Latvian presidency: Baltic States example of how to use the Cohesion Policy to facilitate growth

Met dank overgenomen van Lets voorzitterschap Europese Unie 1e helft 2015 (Lets voorzitterschap) i, gepubliceerd op dinsdag 20 januari 2015.

On Tuesday, 20 January, Latvian Finance Minister Jānis Reirs addressed Members of the European Parliament (EP) at the Regional Development Committee (REGI). The Minister emphasised that structural reforms, fiscal responsibility and investment played a significant role in facilitating growth in the European Union (EU), and Cohesion Policy is strengthening these three elements.

Cohesion Policy is closely linked with the Latvian Council Presidency’s priority of “Competitive Europe . The Finance Minister used the possibility to share Latvia’s experience with the Members of European Parliament: “Cohesion Policy as an investment policy can play an important role in growth of each EU Member State. EU citizens are interested in particular improvements in their lives, and the Cohesion Policy is able to facilitate growth and create jobs. Latvian is an example of it. In the last ten years we have approached the EU average standard of living by 20 percentage points. 

Minister Jānis Reirs suggested that Cohesion Policy should be seen as investment rather than a money distribution policy. European investment and structural funds will play a significant role also in the new programming period 2014-2020.

“Latvia will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the beginning of the new reformed Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 investment cycle. European regions are still affected by serious economic challenges: slow growth, high unemployment rate, high poverty level. Therefore the reformed Cohesion Policy will be an important tool for Member States and regions to overcome successfully these challenges,  indicated Jānis Reirs.

In order to approve all operational programmes of the new EU funds programming period 2014-2020, it is necessary to amend the EU multiannual financial framework and the budget for 2015. Therefore, accordingly for the minister for finance, these two files will be among the priorities during the Latvian Presidency.

The Latvian Presidency will pay special attention to the completion and implementation of the current Cohesion Policy programming process. In the field of territorial Cohesion Policy, special attention will be given to the development of the EU Urban Agenda, particularly focusing on the issues of small and medium size urban areas.