It may be a potentially “more integrated and inclusive” EU that emerges from the 21 July agreement on the post-Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan and the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), according to a note published on Tuesday 28 July by the Jacques Delors Institute (see EUROPE 12536/3).
But this organisation believes that it is up to the European Parliament to improve this agreement.
“The willingness to conclude the agreement unanimously among the EU27 has, however, led to a compromise that has been reached at the cost of several regrettable concessions. The governance of the €750-billion stimulus fund, which was hotly contested during the summit, has found a compromise solution that could complicate its management”, the note says.
It should be recalled that the injection of fresh money via the recovery fund was made possible by making, in return, “deep cuts in the 2021-2027 MFF, reduced to €1.074 trillion”.
The author of this note refers to the wording “subject to interpretation” concerning the condition of respecting the rule of law in order to benefit from European funds.
The European Council does not require unanimity to suspend funds. It has provided, where appropriate, for qualified majority voting by the Member States to trigger this suspension, according to the Institute. The Commission has proposed a qualified majority to prevent this blockage. “This would be more operational to enforce the rule of law”, according to the note. Consult the note (in French): https://bit.ly/3g94MqK (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)