The debate on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 at the European Parliament’s plenary session included at least one first, on Wednesday 12 November: the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, came to defend the main principles, while highlighting the revisions proposed to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU a few days earlier (see EUROPE 13749/2).
In a rare move, the European Commission bowed to pressure from the European Parliament, which was calling for more guarantees for the Common Agricultural Policy, the Cohesion Funds and fisheries in the MFF’s National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPs), as well as guarantees on the role played by the Regions and the Parliament in setting up these NRPs between the European Commission and each of the EU’s 27 Member States.
“Let’s be clear: cohesion and agriculture remain at the heart of this budget”, Ms von der Leyen reiterated to MEPs on Wednesday 12 November, specifying that “resources for both are preserved”, a minimum of €218 billion for the least developed regions, a minimum of €294 billion for income support for farmers, and a minimum of €2 billion for our fishermen.
In response to Parliament’s demands, the European Commission proposed that the Regions should be involved in the negotiation of plans and in the monitoring of expenditure. The European Parliament would also be given a greater role, according to her, with the introduction of a mechanism for annual dialogue between the Parliament and the EU Council to set priorities. This mechanism was already included in the July proposal.
The amendments proposed by the European Commission to avoid rejection by the European Parliament seem to be having an effect. Neither Manfred Weber (EPP, German) nor Iratxe Garcia Perez (S&D, Spanish), presidents of the two main political groups in the European Parliament, spoke of rejecting the National and Regional Partnership Plans as had been brought up in a letter sent to the European Commission (see EUROPE 13742/1).
While recalling the EPP’s priorities - the role of the regions, defence of agriculture and strengthening the role of the European Parliament - Manfred Weber also “expressly [thanked] the President of the Commission for taking the first steps and responding positively to [the European Parliament’s] underlying questions”, as well as the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, for “strongly defending the role of Parliament”.
Iratxe Garcia Perez stuck to the line chosen by the S&D in recent days, namely that the Commission’s response “still falls short” and that “it is not enough”, but “also” adding, in conclusion, “that social democracy is here to work, to improve and to change”.
The speeches by Valérie Hayer (Renew Europe, French) and Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, German), respectively chair and co-chair of their group, were along these lines. The initial proposal for national and regional plans “was not a good one”, according to the former, “because it left it up to national governments alone to determine what was good for the regions or for our farmers”. Terry Reintke, for her part, openly declared that her group “welcomes the new proposal as a basis for negotiation”.
Co-rapporteur Siegfried Mureșan confirmed that the European Parliament was “satisfied” with the changes proposed by the European Commission at a press conference after the debate in the Chamber. Earlier, the Romanian MEP confirmed to Agence Europe that “legislative work on the basis presented by the Commission will begin this week”. The European Parliament’s draft resolution, which was mentioned several times by the co-rapporteur of the MFF 2028-2034, is no longer relevant.
However, like several of the European Parliament’s political groups, the co-rapporteurs pointed out that this proposal was still imperfect and that negotiations had only just begun. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)