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CoR Opinion on RDS 2019

Committee of the Regions Opinion “Recommendations for the successful design of regional development strategies beyond 2020”

This Committee of the Regions’ opinion on the "Recommendations for the successful design of regional development strategies beyond 2020" was adopted in October 2019 having being consulted on publicly over the previous months.  It was developed by the Rapporteur Mr Adam Struzik (PL/EPP), Marshal of Mazovia. Read here.

Of particular note from a rural-urban perspective is the reference to “Territorial cooperation in functional areas” and the paragraph (No.45 in the original text) which “notes that administrative boundaries often do not correspond to economic links throughout a territory. For example, there can be important links between cities and their surrounding commuter areas, between rural and urban areas or between neighbouring regions in different countries;”

With regard to territorial governance the following paragraph (No.46) is also particularly welcome: “stresses that the territorial impact goes beyond local areas and administrative boundaries in almost every issue of development and decisions must be made jointly at various levels. These decisions must be preceded by a joint dialogue from the very beginning when seeking answers to these questions;”, neatly concluding two paragraphs later by recommending “… developing joint strategies for functional areas and adapting relevant strategies and programmes where possible”.

Last updated: 9 September, 2020