failure to agree on own resources would inevitably reopen discussions on cuts, he called on Member States and the European Parliament to support the Commission’s approach. Commissioner Serafin also stressed the importance of concluding negotiations on the next MFF swiftly, underlining that reaching an agreement by the end of 2026 should be “one of the priorities” and is in the interest of both Member States and regions.

Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Raffaele Fitto underlined that the future National and Regional Partnership Plans will strengthen synergies between EU policies implemented at national and regional level while maintaining cohesion and territorial convergence among their key objectives. He stressed that support will continue to focus on regions most in need, , while also offering greater flexibility to tailor programmes to territorial realities. Vice-President Fitto also reaffirmed the crucial role of regional and local authorities in implementing cohesion policy " The National and Regional Partnership Plans will rely on the cooperation and decision-making at the regional and local level through the dedicated regional chapters, keeping the same multi-level governance model of cohesion policy. The role of the regions will remain crucial. Regional authorities will retain a key role in implementing cohesion policy and will remain key interlocutors for the Commission. "

Kostis Hatzidakis, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece highlighted that "Cohesion Policy is not merely a tool for the redistribution of resources. It is an investment in Europe’s future, strengthening its competitiveness, cohesion and stability. Today in Rhodes, we discussed the need for regions to play a meaningful role in shaping and implementing the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework. We also discussed how the new European budget can respond to today’s challenges and support our vision of a Europe that is economically and politically strong, delivering prosperity, growth and security for all its citizens. The European People's Party, as the largest political force in Europe, is committed to continuing to work responsibly and decisively towards this goal."

 

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