BRATISLAVA, September 19, (WEBNOVINY) — Preparations for the next programming period of the European Union for the years 2014 to 2020 will be the main theme of a meeting of heads of governments of member states of the European Union associated in the informal group Friends of Cohesion and Croatia as an acceding country next month in Slovakia. As the Press Department of the Cabinet Office announced, the meeting will take place on October 5 in Bratislava at the initiative of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and is a follow-up on a previous first meeting in this format, which was held in Bucharest in June of this year. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is also expected in Bratislava.
Cohesion policy aims to reduce disparities between regions of the European Union and support economic growth. Negotiations about the next seven-year EU financial perspective for the years 2014 to 2020 are entering a decisive phase was during the Presidency of Cyprus in the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year. „For most member states, maintaining the cohesion policy is an essential prerequisite for growth and jobs. From this perspective, the meeting in Bratislava is a key event during the crucial phase related to the conclusion of negotiations on the multiannual financial framework to help reduce regional disparities,“ says the Press Department of the Cabinet Office.
The informal group of Friends of Cohesion includes 15 of the 27 European Union members. They are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Croatia should join the European Union, as expected, on July 1, 2013 after ratification of the Accession Treaty by all members of the EU.
According to Prime Minister Robert Fico, the outcome of the meeting of prime ministers of countries of the Friends of Cohesion, should be to create pressure on the European Commission. He believes that overcoming regional disparities is the best tool to promote economic growth. After the initial meeting of the Slovak Government Council for Preparation of the Partnership Agreement of Slovakia and the European Commission for the years 2014 to 2020, held on September 17, Prime Minister Fico said that Slovakia’s main priority in drawing EU funds in the next programming period will be support for economic growth by reducing regional disparities.
The Slovak Prime Minister considers it important to reduce the large gap in support for farmers in Slovakia and the old members of the European Union. Another priority according to him, will be to get more money from the European Union for decommissioning of two nuclear power units at Jaslovske Bohunice.
Based on original assumptions, Slovakia should be allocated from EU funds around EUR 14 billion in the next seven-year programming period. However, because of necessary austerity measures it will likely be less. Still, Prime Minister Fico expects that the amount will be higher than in the current programming period (EUR 11.498 billion).
SITA