Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe statement on the future Cohesion Policy post-2013

Responding to the European Commission's conclusions of the fifth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion, the statement by Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe responds to the questions:

• How could the Europe 2020 Strategy and cohesion policy be brought closer together at EU, national and sub-national levels?
• Should the scope of the development and investment partnership contract go beyond cohesion policy and, if so, what should it be?
• How could cohesion policy be made more results-oriented? Which priorities should be obligatory?
• How could conditionalities, incentives and results-based management make cohesion policy more effective?
• How can the partnership principle and involvement of local and regional stakeholders, social partners and civil society be improved?