The S&D Group managed to ensure a majority in today's adoption by the European Parliament's plenary of a report on the EU’s next pluriannual budget after 2027, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). With the input from the Socialists and Democrats in the negotiations with other political groups, the report sends a strong progressive message to the European Commission. The text speaks about what structure and priorities the next MFF should have, and this should serve as a basis for the Commission in the months to come while it is drafting its legislative proposal expected in July this year.
Carla Tavares, co-negotiator of the European Parliament on the next MFF after 2027 in the EP's committee on budgets, said:
“We need a bigger and better next EU pluriannual budget. We have been imposing – on ourselves until now – a glass ceiling of 1% of the EU GNI for the current MFF. It is clear that we have to break this ceiling, which limits European ambition in a turbulent world with so many new economic, social and security challenges.
“It is not only important to fund new priorities, but to fund them without cutting or redirecting means from EU programmes like regional development or the European Social Fund+. This is only possible if we have a genuine system of new EU own resources together with joint borrowing. It is the only way out of the dilemma. We have to maintain social policy investments while increasing spending on defence capabilities.
“The Socialists and Democrats reject ideas on nationalising EU funds for member states. This could mean the European Commission would be setting conditions whereby a particular member state would get money for a certain policy only if their national government makes reforms in another policy area, as requested by the Commission. This is a red line for our Group, and it should not be confused with the conditionality mechanism where rule of law is an absolute prerequisite to accessing EU money.
“With today's vote, the ball is in the Commission’s court. In July, we will see what structure, figures and ideas the Commission has. Still, we want to be clear: we will not vote in favour of a next MFF that does not contribute to people's well-being nor carry out the Green Deal to protect the planet and future generations. We will also not vote in favour of a next MFF that weakens the European cohesion policy, does not protect our farmers, does not solve the problems of millions of European children in poverty through the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and Child Guarantee.
“We call on the European Commission to be bold and ambitious, and we are ready for constructive negotiations both with the other political groups in the European Parliament and the member states in the Council of the EU.”
