The ECR Group in the European Committee of the Regions held its annual Study Days gathering conservative local and regional leaders from across Europe who underlined their opposition to any form of centralisation of Cohesion Policy funds taking power away from regions. Opening remarks were provided by Francesco Acquaroli, President of the Marche Region and ECR CoR Group President and President of the Abruzzo Region Marco Marsilio. The event also featured the participation of high-level speakers including the Executive Vice-President for Cohesions and Reforms of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto, the Italian Ministers Tommaso Foti (European Affairs, Cohesion and NRRP) Francesco Lollobrigida (Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests), and Lucia Albano, Undersecretary of State for Economy and Finance as well as prominent ECR leaders including ECR Party Vice-President Carlo Fidanza, European Parliament Vice-President Antonella Sberna and ECR Group in the EP Co-Chair Nicola Procaccini.
ECR President Marsilio stressed the importance of maintaining the territorial focus of Cohesion Policy and in that regard reiterated opposition to centralise Cohesion resources into a single fund: "we say yes to place-based policies that keep local and regional authorities in the driving seat of Cohesion. We cannot accept a European budget that does not consider the specificities and needs of European regions. We gathered in Italy to reiterate our message: Cohesion Policy's purpose is to bridge gaps and connect regions, its functioning should be streamlined and simplified rather than squeezed into a big pot that will hinder the regions' ambitions to grow and develop". President Marsilio thanked Vice-President Fitto for his relentless efforts in defending the resources dedicated to territorial development in the next MFF.
Marche Region's President Francesco Acquaroli urged caution against the centralisation of Cohesion funds as a "dangerous solution" for regions and local authorities by providing an example from his region which has very effectively used Cohesion funds to bring "growth and development for our community". Mr Acquaroli called for Cohesion Policy to remain "a regions-based policy rather than a national one as was the case for the National Recovery and Resilience Plans".
In his video-message, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Raffaele Fitto underlined that he is fully committed to bridging gaps between European regions: "The main instrument we have for achieving this objective is Cohesion Policy. Today all our energies are focused on making these resources more effective and obtaining concrete results in the territories". His message was echoed by Minister Foti, who noted that "we are firmly convinced that Cohesion deserves its own special, dedicated treatment within the European budget landscape. There needs to be mechanisms to simplify and accelerate spending, even within a seven-year programming framework, which can include moments of reprogramming — because in a world that changes so rapidly it becomes essential to be able to respond to challenges immediately".
Conservative local and regional leaders also stressed the importance of preserving funds for the Common Agriculture Policy, which are vital for European food security and the livelihoods of farmers, also reiterated by Minister Lollobrigida.
The event featured the participation of: Senator Guido Castelli, the Mayor of Ascoli Piceno Marco Fioravanti, MEPs Carlo Ciccioli and Denis Nesci, Senator Elena Leonardi, ECR 1st Vice-President Władysław Ortyl, Marshal of the Lubelskie RegionJarosław Stawiarski, President of Veneto Regional Council Roberto Ciambetti and Adam Karàcsony, ECR SEDEC Coordinator.