On Tuesday, 19 November, in Brussels, the Finnish Presidency of the Council indicated that it will present a new version of the ‘negotiating box’, with figures, on the 2021–2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) in the near future (towards the end of November). This document—whose aim is to reach agreement on the MFF—will be presented before the European Council on 12 and 13 December; the body will then hold a debate on this sensitive issue.
Finnish Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen confirmed this piece of news before the General Affairs Council, which did not discuss the MFF this time (see EUROPE 12370/9 and 12364/14).
On Tuesday morning, European ministers and representatives from the European Parliament had a working breakfast to discuss the state of negotiations on the next MFF.
Mrs Tuppurainen indicated that the European Parliament’s position had “not changed”: it advocates a total of 1.3% of the EU’s gross national income and a ‘basket’ of new own resources. “We hope that the European Council will reach agreement on the next MFF as soon as possible”, she emphasised.
European Commissioner for Budget Günther Oettinger specified that the new ‘negotiating box’ will be discussed during the General Affairs Council on 10 December before being submitted to EU leaders. He thought that there was “little chance” that the European Council would reach an agreement on the MFF in its entirety as soon as December “so as to avoid too many delays” in launching the new programmes. He also advised the [European] Council to involve the European Parliament in all negotiations on the 2021–2027 MFF. “This will facilitate an agreement if the European Parliament feels involved in the process”, Mr Oettinger said. The European Parliament must indicate whether or not it approves the MFF.
An agreement on the 2021–2027 MFF will likely be reached during the Croatian Presidency of the Council in the first half of 2020. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)