European Grouping Territorial Cooperation - Amendments

Key points:

The EESC supports the proposal changes to the EGTC regulation and believes that, as a result, the legal instrument of the EGTC will be strengthened through common solutions at European level, and that in future the EGTC will be a key instrument for cooperation and territorial cohesion.

The EESC has always taken account of the added value of multilevel governance systems and thus supports the creation of EGTC, which facilitate the participation of all stakeholders from a macro, euro or cross-border region. However, multilevel governance should be strengthened with the participation of economic and social stakeholders. The EESC therefore proposes that the amendment of the regulation make it easier for the social partners and other civil society organisations to participate actively in European groupings of territorial cooperation. The link between the EGTC and the Europe 2020 Agenda and the sectoral policies will be improved through civil society's involvement.

The EESC proposes that this regulation, which is very specific, should be approved quickly by the Council and the Parliament without waiting for the whole cohesion policy package to be adopted.  This would enable its entry into force to be brought forward.