Criteria for a future-wise Cohesion Policy

April 2025

Cohesion matters more than ever. As the EU faces profound challenges, growing disparities and fragmentation threaten to divide people and places, thus threatening the very foundations of EU integration. Geopolitical uncertainties, the declining global competitiveness of European businesses, the relentless pace of digitalisation, the urgent pressures of climate change, and increased competition for increasingly limited public funds demand a radical rethink. A previous blog post (Si apre in una nuova finestra) highlighted the crucial role of cohesion in responding to immediate crises.

Cohesion policy stands out as vital - not just desirable - for securing Europe's future. However, cohesion policy in its current form is unlikely to be able to provide adequate responses to the challenges ahead.

A forward-looking cohesion policy must go beyond business as usual, with a little crisis management thrown in. It needs to be embedded in a broader vision for the EU - one that unites all policies behind the common goal of ensuring that every citizen, every region and every social group sees tangible benefits from European integration. This vision must make clear how the EU directly contributes to improving lives and opportunities, and to promoting shared prosperity and stability for all.

In this context, cohesion policy must contribute to five different criteria or objectives.