The Region calls for a Cohesion Policy with genuine regional participation at the European Parliament.
The Region calls for a Cohesion Policy with genuine regional participation at the European Parliament.
Yesterday, the Region of Murcia advocated at the European Parliament for a future Cohesion Policy that maintains a genuine regional dimension and guarantees that regional authorities have decision-making power over the resources allocated to their territories. Marisa López Aragón—Regional Minister for Economy, Finance, Government Spokesperson, European Funds, and Digital Transformation—participated in a Brussels meeting of "EURegions4Cohesion," an alliance of 149 regions from 20 member states working to strengthen the role of regions in the future European budget.
During her address, López Aragón stated that "Cohesion Policy cannot be a policy for the regions without the regions" and argued that the new European model should simplify management and focus more on results, without leading to greater centralization of decision-making. "We want regional chapters with dedicated resources and the real authority to decide on the investments each territory needs. Simplification must mean better management, not distancing decisions from those who know the needs of citizens and businesses firsthand," she asserted.
The event also provided an opportunity to review the implementation of European funds in the Region of Murcia. For the 2021–2027 period, the region has access to over €508 million in European aid—comprising the ERDF and ESF+—with approximately €344 million from the ERDF and over €164 million from the ESF+. Key investment areas include digital transformation and innovation, the green transition, employment, education, and social inclusion policies.
López Aragón highlighted that "implementation is progressing, and we are now entering a phase where we must accelerate further to transform all available resources into concrete projects and results for the Region." The Regional Minister also contextualized the pace of implementation by noting that the start of the current Cohesion policy period coincided with the extraordinary rollout of NextGenerationEU funds—and specifically the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)—whose deadlines compelled regional administrations to focus a significant portion of their management capacity on these resources.
“We have simultaneously handled an extraordinary volume of European funds, and our goal now is to successfully complete the RRF while also accelerating the implementation of the ERDF and ESF+,” she noted. “The experience gained in managing these funds undoubtedly represents a key asset for the programming and management of future Cohesion Policy funds. We are an essential partner in ensuring effective, high-impact European investment,” she added.
Financial Framework
Prior to her appearance at the European Parliament, López Aragón met with María Teresa Fábregas, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force, to discuss the future Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) and the new national and regional plans. She also met with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Maravillas Abadía, Isabel Benjumea, and Pilar del Castillo to convey the Region’s priorities regarding the upcoming European negotiations.
The Regional Minister concluded: “The Region of Murcia is clear about the need to maintain a strong presence in Brussels to defend its interests. We will continue to make the most of current European funds while also advocating for our interests during negotiations on the rules that will determine how those investments are distributed and managed from 2028 onwards.”