Cohesion policy

"Europe stands at a crossroads. It can retain a strong cohesion policy or one reduced to handouts and charity. The Commission will stick to its promises but we will need to present weighty arguments to support our case". This is what EU Commissioner for regional policy, Jacques Barrot, said to the Committee of the Regions (COR) on 16 June 2004.

 

Addressing the COR plenary session, Jacques Barrot pledged to stand up to those arguing in favour of cutbacks to the EU budget (Germany, France, Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria have called for the EU budget to be reduced to 1% of the Union's gross national income. The Commission is in favour of 1.14%).

 

At the meeting of the COR Socialist group's members, former Danish Prime minister and MEP Poul Nyrup Rasmussen argued that "we are not that poor that we can't allow ourselves to spend more than 1% to improve ordinary people's lives!"

 

Link to Committee of the Regions' website

 

Link to EU Commission's DG Regio