1. Metropolitan areas WG Karlsruhe 14 March 2019
Update on Cohesion policy
What has happened since December 2018?

2. Cohesion policy update
Opinion on draft common provision regulation agreed in Parliament (February)
Increased budget by 14.4% to EUR 378 bio
Co-financing rates raised to current levels
Paris Agreement, SDGs and integration policies in cities added
Stronger partnerships:
“fully fledged and effective” for both PAs and each OP, including local authorities
PAs prepared on the basis of code of conduct on partnership
Increased allocation for the European Urban Initiative: EUR 560 million
Integrated territorial development:
Investments programmed under PO5 (Europe closer to the citizen): also ESF+ and cohesion fund
Stronger social dimension
Poverty, inequality explicitly added as priority challenges
European Pillar of Social Rights considered in OPs

3. Cohesion policy update
Opinion on ERDF regulation voted in Parliament (February – REGI committee)
Main elements
Increased earmarking for sustainable urban development to 10%
Reinforced focus on functional urban areas
Small scale multi-modal mobility in PO2 (greener, low carbon EU)
European Urban Initiative:
Active involvement of local authorities in implementation
Capacity building including exchanges between regional and local level
Innovative projects on urban-rural links also funded via EAFRD
Next
Plenary vote 26 March (tbc)
Webinar for members to inform about main changes (date tbc)

4. Cohesion policy update
What is ahead?
Council – EP – COM negotiations (trilogues) suspended
Brexit?
EP elections May – new rapporteurs?
Trilogues continues
Council agreement 25 June (CPR)
MFF agreement Oct 2019
Agreement on new cohesion policy framework…