MFF: we are ready for negotiations

The European Parliament’s Budgets Committee today voted on the next EU long-term budget. The draft interim Report is on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 and own resources, setting the levels and priorities of the EU budgets for the next seven years.

“Today’s vote clearly shows that the European Parliament is united and ready for the upcoming negotiations. We hope that the MFF is placed at the top of the Council’s political agenda so that a good agreement is reached, ensuring the necessary funding for key EU policies, and timely - before the 2019 European elections - so that all programmes and funds are up and running by January 2021”, stated José Manuel Fernandes, EPP Group Spokesman in the committee.

“Once again we reconfirmed our formal position that the level of the 2021-2027 MFF should represent 1.3% of the EU-27 GNI”, explained Fernandes, underlining that the European Commission proposal, set at 1.11 % of the EU-27 GNI, is too low.

“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”, concluded Fernandes.

The Report will be voted on in the November plenary session in Strasbourg.