On Monday 25 June, the European Commissioner for the Budget, Günther Oettinger, called for the European Council of Thursday 28 and Friday 29 June to make the negotiations on the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) a priority, with a view to reaching agreement ahead of the European elections of May 2019.
On Monday, the European Commission published a note on the draft 2021-2027 MFF, which recalls the procedure and state of discussions on the proposals (see EUROPE 12013).
Thursday's European Council is of particular significance, the Commissioner said, expressing his hope that the EU leaders would give the MFF the priority it needs. The European Parliament is “working on it at full capacity”, he observed, and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU has created working groups to examine the proposals very soon. The Commission will meet the forthcoming Austrian Presidency in the near future, to discuss the priorities for the second half of 2018.
Oettinger stressed that the two major traditional policies, agriculture and cohesion, will represent 60% of the total EU budget, compared to 75% previously, to allow Europe to devote more resources to the major challenges (migration, protecting the borders, defence, etc.).
The Commissioner repeated certain key points of the proposals for the post-2020 MFF: - reinforcing the European border guard and coast guard core; - €13 billion for defence; - a total volume for the EU budget representing 1.14% of EU gross national income (GNI).
Addressing the press, Oettinger said that he hoped that the conclusions of the European Council would feature a clear statement on the MFF. “We do not need detailed discussions, but to make it a priority. I feel that the MFF could be adopted very quickly”, he added.
€6 billion for Africa?
The Commissioner recalled that €6 billion has been earmarked for the Facility for Refugees in Turkey over the period 2015-2020. The financing terms of the second tranche of €3 billion have not been fully agreed upon, but an interim agreement was reached on Friday, for an envelope of €500 million for 2018 expenditure (see EUROPE 12047).
“For Africa, we hope that, as for the agreement with Turkey, there will be financing from the member states and from the EU budget”. We need to find a similar envelope for Africa, Oettinger explained.
The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, spoke of €6 billion over several years to fight the root causes of migration in Africa. “€6 billion seems a lot, but it is by no means unrealistic”, the Commissioner said, answering questions from the press.
Eurozone budget. Oettinger also referred to the Eurozone budget dossier, to “facilitate investments, avoid asymmetric shocks and provide assistance in the event of shocks”.
The Council is not expected to disagree for too long over the Eurozone budget, he said, convinced of the need to “decide quickly on instruments that are vital for all”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)