Next year’s EU budget priorities should continue to be tackling the
migration and refugee crisis while at the same time investing more and better
to accelerate today’s slow economic recovery, MEPs say in a resolution voted on
Wednesday. Parliament highlights the problems of long-term and youth
unemployment and disparities in economic development across the EU. It also
underlines that the refugee crisis will not be a temporary one.
MEPs warn that the EU budget has only a limited capacity to deal with
current crises.
"We are preparing the fourth annual budget within the current EU’s
long-term spending plan, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and it is
clear that this year, again, there will not be enough money to enable the EU to
tackle all the tasks assigned to it by the member states", said rapporteur
Jens Geier (S&D, DE) during the debate. "Now we have a chance to
respond to the new situation and that would be the revision of the MFF, which
should begin at the end of the year. I therefore appeal once again to the
Council: Stop denying reality and make the EU budget crisis-proof!", he
added. Mr Geier’s report was approved by 425 votes to 200, with 78 abstentions.
EU budget no “adjustment variable” but vital to trigger speedier recovery
Economic recovery in the EU is still “below its growth potential”, says the
resolution. MEPs highlight continuing problems, such as high long-term and
youth unemployment, economic disparities between EU regions and countries and
the persistent “gap between the poorest and the richest of Europeans.” Boosting
investment, “including through a better coordinated increase in public and
private investment with a focus on the Europe 2020 targets”, should therefore
be a 2017 budget priority, say MEPs.
MEPs deplore the “duplicitous behaviour” of member states which treat the
EU budget as an “adjustment variable subject to macro-economic conditions”,
rather than acknowledging its strong added value as an investment budget which
can boost growth, competitiveness and job creation in the member states.
Overcoming crises
MEPs note that the EU budget has already provided an immediate response to
the ongoing refugee crisis. But they stress that this crisis is far from over,
and that “substantial additional financial means are required” to tackle it.
They are deeply concerned at the low level of member states’ contributions to
the two existing crisis Trust Funds (Regional Trust Fund for Syria and the
Emergency Trust Fund for Africa) and "that in the refugee crisis
solidarity is being manifested unevenly across the member states."
As for the €3bn Refugee Facility for Turkey, they urge the EU Commission to
disclose how the EU contribution of €1bn should be made available within the EU
budget ceilings for 2016 and 2017, pointing out that the trust funds and the
facility lack “the necessary accountability and democratic process”, as they
are “neither inside nor outside the EU budget.”
Note to editors
The budget guidelines are the first document that Parliament produces
during the annual budget procedure. It sets out the line that Parliament
expects the Commission to take when drawing up its budget proposal. TheMulti-annual Financial Framework ceiling for 2017 is €154.397 billion in commitment appropriations.
Next steps
The guidelines will be discussed at a three-way meeting on 14 March with
the Commission and the Dutch Presidency of the Council. The Commission is
expected to present its EU budget proposal for 2017 in late May. Next year's
budget has to be agreed between the Council and the Parliament by the end of
December this year.
Procedure: Budgetary
procedure
REF. : 20160303IPR16943
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