President Lebrun welcomes European Council's efforts for wider flexibility to promote selected strategic investment - Hoofdinhoud
"The Italian Presidency and President Juncker i have brought a step change in EU growth policy by focussing on mobilising all available public and private resources to implement strategic projects, involving also a favourable treatment under the Stability Pact"
The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Michel Lebrun, has welcomed the European Council's support for the creation of the European Strategic Investment Fund (ESIF) and, above all, the work begun by the Commission and Council to remove obstacles to investment across Europe, saying: "The announced full use of the flexibility built into the Stability Pact will be crucial to encouraging Member States and regions to pool funding for strategic and long-term projects."
"Regions and cites are reassured by the European Council's emphasis on the complementary and additional function of the new Fund, which will be synergic with all other EU investment programmes," commented the President, echoing a resolution adopted by the Committee a few weeks ago.
He added: "We completely endorse the Council's call to take all measures needed to ensure the full implementation of all EU policies for growth and jobs, including by effectively completing 2007-2013 programmes and by promoting long-term strategic projects over the coming years through a wider flexibility."
In order to deliver strategic projects on time, said President Lebrun, local and regional authorities must play a key role in implementation. They would be mobilised as public procurers, co-funders and local policy planners. In this perspective, Lebrun concluded that: "It is of the uttermost importance that the Fund governance is designed to involve regional and local authorities so that they can prevent bottle-necks in implementation and make their knowledge of local markets and challenges available for all partners."
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