CoR plenary adopts Maupertuis’ opinion calling for simple and place based EU long-term budget post-2027

The post-2027 multiannual budget of the European Union must be simpler, more flexible and built on the needs of local communities, who can ensure that investments will effectively promote cohesion across all territories.

These are the main proposals included in the opinion adopted at the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 20 November after a debate with the European Parliament’s co-rapporteurs Siegfried Mureșan and Carla Tavares.

The opinion, drafted by Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Assembly of Corsica, set out the first CoR position ahead of the presentation of the proposal for a post-2027 long-term budget by the European Commission.

In the opinion Ms Maupertuis calls for an EU budget that is simpler and more agile, reducing the multiplication of funds that pursue the same objectives and facilitating the use of resources, while reducing red tape.

This simplification should be done acknowledging that Cohesion Policy alone is not enough to fight against territorial disparities. The entire EU budget should be more place-based, and strengthen economic, social, and territorial cohesion in Europe, thus complying with the so-called ‘do no harm to cohesion’ principle.

EA Vice-president also reiterated the CoR opposition to more centralised EU programmes and pointed out in the opinion that the lack of involvement of cities and regions in the preparation and implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans should not be replicated. At the margin of the discussion Ms Maupertuis said:

“The EU Budget is the key tool to make the ‘right to stay’ a reality, ensuring that whether you come from an island or a city, you have the freedom to choose where to live in the future. Regions and cities must be fully involved in the decision-making process, with easier access to funding and less red tape. We are proposing measures to streamline the budget, avoid overlaps and ensure that every euro reaches the communities it aims to support. Cohesion and active subsidiarity must remain at the heart of EU investments.