The MEPs, who were the first to be presented with the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021-2027, on Wednesday 2 May welcomed European Commission’s determination to provide the EU with new own resources (see other article).
“It is important that the Commission has highlighted the role of own resources. This is an important element for the European Parliament”, said Parliament's President, Antonio Tajani, during a plenary session debate attended by the College of European Commissioners.
In its resolution adopted in March (see EUROPE 11981), Parliament calls for the creation of new resources that will make it possible to reduce the national contributions to the EU budget by the same amount. It refers to the creation of carbon or plastics taxes or diverting some of the income generated by harmonising corporate taxation across the EU.
Referring to the battle for new own resources Parliament has been waging for a decade, the chair of the ALDE group, Belgium’s Guy Verhofstadt, welcomed the proposals, but expressed a wish to go further. He called upon his colleagues to block any agreement of the European Council on the MFF that does not involve “shared responsibility” between the Council and Parliament on the ‘revenue’ plank of the EU budget.
Generally, the Commission’s proposals were well received, with the pro-European political forces talking of an EU budget going in the right direction and seeking an optimum balance between maintaining the traditional policies - agriculture and cohesion - whilst reducing their envelope, and the emphasis laid on the ‘new’ political priorities, such as managing the migration challenge, research, security and defence.
The MEPs who took the floor responded in line with their political affinity and/or geographical origin.
On behalf of the EPP group, Germany’s Manfred Weber welcomed the Commission’s proposal to provide the European border guard and coast guard corps with a 10,000-strong force.
Liadh Ní Riada (GUE/NGL, Ireland) criticised the Commission for attempting to reinforce “Fortress Europe” and investing more in defence (see specific article), even though the EU is constantly calling for peace in the world.
Udo Bullmann (S&D, Germany) asked the “last-chance Commission” if it really believes that its proposal responds to the challenges facing Europe. Why should digital platforms pay no tax when the citizens do, he also asked.
The co-chair of the Greens/EFA group, Germany’s Ska Keller, is pleased that the post-2020 MFF provide more resources to make the Paris Climate Agreement a reality, even though a 25% increase is a “small step”. She also made the case for more development aid. If the EU does not invest 0.7% of GNI on the development aid, it will not be meeting its commitments, she stressed.
The S&D, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups all stressed the importance of channelling more resources into bringing about the European pillar of social rights.
Satisfecit on the rule of law mechanism. The Commission’s proposal to create a mechanism to line up the issuing of European funding with compliance with the rule of law went down well overall, Parliament having called for action in this area without penalising the end beneficiaries of European funding.
Verhofstadt said that if the government of a member state respects the fundamental values of the EU, it will be entitled to financial support from the EU. “European money must be used to lift the EU economy, to lift up citizens. It should not be granted to the family of Mr Orbán”, he said. Keller, who was in favour of the future mechanism, nonetheless warned of a solution that takes citizens hostage due to their governments.
In the opposite corner, Marco Zanni (ENF, Italy) said that in this area, “punishing those who are out of line runs counter to democracy”. Krisztina Morvai (unaffiliated, Hungary) said that the Hungarians would not submit to pressure from Europe. We will continue to resist “mass immigration”, because we have “the truth on our side”, she pledged.
The Eurosceptic and Europhobic political groups also criticised the Commission’s ambition to increase the 2021-2027 MFF despite the prospect of Brexit. You are brave by proposing less (1.14% of gross national income) than what Parliament wants (1.3% of GNI), but it is our responsibility to make more cuts, observed Bernd Kölmel (ECR, Germany). “The Commission is in dreamworld”, proposing to increase the EU budget when Euroscepticism is rife, said Patrick O'Flynn (EFDD, UK), criticising this Europe that wants its army and to impose its currency on others. Zanni said that the proposal on the table shows how cut off the Commission is from the citizens. He said that it is ultimately the citizens who pick up the tab at national level or via the own resources. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)