Please note that this event is in-person only, with the exception of CEPS Members who may request a link to follow virtually.
Since the Commission presented its MFF proposal in July 2025, the idea of National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) has emerged as one of its most debated elements. Under this model, all EU funds currently managed by national and regional authorities would be integrated into a single planning framework. Thematic and territorial earmarking rules that currently shape allocations across objectives and regions would be significantly reduced. Following a logic similar to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the Plans would combine investments and reforms, with EU payments tied to the achievement of pre-agreed milestones and targets rather than the reimbursement of incurred costs.
This proposed structure would mark a major shift in the way the EU delivers its cohesion policy. But to what extent do these changes build on lessons from past and ongoing programming periods? What do evaluations of current cohesion policy tell us about its ability to respond to territorial needs, align with EU priorities and manage administrative complexity?
This event will explore how the proposed approach builds on lessons from the current and previous programming periods, how it incorporates evidence from past evaluations, and how performance monitoring and evaluation would evolve under the new model.
The discussion will benefit from the extensive ex-post and mid-term evaluations conducted by DG REGIO, the most comprehensive body of evidence on cohesion policy to date.
