Press Release: Commission assesses impact of funding for regions, launches debate on next round of cohesion policy

Cohesion policy has had a proven effect in helping the European Union's regions to develop, but it will face some new challenges in years ahead. Those are the findings in the European Commission's latest report on economic and social cohesion . The fourth such report, published on 30 May 2007, provides the economic, social and territorial situation of the enlarged Union of 27 Member States and 268 regions for the first time. The report contains detailed analysis of the position of regions in terms of GDP, productivity and employment. It identifies a series of challenges with which Member States and regions will be confronted in the years ahead. It provides a first assessment of the impact of European cohesion policy in the 2000-2006 programming period, as well as of the preparation for the new period 2007-2013. The report includes 10 questions to kick off f the debate inside and outside the European institutions on the future of this major policy area.