SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNT Why we need a Carpathian macro-regional strategy - By Mr Władysław Ortyl (Marshal of Podkarpackie Region, Poland) Mr Władysław Ortyl (Marshal of the Podkarpackie Region in Poland) called for the creation of an EU macroregional strategy for the Carpathian Region. Such strategies, launched by the Council, are an important tool to help address common regional challenges faced by EU Member States and third countries. The Carpathian region faces many common challenges, which undermine the region’s economic, social and territorial cohesion. An EU strategy targeting these regions is the appropriate way to help strengthen cooperation and find ways to increase the impact of EU policies and financial instruments. the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion”.
Władysław Ortyl
A macro-regional strategy is a key EU instrument to bridging the divide between our poorest and our richest regions. It has the potential to make significant contributions to helping the EU achieve greater territorial cohesion. In Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, we state that in order to promote overall “harmonious development, the Union shall develop and pursue its actions leading to
Almost a third of the EU budget is put into the EUs Cohesion Policy for the years 2014 till 2020 in order to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development, and improve citizens’ quality of life. Yet, disparities within the regional economies in the EU persist. One in four EU residents live in regions with a GDP per head, in purchasing powers of the Euro, below 75% of the EU average. There is also a particularly large gap between most of the EU15 Member States and the EU Member States located in the Carpathian region that entered the EU in 2004 and 2007 waves of EU enlargement. Macro-regional strategies help target and resolve issues in a relatively small group of countries and regions and therefore contribute to achieving greater overall cohesion. So far the EU has launched three strategies: the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region. Also, an EU Strategy for the Alpine Region is in the process of being prepared. The Carpathian region, a mountainous area covering 190 000 square kilometres, continues to face economic, social and territorial challenges. It is one of the least developed parts of Europe, especially in terms of infrastructure and environmental problems. It covers a territory spanning across five EU Member States (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) and two non-EU countries (Serbia and Ukraine). The establishment
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of a solid cooperation framework is a key objective for some of the already existing regional initiatives such as the Carpathian Convention and the Carpathian Euroregion. Efforts to promote greater cooperation and cohesion have already been made through joint projects of local and regional authorities, non-governmental organisations, businesses and academia. These ongoing projects, as well as the enduring common challenges faced in the region, are clear indications of the need and demand for greater EU attention to be paid to the Carpathian. At the EU level, Members of the European Parliament have also underlined the need for a Carpathian macro-regional strategy. Tomasz Poręba MEP (ECR/PL) organised two conferences in the European Parliament, attended by representatives of the European Commission, Committee of the Regions and Presidency of the Council of the EU, addressing this important subject. Among the conclusions of the events was the clear need for a separate strategy for the Carpathian. I believe that the Committee of the Regions, as the political assembly of local and regional authorities, should play a role in the elaboration of such strategies. As a member of the Committee of the Regions, I look forward to discussing macro-regional strategies with my fellow local and regional politicians. The position of the Carpathian region demands more recognition within the European Union institutional set-up and this is something we must strive towards achieving.