EU Funds 28–34: the wealthiest regions challenge the government’s indecision and move to ‘self-management’

The wealthy northern regions are not prepared to lose their influence – as well as their resources – in the management of European Structural Funds for the next programming period, 2028–2034. Consequently, faced with the government’s indecision (or inaction) in preparing for negotiations with the European Commission, they have decided to take matters into their own hands. Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Tuscany have taken the initiative and begun working together to draw up a sort of ‘shadow plan’, whilst awaiting concrete guidance from Rome on the definition of the National and Regional Partnership Plan, which from 2028 will replace the more than 50 current regional plans. Following a technical-level meeting in Venice at the end of July, they met again in Bologna on 28 September, with regional councillors also in attendance, and subsequently held further technical discussions.

Italia is virtually the only Member State that has not yet communicated to the Commission its position on the role it intends to assign to the regions in the next programming period and their level of autonomy in managing resources. All the other countries have taken a stance, from Germany (which has confirmed the central role of the Länder) to France, which – somewhat surprisingly given its long-standing centralist tradition – has announced that the regions will continue to play a leading role in the next programming period. Some (Spain and Greece), on the other hand, have confirmed the current centralised management structure.

There are two aspects of the European Commission’s proposal on the next EU multiannual financial framework (MFF) that are of greatest concern to the developed regions. The first is the absence of a safeguard clause reserving a defined share of resources for the various categories of regions. Such a safeguard does exist, but only for the poorest regions – in Italia, those in the south. This is accompanied by a drastic reduction in the European funds allocated to Member States, to make way for defence spending and the new Competitiveness Fund, which will be managed directly by the Commission, modelled on Horizon: funding for the best proposals, regardless of nationality. All this leads to complete uncertainty regarding the resources available for the next seven years.

The other issue is the centralised governance under the single plan – the PNRR model – which strips the regions of their authority over the management of funds and their dealings with Brussels.

We are therefore working on two fronts. The domestic front aims to anticipate the Government’s decisions on the role of the regions in the forthcoming programming period (Italia is the only Member State that has not yet lifted its reservation on what it intends to do). On the European front, backed by the Alliance for Cohesion – which brings together around 160 regions from all Member States – we are seeking to make our voice heard in the European Parliament, which has very little power over the overall budget proposal but can, on the other hand, exert influence through regulations, sometimes quite significantly.