About: Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF)
Von der Leyen criticises Finnish presidency’s EU budget proposal
The new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, did not mince her words at her first press conference on Wednesday (4 December), criticising a recent proposal of the Finnish EU Presidency for the bloc’s 2021-2027 budget and voicing concern "about the severe cuts in the proposal".
LEAK: Finland’s EU budget proposal limits expenditure to 1.06% of GNI
Finland's EU presidency proposed a budget equal to 1.06% of the region's gross national income (GNI) for 2021- 2027, slightly increasing its past draft proposal but below the ambition of the European Commission and Parliament, according to the negotiating box seen by EURACTIV.com.
Why EU must guarantee funding for local, regional governments in post-2020 development policy
Member states must strongly support the proposal of the European Parliament to add a budget line for local authorities to tackle global challenges, including through their decentralised cooperation, writes Marlène Siméon.
Financing the energy transition: Where’s the money?
Incoming Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s pledge to turn Europe into “the world’s first climate-neutral continent” means efforts to green the economy are set to go into overdrive. But where will the necessary funds come from to back the...
Member states reject adding €50 million for Brexit preparedness
EU member states refused the European Commission’s request to add €50 million to deal with a no-deal Brexit, as the national governments are refusing to increase the overall budget for 2020.
Oettinger fires at ‘misleading’ EU budget figures
The dispute between net contributors and the European Commission escalated on Wednesday (30 October) as Budget Commissioner Gunter Oettinger described as "misleading" Germany's EU budget figures reported by the media.
MEP Novakov: EU Cohesion policy needs a tough lady like Elisa Ferreira to defend it
Rule of law should be a matter of respect everywhere, not only in the Cohesion Policy. But ordinary beneficiaries should not be held responsible for the action of the whole country infringing common EU standards, MEP Andrey Novakov told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.
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.