MFF: what does the Council want?

“The European Parliament has a very clear position regarding the next EU long-term budget, but we still do not know what the Member States want. So far, the Council has been big on statements but scarce in taking action”, stated José Manuel Fernandes MEP, EPP Group Spokesman in the Budgets Committee, adding: “I urge the Council to adopt its position so that we can start negotiations as soon as possible, allowing a deal to be reached before the 2019 European elections. Delaying the deal affects all citizens and all Member States that benefit from it. How can we start negotiating if they have no position on the next EU long-term budget?”.

The European Parliament today adopted a Report that outlines our mandate for the upcoming 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations. It builds on previous MFF Resolutions (March and May 2018) and responds to the European Commission’s MFF proposals of 2 May.

“The MFF is an instrument of cohesion and solidarity which is essential for the EU to meet the challenges of migration, climate change, globalisation and competitiveness. We want to increase the budget for research and innovation, increase the level of funding for transport infrastructure programmes, double the funding for SMEs, triple the current budget for the Erasmus+ Programme and maintain the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy. The next EU long-term budget must guarantee the Union’s ability and responsibility to meet our citizens’ needs”, explained Fernandes. The Report adopted today also includes a table with figures for each EU policy and programme for the period 2021-2027 which will be part of Parliament’s position for the legislative negotiations leading to the adoption of those programmes.

“The Council said that the MFF is not just numbers, and I completely agree, but why does it only care about the 1% Gross National Income (GNI) ceiling?”, asked Fernandes, concluding that the Council is applying the wrong methodology: “The Council is too focused on the 1% and is using the subtraction method. It fixes the EU-27 GNI contribution at 1% and then distributes. Our methodology, the addition method, is better: we have come up with the figures the EU needs to deliver on its political commitments and to respond to important challenges ahead, which, at the end of the day, represents 1.3% of the EU-27 GNI.