24.10.2012Negotiation with Commissioner Hahn on the future of cohesion policy
Press Release by MEP Járóka Lívia
Today in Strasbourg MEP Lívia Járóka, Rapporteur of the EU strategy on Roma inclusion held a meeting with Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy to discuss the future of cohesion policy. In detail, they negotiated about the impact of the Structural Funds' draft regulation on the inclusion of marginalized communities and the objectives of the European Framework for National Roma Inclusion Strategies, in specific the post-2014 instruments of Integrated Territorial Investment and Community-led Local Development.
On the meeting Járóka welcomed that the Commission had introduced several instruments aiming at the complex development of underdeveloped regions, in line with the requirement for territorial targeting of the European Framework for National Roma Inclusion Strategies. During their discussion the Commissioner and MEP have touched upon two of these instruments in detail, envisaged by the draft general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund for the next Multiannual Financial Framework between 2014 and 2020. On one hand, the Integrated Territorial Investment enables Member States to allocate funding from several priority axes of the Operational Programmes for the purposes of multi-dimensional and cross-sectoral intervention. In this context Járóka urged to consider the maximum extent of place-based approach in order to unlock unused local capabilities and welcomed the proposal to earmark 5% of the ERDF resources of each Member State for integrated urban strategies. With regard to the second important instrument, the Community-led Local Development, Járóka and Hahn agreed that these multi-fund financed strategies with integrated bottom-up approach may play a significant role in the inclusion of marginalized communities, including Roma when properly use and may represent an effective tool for the involvement of the concerned communities themselves.
For further information:
Office of MEP Lívia Járóka: +32-228-47218
