The proposal made by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, is "very far from what is needed to adequately finance the old and new programmes of the European Union", said the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli (see EUROPE 12426/1) on Monday 17 February.
The European Parliament President notes that the figures presented in this 'negotiating box' do not differ significantly from the proposal made in December 2019 by the Finnish Presidency of the EU Council.
According to the European Parliament President, this proposal "goes in the direction of those who think that Brexit means less Europe and therefore less budget". The proposal on the table "is not a satisfactory basis for reaching a budget that responds to the commitments undertaken at the start of the new mandate. I therefore call on the Heads of State or Government to do their utmost to improve it at the European Council on 20 February, otherwise the Parliament will not be able to accept it", warns Mr Sassoli.
The proposal totally ignores the Parliament’s position, also regrets Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, Belgium), Chair of the Committee on Budgets. In his view, the proposal undermines the credibility of the new political agenda and the EU institutions.
On behalf of the French delegation of the Renew Europe Group in the Parliament, Valérie Hayer believes that the European Council will have to agree on a "more ambitious position, both on expenditure and revenue, to avoid failure in negotiations with the European Parliament". She denounces a €53 billion cut in the CAP budget (-14% compared to the current programming) and a €4.5 billion loss for the European Defence Fund. She welcomes the desired creation of a contribution based on the non-recycling of plastic waste, but the associated correction mechanism is considered "unacceptable". As it stands, the own resources reform proposal is unsatisfactory (see EUROPE 12425/19). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)