Most MEPs at the European Parliament expressed disappointment in Strasbourg on Tuesday 29 May about the 2 May proposals for the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. Parliament will pass a cannon resolution on Wednesday on this subject. It deplores lack of ambition in terms of the total size of appropriations and opposes the 15% and 10% reductions respectively in the appropriations for agriculture and cohesion (see EUROPE 12028).
On behalf of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, Monika Panayotova pointed out that her country was working with the upcoming Austrian and Romanian presidencies on this question. The EU's General Affairs Council will hold a new debate on the next MFF in June. She said a balance needed to be struck between the new priorities and traditional EU policies.
EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger recognised that the 1.3% of EU gross national income (GNI) proposed by Parliament for the full MFF 2021-2027 had no chance of being approved at the Council. He proposed a total of 1.114% of GNI.
He justified the cuts in the budgets for the agricultural and cohesion policies, saying that there was a change of paradigm when a member state leaves the EU and therefore acceptable cuts that do not damage programmes are indispensable. The Commissioner talked of a limited decrease of 3.9% for direct farm aid. In terms of Cohesion Policy, he talked about fairness, explaining that the new member states had made much use of the Cohesion Policy and countries like Slovakia, Poland and the Baltic nations would receive less money after 2020 because they had picked up. Italy, which is struggling, will receive more funding from the Cohesion Policy, on the other hand. The Commissioner also justified the conditions put on the disbursement of EU funds to avoid fraud in the European budget when court independence cannot be guaranteed in a particular country or region.
Jean Arthuis (ALDE, France), chair of Parliament’s budgets committee, said the Commission had proposed a ‘poverty budget.’
MFF rapporteur Jan Olbrycht (EPP, Poland) said that in reality the Commission had proposed a change to the Cohesion Policy.
Maria João Rodrigues (S&D, Portugal) said it was unacceptable to reduce cohesion appropriations. She called for reform of the eurozone to encourage investment; a budget capability able to support economic and social convergence and protect citizens against shocks.
Zbigniew Kuzmiuk (ECR, Poland) criticised the fact that the proposal called for a rise in national contributions.
Gérard Deprez (ALDE, Belgium) recognised that within his group, some support cuts in agriculture and cohesion spending, while others radically oppose them. Jordi Solé (Green/EFA, Spain) criticised the budget for lacking ambition and making cuts in important domains.
Marco Zanni (ENF, Italy) hoped the future Italian government would reject the upcoming MFF, which calls for too much cash from the member states and imposes a European diktat. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)