MEP Barbara Bonte (PfE) has asked the European Commission how it will safeguard the autonomy of regions in federal Member States when implementing the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework through national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs). In a written question submitted on 15 June 2026, Bonte warns that the Commission's proposal to pool cohesion and agricultural funds under NRPPs could undermine constitutional powers of regions in countries like Belgium, where regional governments hold authority over these areas.
Bonte's question targets two concrete safeguards. First, she asks the Commission to specify how it will ensure the NRPP structure respects subsidiarity and proportionality, particularly for federal states where regions have constitutional competence over cohesion and agriculture. She demands formal safeguards for competent regional governments. Second, she asks whether the Commission would approve an NRPP if competent regional governments within a federal Member State formally object to the proposed distribution or governance of the funds.
The question references analyses by the European Parliament that highlight risks to territorial cohesion, multi-level governance, and the role of regions under the proposed framework. Bonte's intervention reflects a concern that the NRPP model could centralise decision-making at the national level, bypassing regional authorities. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal whether it is willing to accommodate regional demands or push for a more centralised implementation of the next MFF. The outcome could affect the balance of power between EU institutions, national governments, and regional authorities in federal states.