On Monday 13 July, MEPs on the European Parliament Committee on Budgets gave a more than lukewarm reception to European Council President Charles Michel’s draft on the Economic Recovery Plan and the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 12525/1).
The debate in the Committee on Budgets on Charles Michel’s negotiating box confirmed the fears expressed last week by MEPs about a MFF deemed far too insufficient (see EUROPE 12523/12).
Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, Belgium), Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets, said the “positive elements” regarding the size and structure of the EU Recovery Plan “do not compensate for the negative proposals for the MFF and own resources”.
Key EU programmes face further cuts, such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Digital Europe and Migration, added the Budgets Committee Chair.
However, the EU’s long-term goals did not disappear with the Covid-19 crisis, Mr Van Overtveldt hammered home. “These programmes must not be sacrificed on the altar of short-term recovery”.
European Parliament against maintaining rebates. The modernisation of the ‘revenue’ side of the EU budget “does not meet the expectations of the European Parliament either”, according to the Chair of the Committee. The Parliament criticised the continuation of the “outdated system of rebates” and the postponement of concrete decisions in favour of a “modern basket of resources”, stressed Johan Van Overtveldt.
Jan Olbrycht (EPP, Poland), rapporteur on MFF 2021-2027, also noted, in Mr Michel’s draft proposal, the EU Council’s intention to strengthen its role in the procedures surrounding the Recovery Plan. He also noted that the Commission had proposed a four-year duration for the Recovery Plan, compared to three years in the ‘negotiating box’ to be discussed by EU leaders on 17-18 July. “This will mean a significant drop for the MFF’s four years”, he criticised.
Maria Margarida Ferreira Marques (S&D, Portugal), another rapporteur on the MFF, regretted the lack of a mid-term review of the MFF in Mr Michel’s draft report.
A shortened InvestEU programme. José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portugal), who is also rapporteur on the dossier, criticised, as did the others, aspects of the draft report that result in a loss of the powers acquired by the Parliament, which “wants to be involved in the Recovery Plan”, he warned. He regretted in particular that the InvestEU programme was ending earlier (it stops at the end of 2023 in Mr Michel’s proposal, instead of continuing until 2027).
European Parliament draft report on own resources. Valérie Hayer (Renew Europe, France) considered Mr Michel’s draft report on own resources “insufficient”, as it only provides for the introduction of a ‘plastic tax’ in 2021. She presented, together with Mr Fernandes, a draft report on own resources (https://bit.ly/2ZoXfhG ). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)