EU funds' allocation should consider also environmental and social indicators not just GDP, COTER members say

EU local leaders increasingly believe that gross domestic product (GDP) cannot be the only criterion used in order to allocate EU funding aimed at boosting sustainable growth and inclusion. In a draft opinion adopted by the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) on 11 December, they asked the EU's institutions to consider all aspects relevant to quality of life to be considered when deciding on the allocation of funds and on the eligibility of projects.

Environment, social inclusion, works and education opportunities, should complement GDP as the main indicators used to determine the strategic priorities of the investment plans that are supported by EU regional policy. The draft opinion also argues that regions and cities should be involved in defining such indicators as well as in setting the EU's policy targets, so that policies are consistent and relevant .

"This opinion intends to be one of the cornerstones of the CoR's work on shaping Cohesion Policy after 2020," said rapporteur Catiuscia Marini, chair of the CoR's PES group and president of the Umbria Region in Italy. She stressed: "There needs to be a thorough debate at the political level about including clear and regionalised indicators to complement GDP . This is indeed a political choice, with implications that cannot be dealt with at the technical level."

COTER members are concerned that data at a regional level are not always available and updated. They therefore call in the draft opinion on the EU to fill this statistical gap. At their meeting on 11 December, which involved representatives of Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), local leaders stressed that, because of statistical gaps, only a limited number of the indicators that measure the implementation of the Europe's growth strategy, Europe 2020, by European regions could actually be compiled at the regional level. To fill the current information gaps, the Committee therefore proposes the introduction of a synthetic Regional Progress Indicator.

COTER members requested the European Commission to set out a timeline to engage the local and regional authorities in identifying regional indicators and regional statistics that are needed to design, implement, monitor and evaluate the renewed Europe 2020 strategy.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for a first exchange of views on the draft opinion on "Concrete steps for implementing the EU Urban Agenda", which is being prepared by Hella Dunger-Löper (DE/PES).