10th report on economic, social and territorial cohesion

Inspired by the 10 Cohesion Report, a common European foundation for safe work-based learning Europe’s competitiveness depends on companies being able to find people with the right skills. For industrial and metropolitan regions, the availability of a skilled workforce is a crucial prerequisite for growth, investment and the green and digital transitions.

Filed in Swedish · English published by the European Commission

We welcome the preparation of the 10th Cohesion Report and the opportunity to provide feedback. Cohesion Reports provide an important common evidence base for assessing regional disparities and the contribution of Cohesion Policy and its priorities.

The Union of Municipalities of Metropolitan Area and Conurbation of the Czech Republic (SO MOA), bringing together the 14 largest Czech cities, supports the European Commission’s efforts to strengthen the link between cohesion policy and EU competitiveness.

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The City of Prague welcomes the opportunity to contribute evidence to the preparation of the 10th Cohesion Report, which, in addition to reducing regional disparities, should pay attention to the challenges faced by Europe’s metropolitan and metropolitan areas.

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The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the operating environment of eastern external border regions this has been the case in Kymenlaakso Region (NUTS3). The closure of the border in Finland since 2023 and the abrupt disruption of economic ties with Russia have had immediate impacts on industry (paper and pulp industry in particular), logistics, trade, tourism, retail and business…

Improve the role of ETC as instruments of soft planning and in supporting a cooperative approach in spatial and regional development policy. design homogeneous functional regions in Europe to have sufficient critical mass to support an spatial integrated, climate-resilince approach in the next seven-year programming cycle.

In view of the experience so far with the implementation of the European Union’s cohesion policy in the context of urban development, we have identified several key demands for an EU perspective for 2028-2034. However, understanding the continued need for EU development support for less developed regions, we believe that per capita allocations for more developed and transition regions should be as close as possible…

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The Regional Council of Kainuu thanks for the opportunity to put forward perspectives for the preparation of the 10th Cohesion Report, which also takes into account the strategy for the EU’s eastern regions and the mid-term review of cohesion policy programmes.

Filed in Finnish · English published by the European Commission

Cohesion policy is one of the EU’s main strategic instruments. It is not only a funding mechanism, but also a governance model that enables the achievement of EU objectives by mobilising local and regional actors. Cohesion policy strengthens skills, resilience and competitiveness, supporting the green and digital transitions, strategic autonomy and regional security.

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Community-led local development as an effective place-based instrument for economic, social and territorial cohesion Czechia has developed an extensive CLLD system. Its 180 Local Action Groups cover 92.7% of the countrys territory, 6,004 municipalities and about 60% of the population.

Cohesion Policy funds have contributed to the dynamic development of Pomorskie Region, supporting infrastr., energy transition, and soc. inclusion, among other areas. It is essential to maintain decentralisation, a strong role for regional and local authorities, and the partnerships.

Cohesion policy is one of the EU’s main strategic instruments. It is not only a funding mechanism, but also a governance model that enables the achievement of EU objectives by mobilising local and regional actors. Cohesion policy strengthens skills, resilience and competitiveness, supporting the green and digital transitions, strategic autonomy and regional security.

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Region Norrbottens input to the Call for Evidence on the Tenth Cohesion Report The Tenth Cohesion Report should assess how territories can contribute to common European objectives based on their assets and conditions, and how cohesion policy can support investment, competitiveness and green and digital transitions.

Region Västra Götaland welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the tenth Cohesion Report. EU Cohesion Policy plays a crucial role in strengthening Europes long-term competitiveness, resilience and cohesion.

-Full contribution in annex- The 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion coincides with negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). We consider the proposals for the next MFF counterproductive to EU cohesion and stability, putting CPMR member-regions at risk.

The region of South Karelia is a EU external border region (NUTS3) located in southeastern Finland. Eastern border regions like us play a crucial role in the EUs security, resilience and competitiveness. The impact of EU Cohesion policy to mitigate economic challenges and disproportionate impact of the Russian aggression in Ukraine has been limited.

The data presented in this document confirm that Romania remains a reference case for the debate on the future of cohesion policy: an apparent success story in aggregate at national level, which nonetheless conceals persistent, and in some respects widening, internal territorial divergence.

Cohesion policy is a driver of territorial transformation, a lever for less developed territories to turn their constraints into development opportunities. One example is the province of Luxembourg (BE). In its rural context, European cohesion policy funds make it possible to overcome the lack of critical mass and the remoteness of decision-making centres, while strengthening growth-enhancing innovation and local…

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The Interreg Italy-Austria Cooperation Programme welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the preparation of the 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion. Our experience demonstrates that territorial cohesion is strongest when local communities are not only beneficiaries of public policies, but active actors in shaping them.

The data available through the Cohesion Open Data Platform demonstrates the scale, strategic relevance and tangible impact of Cohesion Policy (CP) across European regions. Through targeted investments in competitiveness, infrastructure, businesses, employment and public services, the policy has continued to help regions unlock their development potential, strengthen resilience and advance the green and digital…

Contribution to the "10th report on economic, social and territorial cohesion": The CISA ITI experimentation as a "place-based" model against depopulation This contribution responds to the call for evidence for the "10th report on economic, social and territorial cohesion".

Duhallow Community Food Services (DCFS) is a powerful example of the long-term impact of LEADER and the CLLD approach. Estab by IRD Duhallow in 1997, DCFS demonstrates how locally identified needs, community participation and sustained investment can combine to create innovative and enduring solutions to rural challenges. DCFS emerged directly from engagement with local communities.

Central Ostrobothnia perspective and purpose: highlight to the European Commission how EU cohesion policy and national policies can strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion and how the specific development challenges and opportunities of Central Ostrobothnia should be taken into account in the preparation of the 10th Cohesion Report.

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The City of Brno welcomes the preparation of the tenth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. We would like to draw attention to the essential information that should be included in the report. Cohesion policy is an indispensable instrument of the European Union, which makes an important contribution to its cohesion.

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Cymothoe Initiative, a Mediterranean Blue Economy platform, welcomes the EU strategy for islands adopted on 10 June 2026 as a genuine milestone but the Strategy itself is explicit that it creates no new dedicated funding mechanism, relying entirely on existing instruments and how Member States use their national and regional Partnership Plans.

Cohesion policy is one of the EU’s main strategic instruments for translating common objectives into long-term investments and tangible results. It contributes both to reducing economic, social and territorial disparities and to strengthening the Union’s competitiveness, resilience and ability to transition.

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Minha Terras contribution to the European Commissions 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion in the EU argues that Portugals experience with Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) during the 20142020 programming period demonstrates the strong value of locally led, multi-funded/multi-policy territorial approaches for reducing disparities and strengthening cohesion.

Malta welcomes the preparation of the 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion and considers it an important opportunity to assess the achievements of cohesion policy and the challenges that continue to affect Europe's territories.

Mira Network welcomed the public consultation on the 10th Cohesion Report and presented its contribution, based on the experience of civic monitoring in the implementation of cohesion policy. The consultation is particularly important as the Report will be a central reference in the debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

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The Regional Government of the Azores welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to promote this public consultation and thanks for the opportunity to contribute to the reflection on the future of the Cohesion Policy of the European Union.

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Cohesion Policy funds have contributed to the dynamic development of Lower Silesia, supporting infrastr., energy transition, and soc. inclusion, among other areas. We demonstrated the region's adaptability by responding to crises, including the flood of September 2024 (increased emphasis on natural disaster prevention) and the geopolitical changes of 2025 (new priorities supporting defense, critical technologies…

The region of Västernorrland sees cohesion policy as one of the EU’s main strategic instruments. It is more than just a financing mechanism; it is an instrument that enables the EU to achieve its objectives by mobilising local and regional actors. Cohesion policy builds capacity, strengthens resilience and competitiveness, and creates the conditions for achieving strategic autonomy and ensuring territorial security.

Filed in Swedish · English published by the European Commission

Past cohesion reports have not always reflected the full value of CLLD. It would be advisable to address this shortcoming. Findings from the workshops that form the basis of the ex-post evaluation: Reaching Invisible Applicants and Stimulating the Economy A joint review of the data revealed that approximately 60 percent of the funds disbursed support economic and business development in the broadest sense, which…

The Managing Authority for the Technical Assistance Programme in Romania welcomes the European Commissions Call for Evidence on the 10th Cohesion Report. Regarding administrative simplification, the mid-term review under the current programming period has demonstrated the value of allowing Member States to respond to evolving priorities.

The Regional Council of North Karelia welcomes the preparation of the Tenth Cohesion Report. The report should reaffirm economic, social and territorial cohesion as a core European objective and assess competitiveness through a genuinely place-based lens.

The Managing Authority and Joint Secretariat of the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme welcome the opportunity to contribute evidence on how EU cohesion policy, and Interreg in particular, contribute to the EUs cohesion objectives. This contribution reflects their experience in the implementation of transnational cooperation programmes and projects across central Europe.

Cohesion policy is one of the EUs most important strategic instruments. More than a funding mechanism, it is a governance framework that enables the EU to achieve its objectives by mobilizing local and regional actors. It builds capacity, strengthens resilience and competitiveness, and creates the conditions for delivering the green and digital transitions, strategic autonomy and territorial security.

Within the European framework, Cohesion Policy serves as the primary instrument to drive competitiveness, resilience, and territorial convergence across Member States. However, over the past two decades, structural economic transformationssuch as the rapid expansion of the service sector, market liberalization, and technological accelerationhave unintentionally exacerbated regional disparities.

Interreg is small, but it has great impacts on the territories: It really contributes to the achievement of the EU goals. It successfully brings together local/regional authorities around common challenges. It paves the way to future investments. It experiments new actions, together accross borders. And for Pre-Accession countries this is a true accademy of cohestion.

In 2023 Report on the State of Implementation of European and National Cohesion Policy concerning 20142020 programming period, the Italian Minister for European Affairs, the South, Cohesion Policies and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) noted that the assessment of the use of all resources allocated to cohesion policy under the 20142020 programming period "revealed significant discrepancies between…

Statement by the Dutch-German Cross-Border Association EUREGIO Europe is felt most strongly in its border regions, where people experience it first-hand, every day. Border regions are, quite simply, Europe in miniature.

AEIDLs contribution to the preparation of the 10th Cohesion Report draws on extensive policy analysis and evidence we generated through its Horizon Europe projects (RURACTIVE, RURBANIVE, FUTURAL and SMART ERA). The evidence confirms that place-based and community-led approaches remain among the most effective mechanisms for addressing territorial disparities, fostering innovation and strengthening economic, social…

The EU’s cohesion policy aims to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, reduce disparities between countries and regions and promote balanced development. However, after four decades of implementation of European funds, the fragility of the national production structure continues and is even increasing, with the loss of weight of the productive sectors in the total wealth produced and the consequent…

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Challenges of the Silesian Voivodeship 1. Strengthening the territorial dimension of cohesion policy and the role of regions Cohesion policy should retain its territorial dimension, using a place-based approach that takes into account the specific characteristics of regions. It is essential to maintain decentralisation, a strong role for regional and local authorities, and the partnerships.

Deutscher Landkreistag welcomes the preparation of the 10th report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. The report provides an opportunity to examine whether cohesion policy, as well as other European and national policies, are effective in reducing existing disparities between regions. The standard for this should be Article 174 TFEU in particular.

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The EAPB welcomes the opportunity to offer evidence on the current programming period, followed by considerations for the post-2027 debate. Please find attached, as a good collection of examples of best practices delivered by EAPB members on the ground, our EAPB Compendium of Financial Instruments. I. Evidence from the 20212027 period 1. NPBIs are the logical delivery channel of cohesion investment.

It is worth recalling the specific characteristics of border areas, namely that these territories with specific challenges continue to face persistent obstacles to mobility and cross-border services, that they have appropriate governance needs, and that the added value of cooperation between neighbouring territories is essential (in particular through Interreg A programmes).

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Confebus takes note of the initiative of the European Commission to assess the contribution of cohesion policy to the economic, social and territorial development of the Union, as well as its capacity to adapt to new strategic priorities. The report aims to analyse how place-based policies contribute to reducing territorial disparities and strengthening the competitiveness of all European regions.

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Cohesion policy lies at the heart of the European project. As a cornerstone of European integration, it strengthens social, economic, and territorial cohesion across the Union and plays a vital role in enhancing Europe's collective resilience.

The CGIL, which is present in the Monitoring Committees of the Partnership Agreement and the National and Regional Programmes 2021-2027, notes the following. 1. Purpose. Under Article 174 TFEU, the reduction of disparities is the specific aim of cohesion: competitiveness is a tool, not a substitute.

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The European Social Fund (ESF) is the primary financial instrument of the European Union dedicated to investing in people and guaranteeing their right to active inclusion. Rather than being a mere redistribution mechanism, it serves as a strategic tool of Cohesion Policy, translating broad European social goals into concrete, field-adapted interventions that address the structural causes of inequality.

Christian Council International welcomes this opportunity to provide feedback on the forthcoming 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion. In the attached document, we highlight the role of the family in promoting social cohesion, the importance of addressing the demographic decline, the contribution of faith-based organizations to resilient communities and the need to uphold the principle of…

SGI Europe welcomes the preparation of the 10th Cohesion Report and its ambition to strengthen the evidence base on economic, social and territorial disparities, the effectiveness of place-based policies and the contribution of cohesion policy to European competitiveness. For SGI Europe, the concept of the Freedom to Stay should provide an important analytical lens for this work.

Please find attached my feedback in response to the European Commission's Call for Evidence Ares(2026)6562391 concerning the preparation of the 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion, including the outcome of the mid-term review of Cohesion Policy programmes. The attached position paper has been prepared by Studio Legale Internazionale Avv.

The Brussels-based Capital Cities and Regions Network (CCRN) contributes to the call for evidence for the 10th cohesion report by reiterating 7 key points already expressed in its 2023 position on the EU cohesion policy post-2027, its 2024 reaction to the 9th Cohesion Report and its last year feedback to the MFF proposals: 1.

INSULEUR (Network of Insular Chambers of Commerce of the European Union) welcomes the European Commission's initiative to prepare the 10th Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion and considers it a key opportunity to strengthen the territorial dimension of EU cohesion policy by fully recognising the specific needs of Europe's islands.

The European Union Cohesion Policy is the Union's primary instrument for reducing development disparities and strengthening regional competitiveness. Romanias experience confirms that Cohesion Policy supports transport infrastructure development through programmes managed by the MA TP within the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

SMEs, women- and youth-led enterprises as the delivery vehicle of competitive regions SMEs represent over 99% of European enterprises and are, in most less developed and peripheral territories, the primary - often the only - private employers.

Cohesion Policy identity, conditionality and partnership in the MFF context Because the report will be prepared in parallel with the negotiations on the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework and will serve as a policy reference document, the way it frames cohesion carries direct institutional weight.

Rule-level barriers: cohesion rules that block SME retrofitting Under current practice, beneficiaries of cohesion-funded productive investments are required to maintain existing equipment in operation throughout project implementation and the subsequent durability/monitoring period.

Mid-term review: assess real uptake, not formal compliance FICSIMM welcomes the inclusion of the chapter of the 10th Cohesion Report dedicated to the outcome of the mid-term review of cohesion policy programmes (Article 18(6) CPR), but its usefulness will depend on whether it goes beyond describing the amendments submitted by Member States by December 2025 and evaluates what the mid-term review actually changed on…

Beyond GDP: multidimensional territorial indicators GDP per head remains indispensable, but it is an increasingly incomplete proxy for the real situation of a territory. It says little about the density and resilience of the local productive fabric, about exposure to energy costs, or about the demographic sustainability of a county.

Our central request is that the report examine disparities within regions, not only between them. Analysis conducted at NUTS 2 level systematically masks severe divergence at county (NUTS 3) and sub-county level.

The Romanian Ministry of Culture proposed that the forthcoming report explicitly acknowledge culture as a strategic sector within Cohesion Policy and recognize it as a distinct policy area in the future framework of Cohesion Policy.

"Rural areas are central to overall positive development. Urban and rural development are mutually dependent. Many cities are currently suffering from the negative side effects of overgrowth. We must treat rural areas as equal partners. This forms the very foundation of Cohesion Policy.

The Romanian Water Association (ARA), representing Romania's water and wastewater sector, welcomes the consultation on the 10th Cohesion Report and calls for water to be explicitly recognised as a strategic investment pillar. Water services are essential for public health, territorial cohesion and climate resilience.

The European Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 (as well as the programming periodes before) has helped to support and develope the sustainable and innovative developement of the region of South Tyrol. Being a border region with strong historic ties to Austria especially INTERREG was of great use overcoming borders, gaining wider understanding of the role of the EU in cross-border cooperation and therefore inner stability…

The Interreg Programmes managed by the Romanian Ministry of Regional Development, Public Works and Administration welcome this initiative and take this opportunity to call on the European Commission to increase the visibility of Interreg in the forthcoming Cohesion Report by presenting its results and contribution as a distinct component of cohesion policy.

The European Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 has significantly supported and stimulated the strategic and innovative development of the region. In particular, the calls in the ERDF, ESF+ and Interreg programmes, which could be designed regionally, have made a tangible contribution to the development and resilience of the country, but also to democratisation and de-radicalisation and fostered administrative innovation.

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Enabled by the EU ESPON programme, partners from Norway (idea and leadership), Sweden, Switzerland and the organisation EUROMONTANA, set out to examine how innovative local planning may guide rural Europe through an era of population decline. ESPON RURALPLAN tested Innovative local planning in three locations.

FROM VULNERABILITY TO RESILIENCE: Strategic REQUIREMENTS FOR NORTHERN REGION IN THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION COHESION REPORT AWARD In a context of heightened internal economic polarisation in eastern EU countries, where investment has been heavily concentrated around capital cities, the North-East region continues to have a GDP below 75 % of the EU average.

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Input FROM DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSISTS MERIDIONALIST Public Consultation Tenth Cohesion Report/MFF 20282034 Have your Say Portal July 2026 Proposing entity: DPM Progressive Democrats Meridionalists. Italian Politico-Civic Movement, Cosenza office (Calabria). Represented by: Sen. Lawyer Francesco Molinari. I.

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The MFF proposal fails to adequately recognise the essential role of cities and local communities. Furthermore, the introduction of National and Regional Partnership Plans risks becoming, in some Member States, a mechanism for further centralising decision-making at the expense of local authorities.