Don’t ignore economic inequalities, Sant warns on €392 billion cohesion policy fund

Sant calls for the Euopean Union to give more weight to socioeconomic and cohesion priorities

 

Labour MEP Alfred Sant
Labour MEP Alfred Sant

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant has expressed his support for a European Parliament resolution on the start of the implementation of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy period.

In his intervention to the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg he issued a strong call to the European Union not to forget its original priorities, in particular when it comes to achieving socioeconomic convergence and cohesion between Member States and regions.

“On the basis of these goals social and economic inequalities between different regions of the European Union stand to be diminished,” Sant warned “Abandoning such fundamental goals might lead to further divergence and possibly European disintegration.

The European Union allocated €392 billion for cohesion policy which will be used over a span of seven years between 2021 and 2027. One of the overarching aims of the European Union Cohesion Policy is to consolidate economic, social and territorial cohesion in Europe. This includes the task of correcting imbalances between countries and regions. Another objective is to deliver on the European Union’s political priorities, namely the green and digital transition.

Labour MEP Sant sounded a warning that with new arising funding priorities, social cohesion was being shifted to the backburner. “This is evident for instance when it comes to the prioritisation of Member States authorities in absorbing European Union funding.”

“I agree with the view that the focus on achieving both the green transition, and the digital transition, need to go hand in hand with cohesion instruments. It also goes for the apparent prioritisation that EU authorities are giving to funds within the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

“The EU must not forget its original priorities especially when it comes to achieving socioeconomic convergence and further cohesion between its different Member States and regions. The risks of abandoning this fundamental goal is to face further divergence and possible eventual disintegration.”

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