As the negotiations on the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework enter a decisive year, with an agreement expected to be reached, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) organised an event at the European Parliament, on Wednesday 14 January, dedicated to the future of the European Union’s finances. The aim was to look at the direction of the European Union’s finances at a time when new political priorities, recourse to common debt and the debate on own resources are accumulating.
As mentioned at the outset, the preparation of the next MFF comes at a time when the institutions are called upon to simultaneously finance competitiveness, security, the energy transition and support for Ukraine.
The group’s Co-Chair, Italian Nicola Procaccini, pointed to a worrying trend towards what he saw as a disproportionate increase in the European budget.
According to the Conservative MEP, the European Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE 13682/1) for a Multiannual Financial Framework of €2,000 billion reflects a political ambition to transform the EU into a quasi-federal state, a prospect his group opposes.
He spoke in favour of a “minimal” budget, providing for a limited number of essential tasks, and was reticent about the idea of new own resources akin to European taxes, particularly on businesses.
The debate also focused on the sustainability of European debt.
Bogdan Rzońca (ECR, Polish), a member of the Committee on Budgets (BUDG), recalled the scale of existing financial commitments. He also mentioned the debt contracted as part of the recovery plan, defence instruments and support for Ukraine.
The EU is, as he explained, in an uncomfortable financial situation, which would require a transparent discussion on the repayment of this debt and the impact of future budgetary decisions on Member States and citizens.
In a video message, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, defended the proposal put forward last July for a more flexible and simplified budget, capable of adapting to unforeseen crises and taking account of territorial realities.
According to Raffaele Fitto, this should enable the next MFF to combine efficiency, responsiveness and respect for the EU’s fundamental priorities. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)