The President of the Government conveyed to the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, the need for a strong Cohesion Policy for the 2021-2027 period, also warning of the constraints for the regions arising from possible delays in its implementation.
 
Vasco Cordeiro's position was conveyed in Brussels to Commissioner Elisa Ferreira at a meeting held under the "Alliance for Cohesion" initiative promoted by the Committee of the Regions, which the Azores joined in January 2018.
 
Speaking to journalists, the President of the Regional Government, who also chairs the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), stated that the proposals already known for the future Cohesion Policy are, so far, "deeply negative."
 
In this regard, Vasco Cordeiro stated that, besides the amount of financial resources to be allocated to this policy, there is also a possibility of the regions being called to make an increased financial effort, as that the proposal for 2021-2027 provides for an increase in the investment contribution rate from 15 to 30 percent.
 
Furthermore, the possibility of eventual delays in the entry into force of the next multiannual financial framework "is an important aspect," bearing in mind that this situation could cause an interruption in the development path that has been followed by the regions.
 
In Portugal's case, Prime Minister António Costa "has been one of the advocates of the Cohesion Policy in a clear and effective way," defending that it should remain a key tool for the implementation of the European political project, stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
 
"At the moment, one of the major problems is that most countries say 'this is what we want to spend, what is it for?  However, the question should be 'is this the European Union we want, how much does it cost?',” noted the President of the Government.
 
According to Vasco Cordeiro, when it comes to Cohesion Policy, in practice "we are talking about hospitals, training, schools, qualifications, which is something that concerns people's daily lives."
 
"The most relevant question right now is whether Europeans are willing to do without a Cohesion Policy that is not only worthy on its own, but also worthy for everything it strengthens in other areas," Vasco Cordeiro said, pointing out the region's contributions to the development of the single market.
 
Regarding the Fair Transition Mechanism, the President of the Government said that "there is nothing to prevent this mechanism from being considered within the Cohesion Policy and, thereby, become a tool to strengthen the Cohesion Policy itself."
 
Vasco Cordeiro participated in this meeting, held at the Committee of the Regions, as President of the CPMR, an interregional cooperation organisation that encompasses 160 regions from 25 European countries, congregating 200 million citizens.
 
Vasco Cordeiro took over, for the first time, the presidency of CPMR in Sweden in September 2014, having been unanimously reelected at the General Assemblies held by this body in Ponta Delgada in 2016 and in Funchal in 2018.