Committee on Regional Development

Committee on Regional Development
Name	Committee on Regional Development
Established	1979
Chamber	European Parliament
Jurisdiction	Territorial cohesion, Cohesion Fund, European Regional Development Fund
Members	75

Committee on Regional Development is a legislative committee of the European Parliament charged with policies related to territorial cohesion, regional policy instruments, and structural funds across the European Union. It works closely with the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and bodies such as the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank. The committee produces reports, opinions, and legislative amendments that shape instruments like the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund.

History

The committee was created in the aftermath of the European Economic Community enlargement debates and budgetary negotiations in the 1970s, reflecting commitments made in the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it adapted to major events including the German reunification, the fall of the Soviet Union, and successive enlargements that added Spain, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania to the Union. Reforms linked to the Treaty of Amsterdam and the Treaty of Lisbon expanded the committee’s remit, while crises such as the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted revisions to cohesion instruments and recovery spending tied to the NextGenerationEU package.

Mandate and Responsibilities

The committee scrutinizes legislation affecting the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, and the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession among others. It evaluates proposals from the European Commission and coordinates with the Council of the European Union on multiannual financial frameworks like the 2014–2020 budget and the 2021–2027 budget. Responsibilities include oversight of regional development programs in Catalonia, Bavaria, Lombardy, Scotland, and Baden-Württemberg, and interaction with interregional initiatives such as INTERREG and projects financed by the European Investment Bank. The committee also issues opinions on territorial cohesion questions related to the European Semester and on state aid rules administered by the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition.

Membership and Composition

Membership reflects political groups represented in the European Parliament, including delegations from the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the Renew Europe Group, Greens/European Free Alliance, and the Identity and Democracy Party. National delegations include MEPs from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden. The committee elects a chairperson and vice-chairs drawn from member delegations and liaises with rapporteurs appointed for files on cohesion policy, regional aid, and urban development. It cooperates with the Committee on Budgetary Control and the Committee on Budgets for financial supervision and with the Committee on Transport and Tourism for territorial connectivity matters.

Legislative Activities and Reports

The committee drafts legislative reports and amendments on proposals such as reform of the European Regional Development Fund and revisions to the Cohesion Fund regulation. Prominent dossiers have included the debate over the Just Transition Fund, the legal framework for INTERREG cross-border cooperation, and cohesion conditionalities linked to the Rule of Law. It prepares opinions on cohesion aspects of directives and regulations from the European Commission and negotiates trilogues with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to finalize texts. Its rapporteurs often reference case studies in regions like Silesia, Andalusia, Attica, and Transylvania when assessing impact and compliance.

Funding and Budgetary Role

The committee plays a central role in shaping allocations within the Multiannual Financial Framework and in scrutinizing expenditure from the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund. It evaluates financial instruments such as European Structural and Investment Funds and works with the European Court of Auditors on audit findings and the European Anti-Fraud Office on irregularities. During budget negotiations it engages with national finance ministries of Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and Hungary as well as with the European Central Bank on macroeconomic implications for cohesion spending. The committee also monitors implementation of conditionalities tied to disbursement from funds in regions affected by structural adjustment.

Relations with Member States and Stakeholders

The committee maintains regular dialogue with national and regional authorities, including regional governments of Catalonia, Flanders, Saxony, and Bavaria, and with stakeholder organizations like the European Committee of the Regions, CEMR, EUROCITIES, and trade associations. It convenes hearings with representatives of the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and civil society organizations from affected regions. The committee engages with ministers from member states at informal ministerial councils, coordinates with managing authorities in Portugal and Greece, and consults academic experts from institutions such as the London School of Economics, Sciences Po, and the College of Europe on territorial cohesion research.

Category:European Parliament committees Category:Regional policy