Putting the MFF in its place

Why Europe’s budget cannot ignore geography

In the past few months, negotiations have been underway to define the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union for the 2028-2034 programming period. Within this frame, EURASHE and partners are organising a discussion on the capacity of the MFF to address local challenges in the EU, and whether sufficient attention is being paid to the development of place-based policies.

The event is taking place as a side event of the European Week of Regions and Cities, co-organised with Friends of Smart Specialisation (FoSS) and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

Registration opens on 15 September and capacity is limited.

Proposals for the new MFF of the European Union 2028-2034 are substantially different from previous periods. Rather than the traditional Operational Programmes, the Cohesion Policy is set to be structured around National and Regional Partnerships Plans. Centrally managed programmes like Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ will be increasingly harnessed to achieve wider EU policy objectives, and will be joined by a new European Competitiveness Fund with a large budget.

Overall, the MFF is designed to be more agile, capable of responding to rapid economic and technological change, as well as global shocks and uncertainty. However, is it sufficiently responsive to place – the cities and regions where everyday life is impacted by (and shapes) the European economy?

This event will ask three important and interrelated questions:

• What are the benefits to Europe as a whole if EU spending is responsive to differences across Europe’s economic geography?
• What are the dangers of place-blind policies to the cohesion of the Union in an age of increasingly territorial polarisation?
• Which elements of the MFF are most needed to respond to differences between places and ensure cities and regions are harnessed to meet the EU’s objectives?