What is the Alliance?
The #CohesionAlliance is a coalition of those who believe that EU cohesion policy must continue to be a pillar of the EU’s future. It was created through cooperation between the leading European associations of cities and regions and the European Committee of the Regions.
In July 2020, the #CohesionAlliance adopted a first renewed declaration 2.0 for a cohesive, sustainable and resilient Europe, which guided its work after the COVID-19 pandemic started to hit citizens of the Union.
Two years later, in October 2022, new emergencies such as the Russia's war against Ukraine and a record inflation rates triggered by increased food and energy prices make the strengthening cohesion as a fundamental value of the European Union more pressing than ever.
For this reason, the partners of the #CohesionAlliance gathered in Brussels during the 20th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities to reaffirm their commitment to reinforce cohesion policy and increase the territorial impact of all EU investments in order to make them fit for Europe's long-term challenges.
A renewed declaration
Through a joint declaration signed on 12 October 2022, the European Committee of the Regions together with the leading European associations of cities and regions shared the common will to keep cohesion policy as:
- the EU's most important investment policy;
- the EU's most visible instrument at local and regional level;
- a long-term development policy based on principles of shared management, partnership and multilevel governance;
- a policy that follows a place-based approach and addresses the territorial diversity of the Union;
- a key tool to supports territorial cooperation and promote solidarity and integration.
"Let us remind all EU and national decision-makers of the indispensable role that Cohesion policy plays in the European integration process!" states the declaration, with which the #CohesionAlliance wants to start a forward-looking work to make cohesion policy stronger, simpler, more effective and result-oriented now and in the future.
The Alliance also calls to ensure that cohesion remains an overall value for the European Union by ensuring that all relevant EU policies contribute to reduce disparities among and within Member States.
Read the declaration "The debate on the Future of Cohesion Policy starts now!"