For Europe to thrive, all regions must also thrive, Portuguese EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira argued on Monday, emphasising the importance of cohesion policy for Europe’s regions and cities.
“Cohesion policy is the cement that holds everything together,” said the European Commissioner, during the presentation of the European Union’s (EU) annual report on the State of the Regions and Cities, drawn up by the Committee of the Regions and released in Brussels.
The document, presented as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities, which runs until Thursday in Brussels, reflects the results of a questionnaire carried out every two years, in which 66% of the European Union’s cities and regions recognise that the support of cohesion funds “has been essential” to the areas in their response to crises, especially about the pandemic crisis.
Although “the recovery has been very asymmetrical”, depending on the country, the Commission emphasised as “positive” the policy results which, in the 2014/2020 framework, made it possible to support 2.4 million companies, contributing to the creation of 350,000 new jobs.
In presenting the report, Elisa Ferreira also stressed the importance of relying on local and regional authorities to “give visibility” to the results of the cohesion policy, which, she exemplified, “mobilised €1.3 million to support refugees from Ukraine”, a “concrete and tangible sign of EU solidarity”.
The presentation of the report marked the start of the 21st European Week of Regions and Cities, which this year is being held under the slogan “Prosperous Regions, Strong Europe” and will see around 7,000 participants from all EU countries taking part in 308 events.
(Lusa.pt)
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