Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-24-Speech-2-022"
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"en.20090324.3.2-022"2
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"Madam President, I would like to comment on two reports in particular: the report on territorial cohesion and that on the exchange of good practice. My colleagues from the ALDE Group will deal with the other items.
Mr van Nistelrooij’s report responds to the Green Paper on territorial cohesion published by the Commission. We all agree that the debate started on the future cohesion policy should be supplemented by the territorial dimension. However, we have a paradox: we are discussing territorial cohesion without defining what it means.
We want the territorial dimension to help achieve a more balanced development than it has done to date, so that all citizens of the European Union have the opportunity of equal access to services in particular. However, to date we lack a precise set of criteria to which we can refer. Yet this is of fundamental significance for the future. The discussion on territorial cohesion in the European Union no longer makes any sense if we do not draft a cohesive definition.
Achieving territorial cohesion means ensuring the best possible development for the entire territory of the Community, and improving the lives of its inhabitants. As stated in the report, the aim of territorial cohesion should be above all to even out the disparities in the level of development of individual regions and Member States, and in particular to eliminate the growing disparities within regions and countries.
The more the gap between individual states is reduced, the greater the internal differentiation. Most investments and funding are accumulated in the national and regional capitals at the expense of the other territories, and Member States cannot or do not wish to counteract this. In this situation, it is necessary to create mechanisms at Community level that will effectively stimulate a more even and sustainable development.
In my view, we should scrutinise the statistical data for NUTS3, and not just NUTS2. The NUTS3 data show up the problem far more clearly. We should take this into account when allocating funding. The process of achieving territorial cohesion must be carried out at all levels: European, national and regional, taking into account the principle of subsidiarity.
Exchanging good practice is particularly important. The effectiveness of cohesion policy depends to a great extent on simplifying procedures, and in particular on becoming familiar with the opportunities provided by the most effective solutions used elsewhere."@en1
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