Valcárcel to Barroso: 'EU Growth and Employment Strategy to succeed only if cities and regions are fully on board'

Ahead of the State of the Union's debate on 11 September, the President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, met on 9 September with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, to voice the expectations and concerns of EU regions and cities. The urgent need for a true territorial dimension in the Europe 2020 Strategy and in economic policy co-ordination was among the main issues brought to the attention of the European Commission president.

Valcárcel urged Barroso to mark a shift in the approach to promote a stronger territorial dimension of the Europe 2020 Strategy: "The Europe 2020 Strategy is the most relevant policy area of the EU to overcome the financial, economic and social crisis. Preliminary results of CoR assessment of the Strategy at local level also clearly show the key role of cities and regions in developing place-based strategies for growth and employment. If we want the Europe 2020 Strategy to succeed, we need a new approach to strengthen its territorial dimension and truly ensure multi-level partnership in its planning and implementation."

President Valcárcel also called for greater involvement of local and regional authorities in the EU economic policy co-ordination yearly exercise ('European Semester') so as to better balance reinforced economic coordination with democratic control and legitimacy.

The CoR president further raised the issue of public finances in cities and regions, which are heavily affected by the crisis. Valcárcel encouraged the European Commission to continue to monitor the situation and development of public finances at regional and local level in its annual Report on Public Finances in the European Monetary Union (EMU). He also stressed the need to be vigilant that European decisions to strengthen the EMU do not adversely affect the fiscal autonomy and investment capacity of local and regional authorities.

President Valcárcel took the opportunity of the meeting to inform President Barroso that on the occasion of its 20th anniversary the CoR will be undertaking a reflection process on how the institution can strengthen its institutional and political role.

Next steps

The CoR will organise a debate on the future of the Union at its last 2013 plenary session, where the President of the European Commission will be invited to present the priorities for 2014. The CoR contribution to the mi-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy is due to be adopted at the 6^th European Summit of Regions and Cities to be held in Athens on 7-8 March 2014.

Further information

Resolution on the CoR priorities for 2014 with a view to the European Commission's Work Programme

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