Can centralisation and inclusiveness go hand in hand in EU Cohesion Policy?

The European Commission is planning a major reform of EU Cohesion Policy by introducing national envelopes – a more centralised, performance-based delivery model inspired by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Funding will be tied to the achievement of pre-agreed milestones, such as structural reforms, requiring increased strategic coordination across all levels of governance.

While this approach seeks to enhance procedural efficiency, it poses a significant risk: the marginalisation of subnational authorities and civil society actors, long-standing partners in Cohesion Policy design and implementation.

The partnership principle has been central to the success of Cohesion Policy. It:

• Ensures locally informed and relevant policymaking.
• Enhances democratic legitimacy and citizen trust.
• Helps prevent misuse of funds and reinforces rule-of-law standards.

Evidence shows that partnership-based, decentralised systems lead to higher fund absorption and more effective policy outcomes.

To uphold partnership in the new delivery model, two key reforms are recommended:
 

1. Establish National Partnership Committees

To promote structured engagement and effective coordination, each member state should establish a National Partnership Committee. These bodies should:

• Bring together all relevant stakeholders.
• Serve as the principal negotiation interface with the European Commission.
• Align national positions internally before EU-level dialogue.

Successful models already exist, including Austria’s ÖROK and Finland’s National Commission for Sustainable Development, offering proven frameworks for multi-level coordination.

2. Strengthen the European Code of Conduct on Partnership

The European Code of Conduct on Partnership should be updated to:

• Clearly articulate the roles, rights, and involvement stages of all stakeholders.
• Limit member state discretion to avoid tokenistic implementation.
• Link compliance with partnership obligations to EU fund disbursement.
• Integrate new coordination structures such as National Partnership Committees.

The reform of Cohesion Policy is both a risk and an opportunity. Without safeguards, vital voices may be excluded. But with the right mechanisms – legally binding stakeholder involvement, clear EU-level standards, and alignment with performance-based funding – partnership can be preserved and even strengthened.

This is a pivotal moment to modernise EU Cohesion Policy while reaffirming its democratic and inclusive foundations.