ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the elements of Cohesion Policy where the Europe 2020 and the territorial cohesion storyline interconnect. It provides a short overview of Cohesion Policy and territorial cohesion. The chapter also explores how this territorial cohesion objective has now been embedded in Cohesion Policy and whether there is still room for improvement in the next period. It observes that both the objective of alignment to the Europe 2020 strategy and the objective of territorial cohesion have clear storylines which the Commission has codified in guidance for its desk officers. The chapter analyses the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) regulations and secondary documentation produced by the Commission, notably guidance documents. The Commission emphasises that Cohesion Policy has been thoroughly reformed in the 2014–20 programming period. The chapter ends with some suggestions for a more effective territorial approach in a post 2020 period of Cohesion Policy.
