On Tuesday 6 December, Polish Finance Minister Magdalena Rzeczkowska strongly criticised the proposal on new own resources for the EU budget in Brussels.
The Czech Presidency of the EU Council presented a report to the Council of EU Finance Ministers on the state of negotiations on this issue (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, EU Emissions Trading System, and own resources based on the reallocated profits of very large multinational companies). Only Poland spoke in the debate (see EUROPE 13069/8).
Ms Rzeczkowska said that it was difficult to work on the text without having all the elements on the table. “We are waiting for the end of the work on the sectoral elements, and only then can the negotiations on the new own resources progress”, said the Polish minister.
EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that the Commission would present a proposal for a second basket of new own resources in the third quarter of 2023. Unanimity is required in the EU Council for the adoption of decisions on the EU’s own resources.
“The EU Council should combine the work on both baskets to have an overview of the new revenues and a single ratification process” (by national parliaments), advised Magdalena Rzeczkowska.
She explained that “the first basket seems to us to be unbalanced and at odds with Protocol 28 of the Treaty, since it places an undue burden on the poorest Member States”.
The Minister was particularly critical of the new own resource based on the ETS, which was seen as a “threat to the achievement of the EU’s climate objectives”. According to her, these revenues should remain in national budgets and be used in the most effective way to achieve climate goals.
The current proposal is not acceptable and we hope that the second basket will be more balanced and fairer than the first one, concluded Poland.
Administrative expenses. On the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the Budget Commissioner said that having a more centralised system of governance would have an impact on the EU’s expenditure in terms of personnel. However, he highlighted that there is no more room in the ‘administration’ section of the EU budget.
The Commission suggests that revenues from the ETS should be used to finance the budgetary needs arising from the administrative costs of operating the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)