The European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, Johannes Hahn, gave assurances on Wednesday 22 January in Brussels that the allocations for the future 'Just Transition Fund' would be in addition to the structural fund appropriations that will be provided for 2021-2027.
In an exchange of views with MEPs on the European Parliament Budgets Committee, Commissioner Hahn said that the envelopes planned for under the ERDF and the European Social Fund plus (ESF+) "will allow Member States to access the Just Transition Fund. This is something in addition to the funding provided for, not the other way round", the Commissioner said, responding in particular to concerns expressed by José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portugal). The 'Just Transition Fund' "cannot be against the cohesion countries", Fernandes warned.
The Commissioner reiterated that the Just Transition Fund will be endowed with €7.5 billion of "new money", (see EUROPE 12403/2). It expects the mobilisation of "€100-120 billion" over seven years through the 'Just Transition Mechanism'. Regarding the 'European Green Deal', in seven years, "we will have to reach 750 billion in investments" on the basis of the current proposals, of which 320 billion will come from the EU budget.
On the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 (see separate news item), Mr Hahn will "play his role of intermediary intensely", he said. Steps need to be taken in the area of own resources, he said, while recalling the need for some cuts in agricultural and cohesion funds to invest in priority areas (European Green Deal, digital, research, migration). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)