MEPs criticised the European Commission, on Tuesday 8 June, during a plenary debate in Strasbourg, for delaying the process of adopting new own resources for the EU budget.
The Commission was due to present a proposal on the creation of new own resources in June, but will do so on 14 July, announced EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn (see EUROPE 12686/8). The roadmap on new own resources (https://bit.ly/3irNklo ) is included in the Interinstitutional Agreement accompanying the decisions and regulations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027.
Mr Hahn said that the Commission would present a proposal amending the Own Resources Decision to introduce three new ones: - a carbon border adjustment mechanism; - a digital levy; - an own resource based on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Fairness. A small part of the own resource from the ETS will be used for the repayment of the EU Recovery Plan, while the largest part will go to the Member States, he said. “We want this system to apply according to the polluter-pays principle”, the Commissioner added. At the same time, the fairness and political acceptance of such a measure will have to be taken into account. “It must be avoided that the weakest households and the least wealthy Member States bear a disproportionate share of the financial and social impact”.
As for the carbon border adjustment mechanism, the Commission believes that “the risk of carbon leakage” will need to be addressed. The revenue will be collected at Europe’s borders, the Commissioner said.
“Binding agreements must be respected”, said José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portugal). “The introduction of new own resources is not a formality, it is a requirement for the future of the EU”, he added, pointing to the cost of repaying the EU Recovery Plan.
Several MEPs, including Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, Spain) and Valérie Hayer (Renew Europe, France), welcomed the G7 political agreement on taxation of multinationals, “which could bring billions to indebted economies”.
Other MEPs, such as David Cormand (Greens/EFA, France), have called for a financial transaction tax to be introduced.
Dimítrios Papadimoúlis (The Left, Greece) said “we cannot accept that Joe Biden is leading the way, while the Commission is dragging its feet” on corporate taxation.
The new own resources based on the weight of non-recycled plastic packaging waste will be introduced retroactively from 1 January 2021. They are part of the current Own Resources Decision, ratified by all Member States since the end of May. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)