On Wednesday 15 April, the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) voted by a comfortable majority (26 in favour, 9 against, 5 abstentions) in favour of a 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of 1.27% of EU GNI, with debt servicing for the post-Covid-19 NextGenerationEU recovery plan not covered by the budget ceilings.
Having stabilised for several days (see EUROPE 13845/3), MEPs’ position on the future financial framework demonstrates that the ‘von der Leyen’ majority in the European Parliament is holding firm on this crucial issue for the future of the EU. All the compromise amendments drafted by the co-rapporteurs, Siegfried Mureşan (EPP, Romanian) and Carla Tavares (S&D, Portuguese), were adopted.
“Through a moderate 10% increase, [compared to the Commission’s initial proposal, ed.] we ensure adequate resources for new priorities such as defence and competitiveness, while fully preserving key policies like agriculture and cohesion”, said Mr Mureşan.
In current prices, the BUDG Committee has increased the initial overall envelope for the MFF from €1816.9 billion to €2014.20 billion, an increase of €197.30 billion. This budget would be allocated as follows: - heading 1 ‘European social model and quality of life’: €997.37 billion (of which 433.01 billion for the CAP, 7.29 billion for fisheries, 306.93 billion for cohesion and 124.19 billion for the European Social Fund); - heading 2 ’Competitiveness, prosperity, security’: €659.70 billion; - heading 3 ’Europe in the world’: €239.26 billion; - heading 4 ’administration’: €117.88 billion (no increase on the initial proposal).
Mr Mureşan stressed that the post-2027 MFF, as envisaged by the parliamentary committee, would be “both sufficient and predictable for beneficiaries”. In particular, MEPs’ position provides for dedicated funds for farmers and the regions, whereas the Commission advocates merging the envelopes allocated to these two traditional EU policies.
Noting that respect for the rule of law must continue to be a prerequisite for access to European funds, MEPs warn against transferring key political decisions to the Commission’s work programmes without Parliament’s involvement. Simplification must not undermine transparency or budgetary and democratic control, they stress.
€60 billion in own resources per year. The BUDG Committee reaffirms the European Parliament’s desire to introduce new resources into the EU budget capable of generating €60 billion in revenue per year, in particular to repay the debt linked to the NextGenerationEU plan.
“Ambition without resources is useless. We need genuine new own resources to finance Europe’s increased responsibilities”, said Carla Tavares (S&D, Portuguese). She also warned against introducing new forms of budgetary conditionality linked to compliance with macroeconomic targets.
Among the ideas for own resources put forward by the BUDG Committee are the introduction of taxes on digital services, online gambling and crypto-assets, as well as an extension of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The European Parliament plenary session vote on the 2028-2034 MFF will take place at the end of April in Strasbourg.
See the compromise amendments adopted: https://aeur.eu/f/lkb (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion with Lionel Changeur)