Member States' ambassadors to the EU adopted on Wednesday 18 March, without amendments, the measures put forward by the European Commission on changes to the structural and investment funds to deal with Covid-19. However, they expect the Commission to come up with a second package of measures to help the regions affected by the virus.
The Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (see EUROPE 12446/2), which plans to waive the reimbursement of unspent pre-financing for various structural and investment funds this year, in order to more rapidly unblock a sum of 37 billion euros, was adopted without amendments by qualified majority. Many delegations expressed reservations, but insisted on the need to move quickly, although several questioned the European Parliament's ability to proceed quickly to the vote (see other news).
Rowdy meeting of the working group. However, things did not run so smoothly the previous day at the working group dedicated to structural measures. On Tuesday 17 March, several national delegations, namely Spain, the Czech Republic, Romania and France, had expressed their opposition to adoption without amendments because of numerous questions about the implementation of these measures, the flexibilities provided for, the risks of delays in programming and financial cancellation of commitments. The position of the French delegation was due in particular to a lack of time to fully clarify its position with Paris, which had given instructions that seemed to indicate possible amendments.
Finland and Belgium, for their part, are said to have expressed their willingness to abstain, particularly in view of the room for manoeuvre for earmarking pre-financing. In the end, all objections and reservations were withdrawn because of the need to move quickly and in return for a "second package" from the European Commission to clarify certain provisions.
List of requests. The Member States have, moreover, specified their requests for this second package: - less restrictive conditions on thematic concentrations; - more flexibility in the transfer of financial allocations between different categories of regions; - increasing the annual pre-financing rate; - increasing the European co-financing rate to 95% for regions affected by Covid-19.
During the Coreper meeting, the European Commission once again stressed the importance of adopting these measures as soon as possible to deal with the pandemic crisis. There will always be time later to improve the proposal, said the institution, which has also set up a task force to help Member States make the most of the new provisions announced.
EUSF. The measures announced for the EU Solidarity Fund, proposing to extend its scope to health crises, have, we are told, been smoothly adopted.
The ball is in Parliament's court. It now remains for the European Parliament to adopt its position. Yesterday, the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) sent a letter to the President of Parliament to activate an urgency procedure under Rule 163 of the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure (see EUROPE 12448/13). It remains to be seen whether Parliament will be able to hold a plenary session soon in the current context of social distancing due to the coronavirus (see other news). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)