The EPC held a Policy Dialogue to provide a sneak preview of the likely shape of regional policy in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The Commission is expected to submit its proposal for the next MFF post-2020 by the end of 2017, while the Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament are expected to adopt their opinions on the future of cohesion policy beyond 2020 in May and July 2017 respectively. The Policy Dialogue, supported by Fondazione Cariplo, focused in particular on forthcoming regional policy challenges. Speakers discussed a range of issues including the regional policy budget and how its distribution will be affected by Brexit, as well as by migration and security-related expenditure. The debate also focused on what the main policy priorities should be, and to what extent measures such as simplification, the use of financial instruments and macro-economic conditionality might increase policy effectiveness.

Speakers included: Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive and Chief Economist, European Policy Centre, Marc Lemaître, Director-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission, Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions and Rapporteur on the future of Cohesion Policy beyond 2020, Iskra Mihaylova, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Committee on Regional Development, Andrey Novakov, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur on the right funding mix for Europe's regions, Raffaele Raja, Director of the Lombardy Region Brussels Delegation to the EU