The budget cuts for agriculture and the cohesion policy are greater than announced by the European Commission, the rapporteurs of the European Parliament on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2020-2027 warned, in Brussels on Wednesday 23 May. They consider that the extra credits announced for research and education have been artificially inflated (see EUROPE 12014).
The battle of figures between Parliament and the Commission has begun. In Strasbourg next week, the European Parliament will adopt a resolution analysing the Commission's proposals of 2 May on the forthcoming MFF.
Jan Olbrycht (EPP, Poland), the rapporteur on the MFF, stressed that the aim is for a resolution drafted by the EPP and S&D groups, with the involvement of the ALDE and Greens/EFA groups as well if possible, pledging a political response to the proposals of 2 May. The resolution will also include the question of the figures, with Parliament calling for 2018 prices to be used for the calculation.
The resolution will also call upon the Council of the EU to act swiftly, with a view to an agreement ahead of the European elections of May 2019.
The Parliament will defend a post-2020 EU budget corresponding to 1.3% of gross national income (GNI), Olbrycht confirmed.
In October, Parliament will prepare another report on the forthcoming MFF, analysing the sectorial proposals to be unveiled between the end of May and June.
Isabelle Thomas (S&D, France) believes that the Commission has massaged the figures. Further to the Parliament's request, the Commission submitted figures based on current prices (2018) that have not systematically detected all expenditure in favour of the United Kingdom.
“The result of our analysis is very sad”, Thomas said. According to the MEPs, the total amount stands at 1.08% of GNI for 2021-2027 - without the inclusion in the budget of the European Development Fund - therefore less than the figure of 1.13% for the total current 2014-2020 framework.
As regards the cohesion policy, the reduction will be 10% (compared to 7% in the initial figures), including a 45% cut for the cohesion policy.
For agriculture, the reduction will be 15% for the total budget, including a 25% cut for rural development, the MEPs calculate, whilst the Commission was talking of a 5% cut in the total budget for the Common Agriculture Policy. For research, the increase will be 13%, rather than the 50% claimed by the Commission. And the increase for the mobility programme Erasmus + will be 77%, not 100%. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)