Negotiations between the three European Union institutions aimed at wrapping up a final agreement on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 and the modalities of the Post-Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan continued on Monday 7 September without any significant progress.
Discussions will resume on Friday 11 September (see EUROPE 12547/6) and a final negotiating session is scheduled for 18 September. But others could follow, in order to find an interinstitutional compromise on this package, after the agreement reached on 21 July at the level of the European Council.
On Monday, all subjects were discussed, such as the amounts for the 15 EU flagship programmes (the European Parliament wants to increase their allocations), the EU’s own resources, or the ‘governance’ of the European Recovery Plan (see EUROPE 12553/2). The European Parliament is expecting an ‘offer’ from the EU Council on these issues.
The Parliament is said to have insisted in particular on the consequences of the cuts made by the EU Council in relation to the EU’s flagship programmes.
The European Parliament negotiating team also took stock of the issue on the link between the disbursement of EU funds and respect for the Rule of law. But the EU Council has not yet moved on this issue, as the Member States must first agree among themselves on such a proposal.
On own resources, Parliament representatives are calling for a legally binding timetable for the creation of a basket of new revenue, to be incorporated in an ‘Interinstitutional Agreement’. Nevertheless, the positions of the EU Council and the European Parliament on this subject are not very far apart.
The European Parliament is more precise and ambitious on the timetable and has added an own resource, based on the share of taxable profits allocated to each Member State in accordance with EU rules on the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) (see EUROPE 12551/10). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)