Open Days 2014 will be held under the slogan 'Growing together – Smart investment for people'. Indeed, smart targeted investments will allow European regions to better face the challenges and empower them to make a real contribution to the Europe 2020 goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
This year's gathering – the biggest one in the world for regional and urban policy, will be an opportunity to look at how our far-reaching reform of the policy and its new instruments will work in practice. These instruments are aimed at strengthening and focusing investments in growth, competitiveness and jobs in the regions. Such investments are at the core of the partnership agreements with member states for 2014-2020. With the approval and implementation of these and the related operational programmes we are further paving the way towards the EU's growth objectives.
"To achieve ambitious results in growth and prosperity it's crucial to ensure that funds are invested in the most efficient way in order to optimise the return"
Encouraging signals are emerging. What we see first and foremost – and I like to think as a legacy of my time as commissioner for this policy – is a clear shift from investment in infrastructure towards stimulation of the 'real' economy. This means support for SMEs, R&D and innovation, labour market measures, education, the fight against poverty and of course support for the low carbon economy.
For the new programming period around €125bn is allocated to research and development, innovation, ICT, SMEs and the low-carbon economy. This represents an increase of almost 22 per cent compared to 2007-2013. Meanwhile, 2014- 2020 sees almost €60bn allocated to transport and other major infrastructure, which represents a decrease of 21 per cent compared to 2007-2013. SME support is the main focus in terms of European regional development fund allocation for the EU-28, particularly in member states like Italy, UK, Belgium, Portugal and Croatia.
On energy security and the low-carbon economy, we can point to a significant rise in support from EU regional and urban policy. The focus and the mandatory targets set by the European commission, and it must be said negotiated upwards by the European parliament, in this field have led to a massive increase for this type of expenditure which is more than double that of 2007-13. For the next decade, more than €38bn will support the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient economy, contributing to energy security across Europe, as well as helping the continent to meet its climate goals. Clear economic benefits also come from the emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
"The building of modern and transparent administrations is vital"
To achieve ambitious results in growth and prosperity though, it's crucial to ensure that funds are invested in the most efficient way in order to optimise the return. Therefore, the reformed cohesion policy underscores the need for good governance. We are fully aware that lasting regional growth cannot be achieved without an efficient public administration. The building of modern and transparent administrations is vital in this sense. For this reason, we will continue to invest to equip local and regional authorities with the right tools to maximise the impact of investments. In 2014-2020 more than €4bn will be invested in enhancing the institutional capacity of public authorities and in the efficiency of public administrations and services (good governance). This represents an increase of 72 per cent compared to the last period. I think we can be proud of these achievements, but it is too early to rest on our laurels.
It is the regional policy practitioners on the ground, in the member states and the regions to make these ambitious goals a reality in the implementation of the reformed policy. All of this will be under discussion at Open Days.
I invite all regions and cities to make the most of this gathering and together build the path towards a common future of growth of jobs for future generations.