The Congress of Regions of France is being held on September 26 and 27 in Marseille. At the heart of the debates of this 2018 edition: Europe. Cohesion policy, common agricultural policy, future budget…
Hervรฉ Morin, president of the association Rรฉgions de France, outlines the stakes.
“The Regions at the heart of Europe”: that is the theme of the next Congress of Regions of France. Why was it chosen?
Hervรฉ Morin: Firstly, because some European debates are extremely important for the future of the territories: both the European structural funds and the common agricultural policy. Secondly, because the post-2020 budget will likely lead to significant reductions in structural and agricultural funds, partly due to new policies requiring savings and the exit of the British from the EU.
Do you regret that the Commission has proposed to reduce the cohesion policy budget?
H. M.: There is necessarily a need for rebalancing within Europe. When you look at the evolution of the GDP of the regions, you see that some, including all those in Central and Eastern Europe, have benefited greatly from the European structural funds. Today, their level of development necessitates rebalancing towards former territories, especially in Western Europe, which have suffered from a widespread movement of deindustrialization.
Do the other regions of Europe have more autonomy than in France? Should we gradually put an end to this specificity?
The question is not about who has the power, but how do we ensure the efficiency of the public system. And this relies on an economic “regalian” belonging to the State, and very widely decentralized proximity policies. This is the model of the European countries that work the best.
