Regional Policy
Regional and cohesion policy are major instruments in the strive for more economic and social cohesion in the European Union. While the political targets are set at European and national levels, the implementation happens at regional/local level. The contribution of regional/local Chambers of Commerce and Industry is vital to the process, considering their close links with the business community and their keen interest in regional economic development.
Regional and cohesion policy are major instruments in the strive for more economic and social cohesion in the European Union. With view to the historic enlargements the Union witnessed on 1 May 2004, and on 1 January 2007, both policies have gained in importance, considering that regional disparities have widened in the Europe of 27.
While economic and social disparities between European regions widened with enlargement, the European Union as a whole has to face increasing competition from global players like the USA, Japan and emerging economies in the Far East.
The challenge for EU decision-makers is twofold: how to increase economic and social cohesion within the Union while ensuring the role of the EU as a global player in the economic environment.
The political answer to the challenges is the relaunched Lisbon strategy – calling for increased economic growth and more and better jobs in the EU.
Regional and cohesion policy funds, besides serving the Union’s economic and social cohesion policy targets, have become major EU instruments for achieving the revised growth and jobs targets.
In the “regionalisation” process of the Lisbon strategy, the role of regional/local actors is underlined, and Member States have been invited – with due consideration to the subsidiarity principle - to foresee a higher involvement of the regional level in all stages relating to strategic policy decisions.
The timely and efficient implementation of structural and cohesion funds programmes is a crucial factor for achieving the overall objectives.
While strategic programmes are being decided at national level, concrete actions are implemented at regional and local level. It is thus important for regional and local actors to be involved in all stages of the process (from the writing of the programmes to the monitoring and execution of actions on the ground).
The Chamber Background
Chambers of Commerce and Industry are ideally situated at regional/local level to defend the business point of view and to implement positive actions in favour of entrepreneurship, given their close relationship with the local/regional business base. Furthermore, local/regional economic development is one of their key priorities.
Chambers across Europe have over the years acquired a profound knowledge about the management of structural funds projects, both as project leaders and consortium partners.
The contribution of regional/local Chambers of Commerce and Industry is vital to the effective and efficient implementation of structural funds programmes and projects at regional level, particularly with view to the fact that those programmes and projects serve the relaunched Lisbon strategy. A closer linkage with regional public authorities will offer benefits for all parties involved:
- Considering their regional/local rooting, Chambers have a thorough knowledge of the regional economic tissue and know best the needs of their members, enterprises.
- Chambers, as service providers to the business community, are experienced in implementing positive actions in favour of economic development, and more particularly entrepreneurship and employment.
- Regional public authorities in general ensure the necessary co-financing for the implementation of structural/cohesion funds projects.
- Through the involvement of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, regional public authorities can rely on experienced, service oriented partners who will contribute to an efficient implementation of programmes/projects.
- Through closer cooperation between public authorities and Chambers, the information flow can be enhanced, thus leading to better targeted programmes and greater efficiency in their execution.
The final outcome is a better cooperation between Chambers and Regional Governments as actors of the local economic development.
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