Mr. David Healy:

This proposal for the MFF is the biggest challenge we face. As regional assemblies, we are working together on it. We are also part of the regions for cohesion initiative, which involves 140 regions across the EU campaigning on the issue, and the Cohesion Alliance, an initiative of the Committee of the Regions. This week is regions week in Brussels. The Committee of the Regions is today calling the representatives of all of these regions onto the street outside the European Commission. This is our shared message but it is also shared across the regions of Europe. It is an existential threat to regional development and cohesion funding. That has to be our priority. The idea of a plan B for coping with the current proposal if it goes ahead has not been on our agendas because it is a very serious prospect.