On Tuesday 28 March, Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets, in adopting the guidelines for the EU’s 2024 budget, opposed the use of any EU funding for the construction of fences or walls at the Union’s external borders. Furthermore, they expect the European Commission to continue to refuse any such funding, now and in the future.
The opposition to the controversial EU funding of walls stems from an ‘alternative’ compromise amendment, proposed by the Renew Europe, S&D, Greens/EFA and The Left groups, which was adopted by a large majority in the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets.
This amendment aimed to replace and overturn a compromise amendment proposed by the rapporteur on the 2024 budget, Janusz Lewandowski (EPP, Polish), calling for “appropriate EU funds and means to support Member States in reinforcing border protection capabilities and infrastructure, means of surveillance, including aerial surveillance, and equipment”.
MEPs are concerned about the interpretation given by some Member States to the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council of 9 February 2023 on EU external border controls (see EUROPE 13118/1).
“Some Member States, led by Austria, are promoting the idea of funding a wall between Bulgaria and Turkey from the EU budget. For the Committee on Budgets, this is a no”, said Valérie Hayer (Renew Europe, French). She did not hesitate to point the finger at Manfred Weber (EPP, German), President of the EPP group, who apparently wanted “to force his troops to ally themselves with the far right in order to support the idea of closing off the Union”. This is “another demonstration of a political rapprochement between the right and the extreme right that I denounce in the strongest possible terms”, says Ms Hayer.
European Sovereignty Fund. In adopting Mr Lewandowski’s draft report on priorities for the 2024 budget, MEPs note the Commission’s intention to create a European Sovereignty Fund, “which must be based on a thorough needs assessment and in-depth analysis of funding gaps”. They want the new fund to be established “according to the ordinary legislative procedure” and integrated into the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) (“under the related ceiling”).
Energy. The MEPs call for more investment in critical infrastructure, energy storage, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency to reduce dependence on energy and fossil fuels, especially from non-democratic regimes.
They recall the central role of the EU budget in implementing the ‘European Green Deal’ and in achieving the Union’s objective of climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
The consequences of the climate and biodiversity crisis “need to be better reflected in the EU budget for climate, biodiversity, environmental objectives and nature conservation programmes, in particular the LIFE programme”, the draft report says.
Revision of the MFF. Finally, given the effects of the war in Ukraine, the resources available under the relevant heading of the MFF “are not sufficient to achieve the objectives and therefore need to be increased in the [mid-term] review” of the MFF, say the MEPs. The Commission is expected to present proposals on this MFF revision before the summer.
The report by Janusz Lewandowski on the guidelines for the 2024 budget was adopted in the Committee on Budgets with 28 votes in favour, 2 against and 2 abstentions. It will be voted on by the European Parliament during the plenary session from 17 to 20 April in Strasbourg.
The Commission is expected to present the draft EU budget plan for 2024 in June 2023. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)