Addressing the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions today, President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, referred to CoR members as the lifeblood of democracy and the guardians of subsidiarity, before underlining that the Investment Plan for Europe does not replace the structural funds. Juncker also paid tribute to the role that CoR members can play in decreasing the gap between the citizens of Europe and policies of the EU, as they are the representatives closest to the people. Speaking on behalf of the EPP Group, Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the CoR, stressed the need to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape linked to EU funds.
Looking at the European Commission's main priority of creating jobs and growth in Europe, Jean-Claude Juncker underlined the role that cities and regions can play in the recently agreed Investment Plan:
"The Committee of the Regions should be closely involved in its implementation. Europe cannot remain tied to the policies of austerity. We need to bring hope back to the people and prepare better for the future. Especially, the young generation has the right to success".
Michael Schneider recalled Juncker's promise to fight for a strong role of the CoR in the legislative processes, made last year at the Summit of EPP Regional and Local Political Leaders in Poznań, and expressed the CoR's willingness to play its role in getting Europe back to growth:
"We want to contribute to make the Investment Plan a success story. As regions, we see there lots of opportunities. For example, there are a number of regional investment banks that could partner with the European Investment Bank. Regions and cities also have experience of interregional and cross-border networks that could serve as solid basis for the planned investments".
The EPP/CoR Group President also underlined the need to address the absorption of EU funds through administrative simplification:
"We must make sure that the political goals of cohesion, which go hand in hand with the structural funds, are not put at risk as a result of bureaucracy or red tape. We all want European funds to be well spent; we all support checks to avoid any misuse. But short sighted controls for the sake of controls do not improve the management of the funds. Instead they paralyse the administration and stifle initiative and creativity".
Summing up, President Juncker pledged that regions and cities are important partners for his ambitions:
"We have recently set up a platform for Better Regulation. I want the CoR to play its full role within this framework. We should re-examine the EU legislation together to ensure it is up to date with today's realities, especially those rules related to SMEs, as they're the backbone of the European economy".
Source: EPP/CoR Group Press Officers
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