Setting the Stage: Fitto’s Vision for Cohesive Regions
At the European Week of Regions and Cities on October 15, 2025, Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto outlined his personal mission to make the "right to stay" a tangible reality for European citizens. This right, central to cohesion policy, envisions vibrant, resilient regions where citizens can live, work, and access essential services. Fitto emphasized challenges such as demographic decline, skills shortages, and insufficient access to healthcare, education, and infrastructure, especially in rural and less-developed areas.
Concrete Tools and Policy Orientation
Fitto highlighted existing instruments, specifically the Mid-Term Review of Cohesion Policy and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which now offer Member States more flexibility to address urgent needs including housing, energy transition, water resilience, competitiveness, and defense. He notably committed to developing a new dedicated EU strategy on the right to stay, integrating current work on outermost regions, islands, coastal communities, and Eastern border regions.
Navigating Policy Cleavages and Stakeholder Impact
The proposed strategy points toward strengthening EU cohesion policy powers through place-based, tailor-made interventions that require intensified cooperation across local, regional, national, and EU levels, thus increasing administrative coordination and transparency. Member States gain greater autonomy in fund allocation, though with an emphasis on alignment with EU priorities.
For regional authorities and local governments, increased support may bolster infrastructure and services, but coordination burdens might intensify. Businesses could benefit from enhanced regional attractiveness and workforce stability, though compliance with new frameworks could raise operational costs. EU producers in these regions may experience growth opportunities, while EU consumers may see improved public services and employment prospects. NGOs and civil society stakeholders focusing on demographic and social cohesion issues might find new avenues for engagement and influence.
Overall, Fitto signals a moderate expansion of EU integration in regional development, balancing flexibility for Member States with strategic EU-level coordination to address demographic and development disparities across Europe.