Committee of the Regions adopted a resolution on the contribution to the European Commission 2017 Work Programme - Hoofdinhoud

On 15 June, during its 118th plenary session, the European Committee of the Regions adopted by a large majority vote a resolution on the contribution of the European Committee of the Regions to the European Commission 2017 Work Programme. The assembly of local and regional authorities stressed the need for jobs, growth, investment and simplified cohesion policy as its main priorities and reiterated its call for a closer interinstitutional cooperation with the European Commission and the European Parliament on these matters.

In its resolution, the CoR asks the Commission and the European Investment Bank to take further steps on ensuring complementarities between the European Fund for Strategic Investment and the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). It stressed also that simplification is needed to boost the impact and better use of the ESIF. The CoR wishes that the work of the High Level Group on Simplification would be intensified by starting a comprehensive multi-level dialogue with local and regional authorities.

Furthermore, the resolution underlines the importance of implementing the EU Urban Agenda, which was launched on 30 May in Amsterdam in partnership with local and regional authorities. The CoR reiterated its call on the Commission to publish a Green Paper on mobility in demographically and geographically challenged regions and to develop an EU Strategy on Demographic Change.

With regard to the Economic and Monetary Union and the European Semester, the CoR reiterated its call for the Commission and the European Parliament to adopt a code of conduct to guarantee that local and regional authorities are involved in a structured way in the European Semester.

Finally, the Committee reiterated its call for simplification and improving the legal framework of the European Citizens' Initiative as the only direct participation tool of EU citizens to shape the EU' agenda. It also expects closer cooperation with the Commission and the European Parliament in monitoring the application of the subsidiarity principle.