European Commissioner for regional policy Michel Barnier presented the second intermediate report on economic and social cohesion in Brussels on 3 February. The document approved by the Executive tackles three fundamental questions: the analysis of the situation of the European regions and the trends of economic and social cohesion in the 15 member EU and in the 25 member EU; the debate on the future of the policy of cohesion; and the preparation of enlargement up till the end of 2006 (deadline of the current period of programming and expenditure of the Structural Funds). The data furnished by Commissioner Barnier clearly show the difficulties that the new members are causing to the stability of EU cohesion policy (see further the editorial on page 1). In particular, “an unprecedented growth of economic disparities within the Union” is being registered (116 million European citizens of the enlarged Union will live with per capita income 75% lower that the Community average, while the income gap between the 10% of the population who live in the richest regions and the 10% who live in the more disadvantaged regions of all the new member states, with the exception of Cyprus, is simultaneously set to double). In the second place, the future map of Europe will present “a geographic shift of the model of disparity”, in the sense that poverty, or backwardness in development, will be irremediably concentrated in Eastern Europe. Thirdly, the new configuration of the EU will represent “a situation less favourable for employment”, to the extent that as Barnier’s Report admits to align the employment average of the new member states with that of the rest of Europe “the creation of three million new jobs will be needed”. Michel Barnier declared that one of the internal priorities of the European institutions this year will consist in tackling the question of the future of EU regional policy after 2007. The third report on economic and social cohesion is expected by the end of the year. The Forum on Cohesion will then take place in 2004, in the course of which the Commission could present proposals for new policies, new financial provisions and new programmes for the period 2007-2013.
