Cohesion policy – the driving force in implementing the EU agenda for cities
Parliament sets out its own position on a topic. The resolution is not binding but signals what Parliament wants.
Where it stands: Parliament adopted the text on 20 October 2026. This is its final position on the matter.
- ✓ Referred to committee 12 March 2026
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 1 October 2026
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 8 October 2026
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 20 October 2026
- ✓ Parliament’s position Final
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. The adopted resolution is Parliament’s final position; it is not itself law.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- REGI — Regional Development
- Rapporteur
- Denis NESCI ECR
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Fredis BELERIS PPEMarcos ROS SEMPERE S&DKlara DOSTALOVA PfEDan BARNA RenewMārtiņš STAĶIS Verts/ALEValentina PALMISANO The LeftIrmhild BOSSDORF ESN
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament: The two versions do not differ in substance; the changes concern wording and formatting only. The recital on cities and housing is rephrased, and the decimal separator in the average age figure changes from a point to a comma. The listed items on transport, water, environmental quality, education, healthcare, social care and employment are each reworded without changing what they cover. see the changes →
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The new version replaces the short set of recitals with a much longer one covering cities' diversity, funding gaps, housing costs, demographic imbalances and resilience. It adds that the EU agenda for cities should complement rather than replace cohesion policy's territorial dimension and respect subsidiarity and partnership. The operative part is greatly expanded, adding regular dialogues with cities, a common method for measuring urban pressure, housing and greening measures, a higher minimum share of ERDF resources for urban development and a broader list of recipients. The other changes are formal: the citations and legal basis are updated and reordered. see the changes →
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Plenary stage
- 20 October 2026 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by an overwhelming majorityFor 601 Against 20 Abstained 36
Final vote on the motion for a resolution at 13:28 · 91% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
- 19 October 2026 Debated in plenary
MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.
- 8 October 2026 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 1 October 2026 Committee vote: report adopted
REGI (Regional Development) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 23 July 2026 Amendments tabled in committee (2 batches)
Members of REGI (Regional Development) proposed changes to the draft.
- 23 June 2026 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in REGI (Regional Development). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 12 March 2026 Referred to the REGI (Regional Development) committee
The lead committee prepares Parliament’s report.