“The EU funds can’t be a prisoner of rates of interest by decreasing our programmes,” MP Victor Negrescu stated, as MEPs signaled clear opposition to the proposed cuts, setting the stage for tense negotiations over the EU funds for 2025.
MEPs on Wednesday rejected the EU Council’s proposal to chop 1.52 billion euros from main EU applications such because the Erasmus+ scholar mobility program and the Horizon Europe analysis program and known as for extra funding.
“By slicing the funds, we won’t be able to fulfill residents’ wants,” European Parliament chief Victor Negrescu (S&D/Romania) informed reporters in Strasbourg, including that the EU funds additionally wants some flexibility to finance sudden occasions sooner or later. subsequent years.
The vote in plenary confirmed the place adopted by Parliament for the negotiations on the ultimate 2025 funds, which is able to happen over the following three weeks, with a primary assembly with representatives of the Council and the Commission scheduled for five November.
And the negotiations danger turning into an intense political battle between Parliament and Council over how you can pay rates of interest on post-pandemic restoration funds, which have risen sharply from unique estimates for 2021.
“The EU funds can’t be a prisoner of rates of interest by decreasing our programmes,” argued Negrescu, as Parliament known as for unused funds from the EU’s multiannual funds for use to finance residents’ wants, as an alternative of returning cash to the capitals as typical.
But the Council, which represents member states and favors prudence and monetary self-discipline, is making an attempt to chop some EU applications – which for Negrescu is an “austerity” proposal.
The Council wouldn’t have the ability to settle for all Parliament’s amendments to its place in the event that they had been voted on, Péter Banai, the Hungarian minister in control of funds negotiations, warned MEPs on Tuesday, including that the EU should make a transparent distinction between “extra and fewer essential.”
«Unfortunately I’ve not heard concerning the supply of the extra funding. It is just not the Member States however the European taxpayers who pay the extra price of the extra expenditure. Do we need to elevate taxes? Do we need to enhance the debt of the European Union?” he then requested the plenary.
Parliament and the Commission are nearer on cohesion, agriculture, border safety, humanitarian support and defence, however outgoing Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn additionally acknowledged that Parliament has proposed implementing a lot of programmes.
“Clear prioritization of tabled amendments and concessions from either side will probably be wanted, and discussions ought to concentrate on these applications the place vital changes can happen,” Hahn stated.
With the positions of all three establishments clear, Parliament, Commission and Council could have till 18 November to achieve a well timed settlement which could possibly be given the inexperienced gentle by the tip of the 12 months.
Video editor • Aida Sanchez Alonso
