Reaction to the debate “What role and aim for the European cohesion policy?”

European Cohesion Policy has been a corner stone of the European Union’s core policies since the mid-1980s. Yet, the policy faces strong criticism and pressure to adapt and to reform. And, ever since its inception, the policy has been subject to strong pressure to legitimate and to justify the huge amount of funds dedicated to this policy.

Today the European Commission services have already begun to prepare for the next chapter, adapting Cohesion Policy under difficult conditions and justifying the continuation of this policy. The Barca Report “An agenda for a reformed cohesion policy” argued for a place-based European development policy and the new Commission will probably come back to this approach. This is the political background of Dirk Ahner’s paper. As Director General of DG Region he convincingly argues for an a priori clarification of the raison d’être of Cohesion Policy before we go out in search of a new vision.