Brussels, 4 March 2025
The European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures’ was submitted to the European Commission on 4 March 2025 after obtaining 1,269,351 validated statements of support from EU citizens, and reaching thresholds in 8 countries. It is the 11th successful such initiative to be examined by the Commission.
The initiative calls for special attention from the EU’s cohesion policy for regions that are different from those of the surrounding regions. The organisers consider that such regions must have equal opportunity to access various EU funds. In addition, the preservation of their characteristics and their proper economic development must be guaranteed, so that the EU’s development can be sustained, and its cultural diversity maintained. The Commission registered this initiative as it calls for legislative proposals to strengthen the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the Union.
The Commission now has until 4 September 2025 to present its official reply, outlining the actions it intends to take, if any. The Commission will meet the organisers to discuss the initiative in detail in the coming weeks. A public hearing will then be organised by the European Parliament.
Source – EU Commission