1. Macro-regional strategies Rapporteur: Etele Baráth Dr
ECO/367
Rapporteur: Etele Baráth Dr

2. The EU’s institutional system is need of radical reform /in relation to/ bosting democracy and decentralisation, strengthening horizontal structures, improving effectiveness and efficiency of policy implementation and promoting socio-economic partnership.

3. The macro-regional strategies are of topical relevance:
a new Commission is being formed with new priorities,
growth, employment and investment depend to a large extent on regional and urban adaptability,
the mid-term review of the EU 2020 Strategy, and the Urban Agenda are currently under preparation,
there are focuses on the implementation of the Cohesion Policy.

4. Both in terms of its perspective and governance instruments, the macro-regional approach reflects the guidelines for the EU's renewal;
it provides for political governance and strategic vision bringing together stakeholders on different levels
without the need to create new large-scale institutions;

5. The macro-regional strategies are of topical relevance:
a new Commission is being formed with new priorities,
growth, employment and investment depend to a large extent on regional and urban adaptability,
the mid-term review of the EU 2020 Strategy, and the Urban Agenda are currently under preparation,
there are focuses on the implementation of the Cohesion Policy.

6. It can integrate policies and programmes at different levels:
European Union,
country-specific recommendations,
on territorial cooperation,
on associated and accession countries,
sectorial and financial instruments,
partnership agreements, etc.;

7. It could coordinates
policies,
strategic and financial instruments
in order to achieve efficient and effective implementation;

8. It helps to overcome regional boundaries between
territorial governance organisations and
sectors;
It ensures clear ownership throughout
the strategy framing and implementation process.

9. It has been shown that both in terms of governance and European added value, the macro-regional strategies
which have already been adopted, and
are now being implemented have identified new resources.

10. The macro-regional approach is a useful instrument for :
greater social consensus,
mutual respect, acceptance and
helping to achieve EU 2020 objectives with European added value for interest groups.

11. The are four areas relating to governance which are crucial for success:
political leadership (strategic direction and governance structure),
coordination as a means of implementing strategies,
management of the implementation process, action plans defining the day-to-day performance of tasks, cooperation, support for cooperation,
ownership, the importance of identifying with strategies, communication and accountability.

12. The "High-Level Group", made up of representatives of the EU's 28 Member States, is
an excellent opportunity to compensate for the EU's overly concentrated and administrative governance,
complementing it with a policymaking body in line with the often neglected idea of subsidiarity and
with consistent application of the partnership principle.

13. An option to the emergence of an "intermediate level", and
a development-oriented type of governance in Europe.

14. A new model of governance should be developed, with the
involvement of economic and social partners.
Macro-regional policy should become a fully-fledged EU policy.

15. A focus on sustainability;
"blue" and "green" growth, and on
infrastructure development is
a natural consequence of macro-regional thinking.