The Leipzig charter as a strategic part of Urban policy in Europe has recently been modified by the Ljubljana agreement that the Commission adopted on 26 November 2021. It signals the start of a new phase of the Urban Agenda for the EU. In this context, the forthcoming Czech EU Presidency, asks the contribution of the EESC to explore how these changes could impact on the creation of new Thematic Partnerships. Amongst others the Czech presidency is putting forward the following questions:
What should be put into consideration while implementing the new theme of urban communities and the involvement of citizens?
What should be the thresholds to create a functioning mechanism for strengthening the position of citizens and groups of citizens to achieve the targeted cooperative partnerships.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Thematic partnerships under the Ljubljana agreement
The Communication on 8th Report presents the main changes in territorial disparities over the past decade and how policies have affected these disparities. It highlights the potential of the green and digital transitions as new drivers of EU growth, but argues that without appropriate policy action new economic, social and territorial disparities may appear. It also launches a reflection on how cohesion policy should evolve to respond to these challenges and in particular how to ensure that place-based, multilevel and partnership led approaches continue to improve cohesion, while building on synergies and mainstreaming cohesion objectives into other policies and instruments.
EESC will present its views on this report stressing the important role that civil society plays and that local policies need local strategies, drawn up with local partners.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: 8th Cohesion Report
The EESC considers that it is necessary to add new own resources to cover the debt repayment resulting from borrowing under the NextGenerationEU initiative without jeopardising the budgets of other EU programmes and instruments, or substantially increasing the Gross National Income (GNI)-based resource contribution. Although the Commission proposals as set out in the communication are deemed necessary, EESC believes that the Commission should ensure that the design of the new system is based on achieving equity and fairness, efficiency, transparency, simplicity and stability, with a focus on competitiveness and applying solidarity where necessary.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Proposal for an own resources decision
