Opinion on Guidelines for the 2027 budget – Section III 2027

17.02.2026

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on Guidelines for the 2027 budget – Section III 2027 (2025/2246(BUI))

Dear Mr Van Overtveldt,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Regional Development has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee and at the coordinators’ meeting of 15 December 2025, it was decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter. The committee considered and adopted the opinion at its meeting of 28 January 2026.

A. whereas the Union continues to face persistent socio-economic and territorial challenges, including unemployment, poverty, demographic change, brain drain and migration influx which impact the regions differently;

B. whereas the cohesion policy is a key instrument for reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions within the Union, complementing national budgets and enabling the EU to navigate global complexities;

C. whereas cohesion policy and related Union programmes remain the Union’s main long-term investment tools to support balanced regional development, economic resilience, and territorial cohesion;

D. whereas the 2027 budget should support the digital transitions, foster regional innovation and research and strengthen resilience;

E. whereas the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions, including those of the external borders of the Union, with particular attention to rural and peripheral areas;

F. whereas respect for transparency should be a condition for receiving Union funding and must underpin all funding allocations and programme implementation;

The Committee on Regional Development

1. Calls for increased efforts to ensure the effective and swift implementation of the cohesion policy and related instruments to continue reducing regional disparities, strengthening local economies, and fostering territorial resilience, particularly for peripheral or outermost regions; warns, in this respect, that any cuts to technical assistance would be counterproductive, especially as the end of the programming period approaches; stresses that reducing administrative burdens is essential to ensure efficient implementation and avoid delays at the end of the programming period;

2. Calls for the simplification process initiated by the Commission to be stepped up so that cohesion policy is not hampered by crippling administrative complexity; emphasises the need to further reduce administrative and bureaucratic burdens, in particular through simplification of procedures and increased implementation flexibility; stresses that excessive bureaucracy delays project implementation, limits access to funding and places a disproportionate burden on local and regional authorities and beneficiaries, especially in less developed and border regions as well as for micro- and small-enterprises and family businesses;

3. Stresses that the Union’s 2027 budget must be adequate to the scale of current geopolitical and security challenges and the growing use of hybrid threats targeting critical infrastructure; draws attention to the particular situation of the EU Eastern border regions, which bear a disproportionate economic, social and security burden linked to the current geopolitical context;

4. Underlines the need for investments in regional infrastructure, sustainable urban and rural development, transport, digital connectivity, and energy efficiency to support balanced development across cities, towns, and rural areas, as well as to strengthen resilience to external threats, ensuring that no territory is left behind, particularly in regions facing demographic decline or rising living costs;

5. Stresses that funding should enhance regional research and innovation capacities and support integrated strategies for economic, social, and environmental resilience, with special attention being paid to SMEs;

6. Calls for targeted investment in transport infrastructure and cross-regional transport networks to enhance EU connectivity, support sustainable mobility, and strengthen territorial cohesion as well as land and maritime border protection; highlights that such investments should also contribute to strengthening strategic infrastructure, improving resilience and supporting effective border management, in particular in frontline Member States;

7. Calls on the Commission to step up its support for national, regional and local authorities so that they make the most of the opportunities offered by the mid-term review in the areas above;

8. Emphasises the lack of policy responses to the impact of the demographic challenges resulting from population ageing due to declining fertility rates and extended life expectancies, as well as the depopulation of EU regions affected by crises; underscores the importance of funding for adequate building of care and support services; underlines that demographic decline requires comprehensive strategies to support families, strengthen childcare and healthcare services, create high-quality jobs and ensure access to essential services, so that regions affected by depopulation remain attractive places to live and work, particularly for young people;

9. Calls for investments that simultaneously strengthen regional development, connectivity and economic resilience while contributing to security, crisis preparedness and the protection of critical infrastructure, with special attention to the Eastern border; stresses the importance of building on the positive experience of the mid-term review;

10. Recalls that transparency and accountability should be one of the fundamental principles for the allocation of Union funds; underlines that those mechanisms must continue to safeguard openness, fairness, and sound financial management, in particular in the last years of the programming period, as the volume of payments and the pressure on managing authorities increases;

11. Stresses the importance of cooperation with Union agencies, local and regional authorities, and stakeholders to implement cohesion policy programmes effectively and to maximise the transparency as well as the impact of Union funding for social, economic, and territorial cohesion.

Yours sincerely,

Dragoş BENEA

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion, Irmhild Boßdorf, declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

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