Written by Tyler Durden
Polish Piotr Serafin will most likely take the position of EU Commissioner for the Budget on 1 December, but the president of the European Commission is already organising his most crucial task: the draft EU budget for the period 2028-34. From the paper that "Rzeczpospolita" reached, it appears that The German Ursula von der Leyen wants to dismantle regional policy across the EU, which will have a profound impact on Poland.
The money that is presently being transferred to and mostly managed by regions (two thirds of the EU Structural Funds) would be transferred to the governments of the associate States. These governments would divide it at their discretion, allowing greater centralisation and control, which would be more appropriate for Brussels, which wants to extend its control through a top-down approach.
Instead of existing 530 programmes (including 398 on cohesion policy) Ursula von der Leyen proposes 27 national operational programmes. Each specified programme will cover all expenditure which has so far been made up of cohesion policy and agricultural policy, including even subsidies for farmers. The programmes will be divided into sectors specified as transport, energy, agriculture or interior affairs and migration – all under the slogan of simplification. The second slogan repeated by von der Leyen is "flexibility". He wants to introduce the rule of "annual review" of the multi-annual budget, which, he claims, will increase flexibility. The money allocated to 1 area could so be shifted to another, if necessary.
Experts who have informally spoken to "Rzeczpospolita" have no uncertainty that this proposal means the abolition of regional policy, which von der Leyen clearly dislikes, i.e. more control over spending funds by agrarian areas, which frequently tend towards a more conservative area.
End of EU regional policy
Why is that dangerous? In specified a scenario, the liberal elite in Brussels could win all time. Firstly, erstwhile central power is of a different political colour than local government, the distribution of EU funds may be part of rewarding its organization allies.
Imagine a situation in which the Polish Law and Justice (PiS) returns to power and does not transfer money to voivodships or cities governed by the PO. However, in specified a script Brussels could turn around and cut backing for Poland if it does not agree with the policy of the Law and Justice. In the event that the left-liberal government does so, it could simply look distant and let funds to proceed to flow.
Von der Leyen besides wants the payment of money to be dependent on reforms at central level, even if regions have nothing to do with the absence of reforms. Finally, the central transfer of competences means that many regions will not have coherent investment programmes.
The EU has been building a convergence-based regional policy for decades, which is to rise the level of improvement of poorer areas. He had developed a methodology, instruments to negociate programmes with governments and regions, and criteria for granting money. The aim of specified a policy was besides to bring the EU closer to its citizens: local authorities were active in writing operational programmes and the effects of EU money were visible on the ground.
Now von der Leyen proposes to throw this policy in the trash and introduce a transaction method: the government is reforming and in return receives money and divides it between sectors.
The Ursula von der Leyen revolution is simply a problem for Poland. Local authorities fear centralization
– We urgently request fresh investments and solutions, i.e. measures available quickly, easy and flexibly at the levels where they occur, i.e. at the level of municipalities and powiats, in a field tailored to their needs," said Hanna Zdanowska, president of Łódź, associate of the European Committee of the Regions, in an interview with "Rzeczpospolita".
"Centralisation or nationalisation of cohesion policy in times of ongoing global political crisis can become a very dangerous trap" - She added.
This improvement may appeal to many EU countries.
– We like – says "Rzeczpospolita" diplomat from 1 of the countries that are the payer of the network. In his opinion, this limits the scope of Seraphina's operation.
"He is very competent, but he will gotta decision within the limits set by von der Leyen" – adds.
Close control of Polish Commissioner Piotr Serafin
The fresh plan of the German president of the European Commission gives direct supervision of the draft budget of the Commission itself and the Secretary-General of the European Commission, who is an authoritative wholly dependent on von der Leyen. In short, the fresh budget proposal would greatly increase its power.
The paper assumes the creation of a steering committee in which 2 persons will be named in addition to Seraphin.
The von der Leyen plan will surely not like respective associate States with a strong regional voice specified as Poland, Germany, Romania or Belgium. It will surely besides be protested by many Euro MPs who can already request candidates for Commissioners in November (including Italy's Raffaele Fitto, liable for cohesion policy) commitments on this issue.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolistic
