On Thursday 13 January, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets generally welcomed the proposals for new own resources, but several regretted a certain lack of ambition.
The exchange of views between EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn and MEPs on this committee on the issue of own resources came to an abrupt halt. Due to a poor internet connection from Riyadh (capital of Saudi Arabia), where Commissioner Hahn was, the chair of the Committee on Budgets, Johan Van Overtveldt, decided to ask the European Commission to answer MEPs’ questions in writing.
Commissioner Hahn was nevertheless able to present the proposals (see EUROPE 12859/3) and tell MEPs that EU Member States’ reactions to the proposals on the revenue side of the EU budget were “mixed, depending on the interests” of the countries. He also acknowledged the differences between EU countries on the usefulness of the Social Climate Fund financed by the EU budget and also on the proposed new own resources. “Ideally”, the Member States should supplement the EU funds for the social climate fund with national budget allocations, Mr Hahn said.
The own resources decision must be approved unanimously by the EU Council after consulting the European Parliament.
The Parliament’s rapporteur on EU budget revenue, José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portugal), thanked the Commissioner for his commitment to this “very important issue for the future of the EU budget”. He asked about the amounts expected from version 2 of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Mr Fernandes also asked the European Commission to follow the Community method for all funds.
Valérie Hayer (Renew Europe, France), another rapporteur, questioned the projections of €12 billion per year (25% of the ETS going to the EU budget), i.e. €48 billion in total ETS revenue, whereas the European Commission expects to receive €60 billion under the ETS regulation. “It doesn’t reach the €15 billion a year needed to pay back the stimulus package” to the economy, Mrs Hayer also regretted.
Several MEPs have asked the European Commission to submit the idea of a financial transaction tax in 2023 as part of the next proposals on new own resources. Mr Hahn acknowledged that this tax would be part of the next basket of new own resources.
“This is a coherent package”, said Margarida Marques (S&D, Portugal). However, she called for additional revenue to finance the Social Climate Fund.
Rasmus Andresen (Greens/EFA, Germany) said the proposals were “a good starting point”, but he would have liked to see more ambition. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)