Brussels, 05/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - Commission proposals on the next financial framework (2014-2020) were relatively warmly welcomed by the main political groups in the European Parliament (EP) in press conferences on Tuesday morning 5 July. A plenary session debate was held in the afternoon which we will report in our newsletter dated Thursday 7 July.
Martin Schulz (S&D, Germany) welcomed the importance accorded to ITER, Galileo and the extension of the external service in the proposed financial framework 2012-2020. “We will have to see how far the Commission is prepared to go in defending its proposals.” “Cameron wants a Europe reduced to an internal market with a budget cut as far as possible. That is not the Europe we want.”
Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, Germany) is not happy with medium-term EU planning that puts a freeze on expenditure. She argues that there will not be enough money to meet the financial needs of the 2020 strategy. “At his re-election, we called on Barroso to bring forward a different multiannual financial framework, based mainly on own resources. Barroso has kept his promise”, said Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium). Under the proposal on the table, 60% of revenue will come from own resources (customs duties, import tax on agricultural products, 1% of VAT and the financial transactions tax). The European Commission is now in favour of an inter-parliamentary conference with national parliaments on future funding of the EU. The Polish Presidency of the EU Council also supports this idea. (E.H./L.C./transl.rt)