Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-07-02-Speech-1-248-000"
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"en.20120702.27.1-248-000"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, this report on the evolution of EU macro-regional strategies and their future prospects, especially in the Mediterranean, ties in with two particular issues.
To conclude, I should like to thank my fellow Members from the Committee on Regional Development, especially the shadow rapporteurs who took great interest in this report, as their many amendments demonstrate. I should also like to thank the Committee on Culture and Education and its rapporteur, Ms Benarab-Attou, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and its rapporteur, Mr Salavrakos, for the work they produced, which considerably enriched the report I have presented to you.
The first is the issue of the upcoming 2014-2020 programming period, with respect to the territorial cooperation strand of cohesion policy in particular. The macro-regional strategy for the Baltic Sea, launched three years ago, is opening up a new domain for development and synergies between EU policies within a single working and services area: a maritime area, mountain range or river basin.
The second issue is that of the difficult times that the Mediterranean is currently experiencing, with the debt crisis on the European shore and the events since the Arab spring on the other, which have affected all these neighbouring countries of the European Union.
A macro-regional strategy enhances the effectiveness of the EU’s regional development policies. It provides an overview and reinforces strategies between regions and States, as well as between various EU instruments for development, such as the European Investment Bank and the European Neighbourhood Policy and pre-accession policy.
This report therefore proposes that we forge ahead in developing macro-regional strategies. It suggests that the Commission coordinate a consultation and dialogue process for future projects. It stresses, in particular, the importance of this type of system for the Mediterranean. This region is vital to Europe’s future; therefore, we must take these steps as soon as possible, in a practical, coordinated way. We should begin by speedily approving the Adriatic-Ionian strategy, which covers the central Mediterranean and Adriatic regions.
This project has undergone broad consultation and is at an advanced stage. It will be a first step and will lead into similar processes for the western and eastern Mediterranean regions. With proper coordination, it will also result in an overall strategy for the entire Mediterranean area.
The problems affecting the European shore of the Mediterranean are considerable. Regional development policy, in particular, the territorial cooperation strand, is a vital key to finding lasting solutions to these problems. A macro-regional strategy uses existing budgets and does not require new financial resources. We need new projects rather than new funding. By their very nature, macro-regional strategies tend to encourage such projects and get local stakeholders actively involved, including central and regional governments and other parties, through multilevel governance.
In its conclusion, the report calls on the Commission to bring its experience and cooperation to this project, and asks the forthcoming Cypriot Presidency to promote the project’s development over the next few months.
While drafting this report, I met with many of the leaders concerned. There is great willingness to cooperate on a macro-regional strategy of this nature throughout the whole of the Mediterranean. We should seize this economic opportunity in order to send a positive, forward-looking signal to the Mediterranean region, every part of which is experiencing the effects of the economic crisis."@en1
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