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Local Benefits of Europe Local Benefits of Europe 1 European Green Party Rue Wiertz 31, 1050 Brussels – Belgium [email protected] Funded by the European Parliament. Sole liability remains with the author. Printed in Brussels, Belgium on recycled paper Designed by Mijuro © 2018 DEAR FRIENDS European politics have a signifi cant Evelyne Huytebroeck influence on the lives of people at the (Member of the EGP Committee) local level. In many EU Member States, the local elections are held simulta- neously with the European elections providing a huge opportunity to link the two election campaigns. Against this background, we would like to provide you with some practical background material and answer your questions on how European decisions in various policy areas influence your municipality by means of this booklet ‘Local Benefi ts of Europe’. This booklet is based on a work that was done by the German Greens lead by Anna Cavazzini and Reinhard Bütikofer. The information can also help you prepare for your local election programmes or campaigns. We place particular emphasis on how the people in your community benefi t practically from Europe, ranging from (Secretary General EGP) environmental protection to structural Mar Garcia policy, and what the Greens in Europe have achieved for European communi- ties. If you need more information on a spe- cifi c topic - no problem: in each chapter, you will fi nd a contact person who has contributed to this handbook and can answer your questions. We hope that this handbook will help you to prepare for the upcoming Euro- pean and local elections. Best regards 1. How do cities and municipalities benefi t from Europe? 5 1.1. Cohesion Policy: how and where does Europe support local authorities? 5 1.2. The EU protects consumers and the environment 8 1.3. Promoting European cultural heritage: how and where do regions and municipalities benefi t? 12 1.4. Together for the transport turnaround: how the EU supports sustainable mobility in your cities and municipalities 15 1.5. Air quality 17 1.6. Europe’s potential for agricultural transition 18 1.7. Benefi ts of free movement within the EU 21 1.8. Representation of local political interests at EU level 22 2. Subsidiarity in Europe 26 2.1. Services of general interest: no water liberalisation through the back door 26 2.2. Hygiene regulations 28 2.3. The organisation of public transport should remain a matter for local authorities 29 2.4. Let small banks live 30 2.5. Protecting the Local from European level: strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy 34 1. How do cities and municipalities benefi t from Europe? 1.1. Cohesion Policy: how and where does Europe support local authorities? WHAT IS COHESION POLICY? Cohesion Policy is the EU’s most important investment tool which pro- vides fi nancial support for a large range of issues. The policy is mainly implemented at the regional and local level and is therefore an essen- tial budgetary instrument for regions, cities and municipalities. Almost one third of the entire EU budget goes on Cohesion Policy, EUR around 370 billion. All EU regions have access to Cohesion Policy and must ensure that the money is used in a bottom-up approach and in line with social and environmental requirements. The aim of this policy is to pursue economic, social and territorial cohe- sion within the EU. This is why Cohesion Policy resources focus on supporting disadvantaged regions and municipalities and helping people out of poverty and unemployment. Reducing disparities also means reducing inequalities, which is why we consider Cohesion Policy as an expression of solidarity in the EU. Cohesion Policy has fi ve funding instruments: the so-called European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF): the European Regional Devel- opment Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). With an overall duration of seven years, the next generation of ESIF from 2021 to 2027 is currently being prepared. 5 COMMISSION PROPOSALS FOR COHESION POLICY 2021- 2027 The Commission proposes to maintain the level of funding under Cohesion Policy in absolute terms for the next funding period and to continue supporting all EU regions. Investments should focus on five policy objectives: 1) a smarter Europe through innovation, digitisation, economic change and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); 2) a greener, CO2-free Europe that implements the Paris Con- vention and invests in energy transition, renewable energy and the fight against climate change; 3) a more interconnected Europe with strategic transport and digital networks; 4) a more social Europe that implements the European pillar of social rights and promotes quality jobs, education, skills, social inclu- sion and equal access to health care; 5) bringing Europe closer to its citizens by supporting local development strategies and sustainable urban development across the EU. ERDF and Cohesion Fund resources have to make considerable contri- butions to the target set for at least 30% of EU resources being made available to support climate action. A number of prohibitions help to prevent harmful spending and do not allow EU money to be provided for airports, landfills, fossil fuel infrastructure or waste incinerators. At least 25% of ESF resources must support measures for social inclu- sion and the fight against poverty. We observe an overall focus on sustainable investment underpinned by conditions and mechanisms that will ensure that EU money is spent in the most effective way and is targeted at EU priorities (such as the Paris Agreement, Energy Union, circular economy, Pillar on Social Rights, Digital Union). One major Green success is the complete resurgence of the partner- ship principle in the Commission’s proposal. This principle, which was absent from the drafts of the proposal, stipulates that the partners (regional and local authorities, economic and social partners and civil society) must be actively and closely involved throughout the Cohesion Policy funding cycle, i.e. preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes. In our view, this is extremely important for 6 the success of Cohesion Policy, because only local actors know what is necessary to make projects meaningful, sustainable and socially responsible. We as Greens will work on further strengthening the partnership principle in the coming months. We are also fi ghting for implementing provisions, which establish gender equality, fundamen- tal rights and sustainable development as horizontal principles in all ESI Funds. The distribution of funds among the Member States is also a very inter- esting issue: for the fi rst time, the Commission is proposing to complement the indicator of GDP per capita with the variables of youth unemployment, adaptation to climate change, and reception and integration of refugees. We will fi ght to reduce the contribution to the overall project costs that has to come from national, regional or local budgets in order to guarantee that poorer cities and municipalities can also make use of EU resources in times of tight public budgets and budgetary constraints. Further links: Contact: Brochure on Guide to EU funding: Terry Reintke (MEP, DE) https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/ [email protected] document/your-guide-to-eu-funding/ Monika Vana (MEP, AT) Brochure on Guide to EU funding for [email protected] migration and asylum: https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/ document/the-guide-to-eu-funding-on-mi- gration-and-asylum/ Your region’s managing authority for the funds: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/ atlas/managing-authorities/ ERDF projects: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/ projects/ ESF on the ground: http://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?- catId=45&langId=en 7 1.2. The EU protects consumers and the environment In the EU, we have achieved a lot to protect the environment and strengthen consumers’ rights. There are European initiatives to pre- serve water, to protect nature and to end the littering of our countryside and oceans. The Union also ensures that consumers have adequate information at their disposal to make the right choice in the supermar- ket. However, many initiatives do not go far enough for us Greens, and much remains to be done. FOOD INFORMATION European rules ensure that consumers are better informed about what is present in the food they buy. The information must be clearly visible, legible and easy to understand. Nor should food be advertised as par- ticularly benefi cial to health if this effect cannot be proven. In this way, the EU has put a stop to consumer deception. The Greens also call for clear labelling of the origin of products of animal origin. This means, for example, that biscuits containing eggs from caged chickens must also be recognisable as such. Animal welfare is also improving signifi cantly. The docking of tails or the shortening of teeth in pigs is no longer permitted, and there are new regulations for rearing rabbits and fallow deer. Contact: Michèle Rivasi (MEP, FR) [email protected] Bart Staes (MEP, BE), [email protected] ORGANIC LABELING The Commission’s proposal for an organic regulation has been consid- erably improved by the interventions of the EP and in particular the 8 Greens/EFA Group. These include better regulations on annual organic controls, the production of organic seeds, and the regulations on the presence of unauthorised substances and pesticides and on animal welfare. The new regulation will strengthen organic farming. The scope will be extended and, in future, non-food products such as fur, wool or beeswax may also display the organic seal. Furthermore, the standardi- sation of production norms for foreign goods will ease the competition between EU organic farmers and their competitors outside the Union.
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