DG REGIO’s consultation process on future Cohesion Policy

The reflection process on future Cohesion policy has started across the EU, discussions are taking place in various experts’ and stakeholders’ groups, in events and debates, including within the programmes of Cohesion Policy funds. To this end, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) launched a twofold consultation process to gather opinions/comments/suggestions as to what shape Interreg and Cohesion Policy in general should take in the next Multianual Financial Framework:

  • DG REGIO encourages Interreg programmes and macro-regional strategies (MRSs) to run a stakeholders’ consultation as they best know their constituency and already have some experience in this respect (e.g. consultations to prepare the 2014-2020 Interreg, MRSs stakeholder consultations concerning Action Plan revisions),
  • Interact will be on one hand gathering inputs from Interreg Programmes and conducting a consultation with Interreg programmes and MRSs on the other.

EUSAIR Cohesion Policy Post 2027 consultation

Aim and Focus: the EUSAIR consultation will focus on suggestions on how the interactions between the macro-regional strategies and future Cohesion Policy programmes could be improved and operationalised and how the effectiveness of cooperation between programmes and macro-regions could progress and enhance mutual benefits.

Given that EUSAIR has just undergone an extensive Action Plan revision, thematically, the priorities for the next 6 years were agreed. The future thematic orientation will therefore not be at the centre of the consultation.

The EUSAIR consultation target groups:

  • EUSAIR governance structures (EUSAIR Thematic Steering Groups, National Coordinators, Pillar Coordinators)
  • consultation with coordination bodies and managing authorities of EU Cohesion Policy funds and Interreg programmes
  • EUSAIR stakeholders (quadraple helix – government, industry, academia, and civil society) use of all kinds of events with stakeholders (thematic events, regional/national events), EUSAIR Forum and communication channels (EUSAIR website, EUSAIR stakeholder platform).

Timeline: from May 2024 till end of December 2024.

Joint summary report of the Session: “Interreg IPA ADRION, Interreg Italy-Croatia and EUSAIR stakeholders’ consultation: Shaping Cohesion post-2027” held at the 9th EUSAIR Forum, on the 16 May 2024, in Šibenik, Coratia, can be found following the link Stakeholder consultation_Shaping Cohesion Post 2027

PPT presentation of the Session: “Interreg programmes and macro-regional strategies, Stakeholder consultation on post-27 Cohesion”  held at the 9th EUSAIR Forum, on the 16 May 2024, in Šibenik, Coratia, can be found following the link: PPT_Stakeholder consultation_Shaping Cohesion Post 2027