Cohesion Funds 2021-2027 reprogrammed for 34 billion euro: competitiveness, defence, housing the priorities
These reallocated funds represent almost 10 % of the cohesion policy budget for 2021-2027
From our correspondent Beda Romano
BRUSSELS - Encouraged by the European Commission, the Twenty-Seven have reprogrammed cohesion funds covering the 2021-2027 period for a total of EUR 34 billion, shifting the money to particularly urgent priorities, namely strengthening competitiveness, reinforcing defence and civil protection, promoting accessible and sustainable housing, improving water resilience and enhancing energy connectivity.
Cohesion policy provides member states with flexibility in the use of money. Here, the European Commission in April 2025 had encouraged national governments to reprogramme funds in a very uncertain economic and political context. On this occasion, Brussels had simplified the rules, offered incentives and lengthened the deadlines in the use of the money.Italy reprogrammed funds amounting to EUR 7.058 billion, of which EUR 4.665 billion went towards economic competitiveness.
Since the adoption of the proposal by Parliament and the Council in September 2025, the Commission has approved changes to 186 national and regional cohesion programmes in 25 Member States, aligning national, regional and local investments with EU priorities. These reallocated funds represent almost 10 % of the EUR 367 billion cohesion policy budget for the 2021-2027 period covered by the mid-term review.
