About: Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF)
Summit concludes with no progress on EU’s long-term budget
EU leaders failed to narrow their differences over the EU's seven-year budget for 2021-27, the Multiannual Financial Framework, as member states maintained their entrenched positions on the EU’s spending volume and priorities.
AS IT HAPPENED: Brexit, Budget, Balkans
European leaders gather for a summit in Brussels on 17-18 October to discuss if, how and when the United Kingdom will leave the bloc. With everything up in the air, an extension seems the safest bet. The EU's seven-year budget, enlargement to the Western Balkans and escalation in Syria will also be high on the agenda.
‘Broad support’ for EU-wide plastic tax
A European tax on plastic waste is gaining momentum as a way to bring new sources of revenue to the EU budget as leaders prepare for a two-day summit in Brussels beginning on Thursday (17 October).
Visegrad countries slam Finnish presidency MFF paper
Ahead of an EU summit starting on Thursday (17 October), diplomats from the four Visegrad countries harshly criticised the Finnish presidency of the Council of the EU for a paper it prepared to help the leaders’ discussion on the bloc’s...
Poland and Germany call for swift negotiations to conclude EU budget
Germany and Poland are pressing for EU budget negotiations to be concluded as quickly as possible. For Poland, the primary beneficiary of the EU's cohesion policy, there is a great deal at stake. Germany hopes the negotiations will finish before it takes over the EU presidency next July. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Finland kicks off EU presidency with bid to tackle ‘unfin[n]ished business’
"A sustainable Europe - a sustainable future". This is Finland's motto to kickstart its presidency in the European Council for the next six months. The Finnish programme seeks to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, expand the digital internal market and strengthen military cooperation. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Finland softens opposition to eurozone budget as it takes over EU Presidency
On the eve of assuming the EU's rotating presidency, the new centre-left Prime Minister of Finland, Antti Rinne, accepted on Wednesday (26 June) the possibility of a “small” eurozone budget to support investments, as long as it remains part of the EU’s long-term spending plans.
EXCLUSIVE: What countries really think of the EU’s strategic agenda
EU member states broadly supported priorities highlighted for the next five years, although they called for a more “positive” vision. Despite the demands made by the capitals, the latest version only included few changes, according to the latest draft and the minutes seen by EURACTIV.
Monti: Nationalist parties temper the EU in view of future attacks
Pro-EU parties should not feel complacent about the nationalists' failure to win a majority in the new European Parliament, the former Italian prime minister and ex-EU Commissioner Mario Monti told EURACTIV in an interview.
Size doesn’t matter. Quality should be central to EU budget
An EU budget aligned to the goals of the Paris Agreement, the fulfilment of climate neutrality and the swift decarbonisation of the European economy is a win-win situation for both net payers and recipients to the EU budget, argue Markus Trilling and Raphaël Hanoteaux.
‘Planning the world seven years in advance is absurd’, says EP vice-president
Rising populism and anti-EU sentiment mean the May elections are being portrayed as a “fateful election for Europe”. EURACTIV Germany spoke to Rainer Wieland from the German Christian Democrat Union (CDU) about populists, fair taxes, ‘gilets jaunes’ and citizen consultations.
Future project funding at risk, EU auditors say
The backlog of money the European Union must pay from its budget reached a new high of €267 billion at the end of 2017, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) warned on Tuesday (2 April) and urged the Commission to reduce it.
Four things the EU should do to strengthen climate action before this mandate ends
EU institutions still have time for a series of concrete actions to strengthen climate policy before their mandate ends and get their successors off to a flying start, write Sanjeev Kumar and Edward Robinson.
Young farmers call for strong CAP budget to ensure generational renewal
EU member states will have to deal with the generational renewal of the EU farming sector “whether they like it or not,” young farmers say. And to do so, they first need to support a strong budget for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), they argue.
Time to give up sacred EU budget cows
As EU member states debate the bloc’s next 7-year budget, no sector should be off-limits. Annika Hedberg argues that each euro spent should provide added value for the EU and its citizens, including the agricultural sector, a major recipient of EU money.
Reform programmes should compensate low-income workers, OECD says
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has urged governments to pay attention to the consequences of their policies and compensate vulnerable groups that could be hit by new taxes.
Tsipras says CAP and regional policy cuts a ‘gift’ to anti-Europeans
Athens will oppose proposed cuts in the post-2020 agricultural and regional policy as this will be a “gift” to anti-EU populist forces, Greek premier Alexis Tsipras said on 13 December at the EU Council.
Of funds and values: Conditionality in EU cohesion policy
As the EU's multi-annual budget is being negotiated, the amounts and efficiency of spending matter but also priorities and European values when disbursing programmes. Smarter conditionality is needed, triggering less political backlash, and, where needed, direct payment to beneficiaries, argue Benedek Jávor and Laszlo Andor.
Juncker warns May: ‘No room’ to renegotiate Brexit deal
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday (11 December) that the EU would be open to offer “clarifications” to British Prime Minister Theresa May, but insisted that the withdrawal agreement was the “best possible, the only possible” deal.
Leading on innovation for a climate neutral Europe by 2050
Innovation will be required across all sectors of the economy in order to steer Europe towards climate neutrality. This will also be good for the EU’s competitiveness, write Jakop Dalunde and Peter Sweatman.
Germany and France to outline EU financial transaction tax proposal
Germany and France will outline on Monday a joint proposal for a financial transaction tax for the European Union that is based on a model already tested in France, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported late on Sunday (2 December).
Making Horizon Europe a tool to truly achieve the Paris Agreement goals
The EU’s Horizon Europe for research and innovation provides an opportunity to unleash the potential of low-carbon technologies that will help Europe in the transition to a carbon neutral economy. This, however, is contingent on its design, writes Agnese Ruggiero.
What a difference a week might make for Europe’s climate ambition
Progress in the Long Term Strategy for 2050 and at the climate conference in Katowice will be for nothing if European ministers allow disputes over the size of the next EU budget to roadblock important moves towards funding a zero-emissions energy transformation, write Raphael Hanoteaux and Markus Trilling.