The Juncker Commission's proposals on the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 “remain a very solid basis for an agreement”, but the new initiatives announced by the President-designate of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, “will have to be taken into account in this agreement”, says Johannes Hahn, who is expected to become the next Commissioner for Budget and Administration.
Moreover, it does not exclude the adoption of contingency measures in the event of a delay in the adoption of the next MFF or a delay in the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU.
Johannes Hahn will be auditioned on Thursday 3 October by MEPs from the relevant committees. In his replies to the written questions, the Austrian therefore plans to make adjustments to the proposals on the table for the next MFF in order to take into account the promises made by the President-designate of the Commission. In particular, Mr Hahn believes that it will be necessary to present a proposal for legislation on the Just Transition Fund.
He looks forward to an early agreement between the EU Council and the European Parliament on the 2021-2027 MFF and intends to play a “neutral” role, aimed at facilitating “dialogue and negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council in order to reach an early comprehensive agreement” on the MFF.
He acknowledges that the negotiations will be difficult. “We are confronted with the triple challenge of needing to finance significant new priorities, of sustaining policies expressing European solidarity such as cohesion and agriculture, and of dealing with the financial consequences of Brexit”, reads his answers to the questions.
As for the financial implications of Mrs von der Leyen's political guidelines, “they will be presented once the new College decides about the detailed content of the new initiatives”, explains Mr Hahn.
Mr Hahn also welcomes the fact that Parliament supports some key elements of the Commission's proposals, such as budget flexibility, protection of the budget against deficiencies in the rule of law and reform of financing for the EU budget. He stands ready to discuss the priorities announced by the President-elect, such as the Emissions Trading Scheme, with Parliament. Mr Hahn proposed organising a round table with Parliament on the topic of new revenue for the EU budget.
Emergency measures for the MFF? Although he advocates rapid agreement on the MFF for EU programmes to start on 1 January 2021, the Commissioner-designate does not exclude the need for ‘contingency measures’ in the event of a delay in adopting the MFF or the postponement of Brexit. These emergency measures would be designed to “mitigate the effects on beneficiaries and other entities that could be impacted” by a delay in the adoption of the MFF, concludes Mr Hahn. Link to the answers: https://bit.ly/2nbe4Mz (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)