Italian regional leaders oppose EU cohesion fund centralization

Italian regional leaders are opposing proposals to centralize the management of European Union cohesion funds. During meetings in Brussels, Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombardy Region, met with Kata Tüttő, President of the Committee of the Regions, to express concerns regarding the potential for a “double centralization” of resources.

Fontana argued that centralizing funds at both the national and EU Commission levels would be “absolutely unacceptable” and contrary to regional interests, potentially hindering the economic productivity and training programs that drive regional growth.

Similarly, Eugenio Giani, President of the Tuscany Region, joined signatories of the document “An Europe of territories, not an Europe of cuts.” Giani warned that a proposed 20-25% reduction in cohesion resources would be detrimental to social welfare services, such as childcare and job reintegration programs. He emphasized that regions are best positioned to manage these funds because they understand local community needs more closely than central state authorities.