Preparation of the Cohesion Policy of the EU

In line with the Treaty establishing the European Community, every three years the Commission prepares a report on development trends in the EU's economic and social cohesion, and on the effectiveness of cohesion policy measures.

The Commission's fourth report on cohesion was published on 30 May 2007. Rather than proposing a future cohesion policy, the Commission presented a list of questions to guide the discussion on future developments. The official launch of the discussion took place at the Cohesion Forum, held at the end of September in Brussels.

The report is currently undergoing a public consultation process. The Commission will publish a summary of the public discussion in 2008, followed by an official proposal for the policy content and funding framework of the 2014–2020 term in 2010.

The cohesion report is divided into four chapters, addressing the following issues:

1. Economic, social and territorial situation and trends in Member States and regions of the EU27
2. The impact of cohesion policy
3. National policies and cohesion
4. Community policies and cohesion