Press Release: Future Cohesion Policy in spotlight at the Fifth Cohesion Forum

The EU's cohesion policy - worth almost €350 billion over 7 years - provides support for 455 national and regional development programmes across the EU. In the context of both the EU budget review and the Europe 2020 Strategy, a number of options for reforming the policy when the current funding period ends in 2013 are under discussion. The Fifth Cohesion Forum, opening on 31 January 2011 in Brussels, will be the last opportunity for Member States and regions to make their voices heard before the Commission presents its legislative proposals on the future cohesion policy, due out by summer 2011. Organised every three years, the Commission has invited top policy-makers from the 27 Member States to the two-day event which expects around 800 participants.

European Commission: Speech/11/54: José Manuel Durão Barroso President of the European Commission, "Delivering on Europe 2020: New opportunities for tomorrow's cohesion policy", 5th Cohesion Forum, Brussels, 31 January 2011 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/11/54&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Speech/11/59: Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, "Europe 2020 - New challenges for economic, social and territorial cohesion", The 5th Cohesion Forum, Brussels, 1 February 2011 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/11/59&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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