Partnership within cohesion policy

Helping to give stakeholders a voice in decisions that concern them directly, the partnership principle lies at the heart of the EU's cohesion policy and plays an important role in enforcing the legitimacy of EU policymaking. Although already well-established in previous periods, it was strengthened in the 2014-2020 cohesion policy framework, with the Common Provisions Regulation requiring the creation of partnerships for all European and Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) programmes and a new European Code of Conduct on Partnership identifying principles for ensuring that the involvement of partners in cohesion programming and delivery is timely, meaningful and transparent.

While a 2016 European Commission study found that the level of stakeholder involvement has improved since the 2007-2013 period, the view among stakeholders such as local and regional authorities, economic and social partners and civil society organisations has been more mixed. Key problem areas include concerns regarding how partners are selected, the quality of the consultation process and the low take-up of stakeholders' views. This suggests a need for tighter measures to ensure improved partnerships in the future and, as negotiations get underway on the shape of cohesion policy post 2020, stakeholders have called for the partnership principle to be strengthened in the next programming period.

The European Parliament was due to vote in June 2017 on an own-initiative report drafted by the Committee on Regional Development. Appreciating the value that partnership adds to the implementation of European public policies, the report also argues that the partnership principle and multi-level governance model can contribute to better communication of EU policy objectives and results.

Author: Christiaan van Lierop

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Guidelines on the application of the measures linking effectiveness of the European structural and investment funds to sound economic governance according to Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 1303/2013 (COM (2014)494) http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-guidelines-on-the-application-of-the-measures-li/

European Commission: Regional Policy: Policy: What is Regional policy: Glossary: E: European Code of Conduct on Partnership http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/what/glossary/e/european-code-of-conduct

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