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The Hungarian Presidencys Priorities in Cohesion and Regional Policy

Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Unionfrom 1st January to 30th June 2011

Ministry of National DevelopmentMassive economic, social & demographic upheavals in Europe over recent years

A new Cohesion Policy to meet the challenges of a new decadeContext

Cohesion policy is needed to meet these challenges in context of:

New EU budget post 2013 - discussions underway Cohesion Policy today = more than 1/3 of total EU budget

New EU goals - ambitious targets for 2020 to address new challenges

2Cohesion Policy has helped reducing economic, social & environmental disparities.Cohesion Policy has benefited all regions through direct investments and indirect trade benefits.Cohesion Policy supports investments in European priorities across the EU.

Impact of Cohesion PolicyGDP per head 10% higher in poorest regionsEstimated 1.4 million jobs created across EUOver 1.3 million SMEs received assistance4 700 km motorways and 1 200 km of high-speed rail built10 million people/ year participate in training and skills projectsModernised waste water treatment for an additional 23 million people, access to clean water for an additional 20 million

3Future of cohesion policyOverall aims

To improve visibility, transparency as well as to stress efficient and effective nature of Cohesion Policy To strengthen Cohesion Policy on political level, due to particular relationship between Cohesion Policy and EU 2020 Issues to be solved:Lack of focus on priorities and quantified targetsPreoccupation with absorptionComplexity of delivery and administrative burdenLack of administrative capacity to deliver the policy effectivelyChallenges related to attaining reasonable assurance

4MEANS of realizing overall and specific objectives

To underline the importance of Cohesion Policy at several fora e.g. joint press event in January (Commissioner Hahn)To place Cohesion Policy on the Agenda on the General Affairs Council (21st February 2011), to adopt Council Conclusions as well as to encourage orientation debate on political level To have thematic discussions on key issues in SAWP and at academic and expert levels and to channel the outcomes into a political level debate of the ministers responsibleTo provide a Presidency summary as input for the debate on the legislative packageTo involve relevant stakeholders in the debate (European Parliament, European Commission, Member States, regional and local players)

Future of cohesion policyThe Revision of the Territorial AgendaBackground: Territorial Agenda 2007 (TA) evaluation and revision in 2011 (Art. 45.) Territorial State and Perspectives of the EU (TSP) updating before the TA reviewResponsible: Hungarian PresidencyProcess:Evident based Evaluation (TSP) Evaluation of frameworks and changing contextNew ThemesThemes, which have to change Irrelevant ThemesExperiences with the implementation of TA2007In the MemberstatesIn the European Institutions

6Changing policy contextMost important milestones

Lisbon Treaty: territorial cohesion as third objective of EUShared competence between the EU and MemberstatesDiscussions on the future of Cohesion Policyterritorial cohesion is an integral part of the Cohesion Policy Europe 2020 StrategyA vision of the European social market-economy of the 21st century

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PrioritiesSupporting polycentric territorial developmentIntegral development, strengthening partnership and cooperation between urban and rural territoriesImproving territorial connectivity for individuals, communities and enterprisesTerritorial integration in cross-border, transnational functional regionsEnsuring global and local competitiveness based on strong local economiesConnected ecological structures and diverse cultural networks, joint risk management

8Implementation of the TAEUImportant Conclusions of the Evaluation: Problems with the Implementation!

Recommendations for Sector policiesTerritorial Cohesion in the EU levelCross-boarder, transnational and interregional levelMemberstates

Complex integrated development program with multilevel and multisectoral Implementation!

Thinking of different level*from Dr. Kai Bhme9

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneTerritorial Development(Ministry of National Development)NTCCP meeting(9th February)DG meeting(29th March)Informal ministerial meeting(19th -20th May)Cohesion Policy(Ministry ofNational Development)Cohesion Forum, Brussels(31st January-1st February)High level conference on the furuter of cohesion policy(31st March 1st April)Informal ministerial meeting(20th -21st May)Informal COCOF meeting in Hungary(23rd - 24th May)Informal SAWP meeting in Hungary(9th 10th June)Urban development(Ministry of Interior)UDG meeting(10th -11th February)DG meeting for experts of urban development+ high level conference(2nd 3rd May)Other INTERREG IVC Monitoring Committee meeting ( 2nd February)INTERREG IVC Partner seeking conference(3rd -4th February)EGTC high level conference (21st-23rd March)URBACT Monitoring Committee Meeting (tbc)

EFAP Architectural Forum (5th 6th May)

ESPON ECP meting(20th June)ESPON Seminar (21st 22nd June)ESPON Monitoring Commitee meeting (23rd - 24th June)Hungarian Presidency Events10Thank you for your attention!

With this optimistic schedule and final words I close my presentation and thank you very much for your kind attention!

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