Debate: Additional resources in the context of the COVID- pandemic: REACT-EU
Date: TUESDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2020
Speaker: Pedro Marques
Country: Czechia
Language: EN

But there were dramatic changes in the way we relate to each other, the way we work, the way we do business – all of this had to change this year. And a lot has also changed in politics and policy. Many of those who opposed further European integration started clamouring for more European common policies. Many of those who did not like cohesion policy started asking for the reinforcement of cohesion policy.  Fortunately, the European institutions were able to understand what was needed and what was expected from us. After some initial hesitation by some institutions, we put in place an extensive series of measures which protected the health of citizens, sustained the economies as much as possible, and protected employment and citizens’ wellbeing.  Within the multiple policy measures that were put in place to cope with the crisis it is important to underline that the first effective consequences on the ground were in cohesion policy. The Corona response investment initiatives, best known as CRII and CRII+ (Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus), were launched in April and had immediate effects, frontloading EUR 37 billion of unallocated resources within the current MFF. The flexibility that CRII and CRII+ brought to the European funds allowed for essential investments at the initial stage of the pandemic, such as on medical equipment, including ventilators and personal protective equipment, the support to SMEs, to job maintenance and to the vulnerable groups.  Cohesion policy was at the forefront of the response to the crisis and once again it delivered. And let me stress this: one of the key characteristics of cohesion policy is that it indeed delivers. It delivers concrete results and European citizens deserve and are eager for those results. That is why the MMF agreement was also so important, and that is why the blackmail by two Member States was totally unacceptable, and in the end it didn’t pay. We overcame that blackmail and Europe can now go forward on a path where we can see hope, where we can see the vaccine is coming, the beginning of an end to the pandemic, the economic recovery, the creation of jobs, and finally a better Europe, a greener and fairer Europe.  The new MFF and the new cohesion policy are crucial for the recovery, but REACT-EU is the first instrument that is now ready, bridging the gap between the first emergency crisis response and the long-term recovery package. For every act the EU approved in time the negotiation teams worked hard and fast to reach an agreement, and as a result we can already vote now on REACT-EU.  With this initiative the European Union is offering a strong reaction to the consequences of COVID, which is what people in regions are expecting from us. But the negotiation teams have also worked well and we should support strongly the content of the agreement, an agreement where important Parliament demands were incorporated, bringing more flexibility and more fairness to REACT-EU.  The EUR 47.5 billion from the REACT-EU programme will allow for investment in the areas where Member States have higher needs, be it on health, on SMEs, on supporting the most deprived, the self-employed or the freelancers. Parliament managed to secure a higher pre-financing and guaranteed that the Commission quickly checks and approves the programmes so that the money can reach the real economy as fast as possible.  Parliament has also insisted on having projects funded retroactively from 1 February onwards, enabling regions all over Europe to fund their reactions to COVID which they started in spring or summer. It was also important for Parliament to have a stronger focus on border regions, which was made through a link with the Interreg programme, because border regions and their populations were particularly affected when the borders were temporarily closed.  Finally, I want to underline the importance of the strong ties Parliament was able to introduce with the European Social Fund, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived and the Youth Employment Initiative, strengthening the social dimension of REACT—EU, a fight in which the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) were side by side.  The social impact of the crisis must be a priority and the European Union has to do everything to make sure the response to the crisis leaves no one behind. The European Union is a political project aiming at economic and social convergence. We must always keep this in mind or European citizens will be alienated from the future of the Union. Initiatives like REACT-EU, policies like cohesion policy that deliver concrete results, that touch, protect and improve people’s lives, are the ones that do the most to strengthen the sense of belief in the future of the Union.