Translation of "Economic and social cohesion " (English → French) :

– having regard to the Commission’s third progress report on economic and social cohesion, issued on 18 February 2004 (COM(2004)0107; its resolution on the Commission’s third report on economic and social cohesion; and the opinion delivered by the Committee of the Regions on 16 July 2004 on the third report on economic and social cohesion (CR/2004/120) and the opinion delivered by the European Economic and Social Committee on 30 June 2004 on the Commission’s third report on economic and social cohesion (CES/2004/962); having regard also to the first contribution from the outermost regions on the future of economic and social cohesion, ...[+++] delivered to the Commission in February 2002,

– having regard to the Commission Communication of 18 February 2004 entitled 'Third progress report on economic and social cohesion' (COM(2004)0107); its resolution of 22 April 2004 on the third report on economic and social cohesion ; and the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 16 June 2004 on the third report on economic and social cohesion and the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 30 June 2004 on the third report on economic and social cohesion ,

Welcomes the Commission's second report on economic and social cohesion, and considers it to be a useful and necessary basis for embarking on a broader debate on post-2006 cohesion policy; regrets, however, that insufficient attention is being paid to the challenge posed by the forthcoming enlargement of the Union, particularly the impact that this challenge will have on the Union as a globally competitive and cohesive community; calls on the Commission, therefore, to continue analysing both the economic and social consequences of enlargement and the social solidarity necessary to meet this challenge; and looks forward to receiving th ...[+++]e results of the evaluations of the 1994-1999 programmes and mid-term evaluations for the 2000-2006 programmes as key factors in determining the achievements in cohesion policies and for future priorities; asks the Commission in particular to address the disparities in progress where some regions continue to lag behind and some regions have achieved rapid improvements;

Published in January 2001, the second report on economic and social cohesion pursues two objectives: to analyse the development of economic and social cohesion in a European Union with 27 members and open the debate on the future of Community cohesion policy.

30. Welcomes the Commission’s second report on economic and social cohesion, and considers it to be a useful and necessary basis for embarking on a broader debate on post-2006 cohesion policy; regrets, however, that sufficient attention is not being paid to the challenge posed by the forthcoming enlargement of the Union, particularly the impact that this challenge will have on the Union as a globally competitive and cohesive community; calls on the Commission, therefore, to continue analysing both the economic and social consequences of enlargement and the social solidarity necessary to meet this challenge; and looks forward to receiv ...[+++]ing the results of the evaluations of the 1994-1999 programmes and mid-term evaluations for the 2000-2006 programmes as key factors in determining the achievements in cohesion policies and for future priorities; asks the Commission in particular to address the disparities in progress where some regions continue to lag behind and some regions have achieved rapid improvements;

[43] See the position of UNICE on the Commission's Second Report on the state of economic and social cohesion in the European Union, November 2001: "UNICE reiterates its firm support for pursuit of an EU economic and social cohesion policy.The purpose of European (and indeed national) aid is to allow regions and/or countries with a development lag to improve their competitiveness. Thus, such aid must be maintained over a sufficient period.Conditions which guarantee fair competition must be strengthened, in particular through ongoing and active reduction of state aid".