Nicosia, Cyprus. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said regions must be treated as strategic partners with a voice in the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). He made the comments after meeting Filip Reinhag, President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), ahead of the organisation’s gathering in the capital.
Call for regional role in EU priorities and funding
Ioannou said the future of Europe lies not only in capital cities and institutions but also within the regions, adding that the voice of regions is essential for European cohesion, competitiveness and Europe’s future. He said regions should be considered strategic partners and have a voice in the new MFF.
CPMR links Cypriot EU Presidency ambitions with regional priorities
Reinhag said the very high ambitions of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU align with CPMR priorities to bring regions more to the centre of the policy debate. He said everyone lives in a region and that regions can deliver prosperity, security and connectivity to citizens.
Meeting agenda includes connectivity and transport resilience
The CPMR meeting in Nicosia focused on connectivity, competitiveness and the resilience of the European transport network. It also examined how the next MFF can deliver more for regions and discussed strategies for island and coastal communities.
Warning against policies without a territorial lens
Addressing the CPMR’s political bureau meeting, Ioannou said the EU is entering a decisive phase of reflection and negotiation on future priorities and its financial architecture, particularly the next MFF. He said upcoming discussions will shape the Union’s capacity to deliver on competitiveness, climate neutrality, digital transformation, security and social cohesion, and stressed that regions must be recognised as strategic partners. He said policies developed without a territorial lens risk deepening disparities, and investments that overlook regional specificities may fall short of their intended impact.
How should regions be involved in shaping the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework?
