The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is in the process of drafting an own-initiative opinion on the future of cohesion policy post-2027. Representatives of local and regional authorities and other relevant stakeholders are invited for a topical consultation and exchange of views with the co-rapporteurs for this opinion: Vasco Alves Cordeiro, Azores, and Emil Boc, Cluj-Napoca.

The event will take place on 13 July 2023 from 10:00-12:00 CEST. Participation will be possible in person at the CoR premises or online via Microsoft Teams (the link to access the meeting will be sent to all registered participants a few days before the meeting).

The working document of the co-rapporteurs can already be accessed on the CoR website; it will be the basis of the opinion and the discussion. The exchange will be interactive and primarily focused on stakeholders' input and presentation of their views on the subject.

ERRIN members are invited to register and join the discussion as an opportunity to express their perspectives on different aspects of cohesion policy. We encourage you to draw attention to its research and innovation dimension.

Written contributions to the discussion are also welcome. Input can be sent to the COTER secretariat at coter@cor.europa.eu 

The deadline to send contributions and register to participate in the event is 11 July 2023, 10:00 CEST.

Learn more here and register here. 

With the publication of the 8th Cohesion Report and the setting up of a Group of High-level experts on Cohesion Policy, the debate on the future of Cohesion policy has begun. The CoR will be the first EU institution to adopt an official position on cohesion policy post-2027. The draft opinion will be adopted at the meeting of the COTER Commission on 26 September 2023 and at the CoR Plenary on 29-30 November 2023.

In parallel, CoR's Cohesion Alliance survey on the future of the cohesion policy is still open until 30 June. You may learn more and answer the questionnaire here.