European and External Affairs Committee
Inquiry into the Future of Cohesion Policy
On 26 January 2010, the Committee agreed to incorporate its inquiries into the Europe 2020 Strategy and the EU budget review into this inquiry.
Terms of reference
To understand and seek to influence the emerging debate over the future of EU Cohesion Policy post 2013.
To make recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government on the negotiating position in this debate likely to achieve the maximum benefit for the people of Wales
To share these recommendations with the EU Institutions, in particular the European Commission, EU networks and other key stakeholders in Brussels and Wales.
Key issues to be addressed
The Committee will focus in particular on the following questions/issues in the Inquiry:
What is Commissioner Hübner’s vision for the future direction of the policy? To what extent will the future policy follow the architecture of the current period, namely Convergence, Competitiveness & Employment and Co-operation Objectives? Does she envisage a radical departure?
How does the Commissioner think the new policy would address the four key challenges: globalisation, demographic change, climate change and energy? Does she envisage new priorities within the existing overarching Objectives?
Where does Territorial Cohesion fit into the debate? Does the Commissioner envisage this cutting across the whole policy, or being focused on the Co-operation objective?
Does the Commissioner envisage an increased importance being given to financial instruments such as JESSICA and JEREMIE in the new Cohesion Policy, and an enhanced role for the European Investment Bank, in the place of the traditional grant based approach to funding?
What are the merits of the Welsh Assembly Government’s line of calling for Transitional and Transnational funding?
What exactly does the Welsh Assembly Government understand by “Transitional” funding, and do they have indicative figures for how much they would hope to secure as part of this deal?
How committed is the UK Government to defending this position in the negotiations on the new policy? How does the “transnational” element fit with the UK Government’s preference for a “renationalised” cohesion policy with the exception of the poorest regions in central and eastern Europe?
Where should rural development sit within the Policy framework? Should it be reincorporated into the Structural Funds or should it remain separate, as part of the Common Agricultural Policy? Is there another approach?
What other views are emerging in Brussels? From EU networks, regions, and Member States? How do these views compare to those of the Welsh Assembly Government and the UK Government? Are there any aspects to these emerging views that would look interesting from a Welsh perspective?
