ECR President Marco Marsilio spoke at a high-level panel on Cohesion policy at the Fratelli d'Italia annual event Atreju in Rome. In a panel featuring Tommaso Foti, Italian Minister for European Affairs, Cohesion policy and NRRP, European Parliament Vice-President Antonella Sberna, Luigi Sbarra, Undersecretary of State for Italy's South, and Guido Castelli, Senator and Commissioner for post-earthquake reconstruction, President Marsilio underlined the importance of Cohesion Policy in the framework of the new EU budget proposal.

"While we welcome the improved synergies between programmes, combining cohesion and agricultural funds under one national envelope risks undermining two of the of EU’s most successful policies, and reducing territorial cohesion" said President Marsilio.

The European Commission proposal, according to Marsilio, is characterized by an excessive centralisation of funds that risks reducing territorial cohesion: "Regional ownership of investments is crucial". In this regard "a legally binding role for regions should be introduced in the governance of cohesion policy to ensure decentralised and effective spending", he underlined. 

Finally, President Marsilio stressed that "it is essential that the currently proposed funding for cohesion under the first heading of the MFF is not further reduced during the upcoming negotiations".