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Main Results of the EU General Affairs Council on Cohesion, 28 March 2025

Mar 29, 2025 ,

Brussels, 28 March 2025

Ministers held an exchange of views on a more dynamic and strategic cohesion policy by delivering change in the current and next multiannual financial perspective. The Council also approved conclusions on cohesion and cohesion policy post-2027. Under ‘any other business’, ministers were informed about a non-paper on ‘A strong cohesion policy for growth, convergence and competitiveness’ supported by 16 member states.

It is time to turn words info actions. The EU has to face challenges: war in Ukraine, increase the EU’s competitiveness, resilience and defence capacity. EU must be stronger and more independent. The time to act and modernise cohesion policy to the new geopolitical situation is now.

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister for Funds and Regional Policy of Poland

Policy debate on cohesion policy

The Council held an exchange of views based on a presidency paper titled ‘A more dynamic and strategic cohesion policy: delivering change in the current and next perspective’. Ministers discussed how the treaty objectives of cohesion policy should be achieved, and multi-level governance promoted in the new architecture of EU policies after 2027. The Council also explored ways for the future cohesion policy to be programmed within one plan for each country, including reforms and investments at national and sub-national level. Finally, in light of the European Commission’s approach, as set out in its work programme containing the EU’s main objectives and priorities for the coming years, and the relevant European Council’s conclusions, ministers discussed how cohesion policy could be adapted already in the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to respond effectively to emerging priorities and needs.

 

EU Council conclusions on cohesion and cohesion policy post-2027

The Council approved conclusions on cohesion and cohesion policy post-2027. The text highlights the importance of economic, social and territorial cohesion and its role in addressing EU challenges. The conclusions also reaffirm that competitiveness and cohesion are interconnected, emphasising the role of both enhancing competitiveness of the EU as a whole and improving cohesion across countries and regions, thereby contributing to the achievement of EU strategic priorities and addressing EU challenges in a mutually reinforcing manner. The text recalls the foundations and key principles of cohesion policy and stresses that shared management between the European Commission and member states must remain the delivery method of cohesion policy. Finally, the conclusions recall that cohesion policy is a long-term investment policy and that improving its efficiency and effectiveness can be achieved by focusing on results.

Council conclusions on cohesion and cohesion policy post-2027, 28 March 2025 

 

Any other business

Under ‘any other business’ and in consideration of the future cohesion policy in the next MFF, ministers were informed by the Romanian delegation about a non-paper regarding the need for ‘A strong cohesion policy for growth, convergence and competitiveness’. The document advocates for a strong cohesion policy as a key driver for convergence, resilience and competitiveness, through a viable and robust budget, safeguarded in the next MFF, the regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita as the main criterion for regional categorisation, as well as through the preservation of shared management and the other core principles of cohesion policy. The non-paper was supported by Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

 

Informal lunch

Over an informal lunch, ministers held an exchange of views with the participation of the president of the EU’s Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttö, on ways to provide adequate funding for a cohesion policy that builds a secure, competitive and resilient European Union.

 

Preparatory documents
Outcome documents
Press releases

 

Cohesion policy: EU Council sets out clear guidelines for the future

The Council today approved conclusions setting out its position on key aspects for cohesion and the future of EU’s cohesion policy. The conclusions will serve as a basis for discussions in the coming months and for the Commission’s work on the legislative framework for cohesion policy after 2027.

I am delighted that today we approved these conclusions setting the priorities for our work in the coming months. Having as our guiding principle that EU’s cohesion policy and competitiveness are closely interlinked, I am convinced that we will manage to agree on an efficient and future-proof cohesion policy for the next financial perspective and respond effectively to Europe’s emerging priorities and needs.

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funding and Regional Policy of Poland

The conclusions recall that the objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion is at the heart of the European project and that EU policies and actions should contribute to the achievement of this objective through considering their territorial dimension and their coordination, and with the active involvement of the national, regional and local authorities and stakeholders, as relevant. The Council also highlights the importance of promoting clear complementarities and synergies among EU policies and of avoiding overlaps among different instruments.

The Council refers to the Letta report, which highlights that an effective cohesion policy, implemented in a balanced way across the EU, is a key condition for the success of the single market. In this regard, the text reaffirms that competitiveness and cohesion are interconnected and emphasises the role of both enhancing competitiveness of the EU as a whole and improving cohesion across countries and regions, thereby contributing to the achievement of EU strategic priorities and addressing EU challenges in a mutually reinforcing manner.

The conclusions recall the foundations and key principles of cohesion policy, such as shared management, multi-level governance, partnership, as well as people- and place-based approach, being applied alongside the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity. In this context, cohesion policy should continue to play a key role in reducing regional disparities in Europe, helping less developed regions to catch up with the more developed ones, with a view to upward convergence of the EU.

In terms of governance, shared management between the Commission, member states, and regional and local authorities must remain the delivery method of cohesion policy. The Council recalls the importance of multi-level governance that enables effective interventions at the most appropriate territorial levels in each member state, at the same time strengthening the sense of shared responsibility. Together with shared management and dialogue with partners, both during the programming and implementation phases, multi-level governance facilitates the achievement of EU policy goals and empowers the member states, regional and local authorities.

Finally, the Council recalls that cohesion policy is a long-term investment policy and that improving its efficiency and effectiveness can be achieved by focusing on results. To this end, the Commission is invited to make cohesion policy more result-oriented, in particular to use an evidence-based approach in designing the framework of the future policy. The Council also calls the Commission to further develop and simplify the well-established systems of monitoring and evaluation, in order to assess how investments and reforms deliver strategic goals, to strengthen tools aimed at examining the potential and real impacts of policy interventions, as well as to further embed territorial impact assessments in policy preparation and evaluation.

Council conclusions on cohesion and cohesion policy post-2027, 28 March 2025 

Source – EU Council: Visit the meeting page

 

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