REGIONAL POLICY : NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE ON STRUCTURAL FUNDS 2014-2020.

• Position: Brief article

Negotiations on the future regulation governing the EU Structural Funds will shift into higher gear. Cohesion policy is the key issue and is massive in scope. The Commission presented six legislative proposals in October 2011 (general regulation, ERDF, European Social Fund, Cohesion Fund, territorial cooperation and European grouping of territorial cooperation). These set the rules of the game for the use of Structural Fund support for 2014-2020. After the initial work steered by the Polish EU Presidency, the texts should reach the General Affairs Council during the Danish Presidency. Work will also continue with, and in, the European Parliament, although the reports are not likely to be adopted in plenary before the end of June. There is little chance of seeing agreement between the two institutions at this stage.

The Commission is expected to publish a draft common strategic framework that will set...