Minister of Finance Makis Keravnos underlined the importance of the General Affairs Council on Cohesion Policy upon his arrival at the meeting in Brussels, saying it was important to the agendas of both the European Union and the Cyprus Presidency.
“It is my great pleasure to chair today’s meeting on cohesion policy, which is the first one after Cyprus assumed the Presidency. The motto of the Cyprus Presidency is an autonomous Union, open to the world. Strategic autonomy goes through competitiveness and economic resilience, and cohesion policy is directly linked to strengthening competitiveness and the resilience of the economy,” he stated. “This underlines the importance of cohesion policy on the European agenda,” Keravnos added, speaking on 26 February.
Referring to the agenda, he noted that there are two items on it: “the first concerns the adoption of the Council conclusions on cities and the second the mid-term review of cohesion policy for the period 2021–2027.”
According to diplomatic sources, the discussion is expected to focus on the future direction of European policy for cities and functional urban areas, as well as on their role in economic, social and territorial cohesion, social inclusion, competitiveness and innovation.
At the same time, the conclusions of the mid-term review of cohesion policy for the current programming period will be examined, with an emphasis on how incentives and greater flexibilities can be designed for the next period in order to strengthen alignment with the strategic priorities of the European Union, particularly in conditions of economic and geopolitical change. Issues related to improving the administrative and implementation capacity of member states and regions are also expected to be raised, along with the need for enhanced support for areas facing particular geographical and development challenges, such as the eastern border regions of the Union, in the context of the work of the Council of the European Union.
(Source: CNA)
