The future of cohesion policy

Cohesion at the core of EU’s future

Cohesion policy is one of the pillars of the European Commission’s proposal for the EU budget for the period 2028-2034. From building transport and energy infrastructure, supporting innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, to supporting sustainable urban and rural development initiatives, Cohesion Policy will invest in regions all over the EU and will leave no one behind.

What is the Commission proposing to support cohesion?

Support to all regions, and a high level of funding for cohesion
Support will be delivered through National and Regional Partnership Plans - bringing key EU funding tools under one roof
Concentration of support to less developed regions: A minimum amount is safeguarded for less developed regions
Provisions for targeted measures under the National and Regional Partnership Plans for cities, rural areas and other territories including eastern border regions, islands, and outermost regions
Synergies with other policies to maximise the impact of each euro invested
A more flexible Cohesion Policy that is better equipped to respond to crises and emerging priorities
A long-therm focus, with fewer thematic constraints, allowing regions to tailor interventions to their specific needs
An approach based on shared management, partnership and multi-level governance, with regional authorities fully involved in the design and implementation of plans
More support for enhancing the quality of public administration and capacity building

What does it mean in financial terms?

Around EUR 450 billion will be available for economic, social and territorial cohesion, including fisheries and rural communities
A minimum of EUR 218 billion secured for less developed regions, with a requirement for Member States to respect a minimum level of resources set out in the Regulation The current European Solidarity Fund gets a tripled budget of EUR 20 billion within the Facility for Union Actions
The current Interreg programme for territorial cooperation will receive an increased budget of EUR 10 billion
Additional funding will be available from the EU Facility under the EUR 11.5 billion support for Union Actions including cities, inter-regional innovation and cross-border projects
Differentiated national co-financing rates based on each region’s level of development (15% for less developed regions; 40% for transition regions; 60% more developed regions).

Next steps

The decision on the future long-term EU budget and revenue system will be discussed by Member States in the Council. Adoption of the MFF Regulation requires unanimity, following the consent of the European Parliament.

More information:

Legal documents

Factsheets

Preparatory works