About: Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF)
Parliament and Council near agreement on rule of law conditionality
The European Parliament and the Council were close to reaching an agreement on Thursday (29 October) on the Rule of Law conditionality attached to EU funds, but they continued to disagree on how to trigger the mechanism.
Europe urged to align budget with green finance rules
The EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy should be systematically applied to track green investments in the bloc’s next long-term budget and coronavirus recovery fund, which together amount to €1.8 trillion over the next seven years, according to a new report launched on Wednesday (28 October).
EU budget deal ‘virtually impossible’ without face-to-face talks
Reaching an agreement over the EU's €1.8 trillion seven-year budget and recovery plan will be "virtually impossible" without face-to-face meetings, warned the German EU Presidency.OpinionPromoted content
Financing the energy transition should take into account regional differences between Member States
An increased EU’s emission reduction target by 2030 is currently a hotly debated topic in Brussels. Regardless of whether the target will be 55% or 60%, reaching EU’s ambitious climate change targets requires significant investment outlays. Paweł Strączyński is PGE’s...
Erasmus celebrated worldwide as MEPs push for more funding
As Europe celebrates its flagship educational mobility programme, lawmakers in the European Parliament are fighting to increase the budget for what is widely regarded as one of the EU's greatest achievements.
Sassoli calls for ‘imagination’ to overcome budget negotiations deadlock
European Parliament President David Sassoli asked EU leaders on Thursday (15 October) to increase their financial contributions to the EU budget and called for “imagination” to make progress on the stalled negotiations.
Budget battle heats up as negotiators hit stalemate
The European Parliament and the Council failed to make any progress on Wednesday (14 October) on the budget negotiations and accused each other of presenting misleading figures of the additional funds requested for the EU’s long-term budget.OpinionPromoted content
COVID recovery: no generation left behind
European COVID recovery plans must address youth unemployment and wellbeing if they are to avoid the mistakes of the previous crisis. The European Youth Forum is the platform organisation advocating for youth rights in Europe. Dr Justa Hopma, 34, started...
No progress on EU’s long-term budget negotiations
EU member states and the European Parliament continued to disagree on Friday (18 September) on whether to increase the Union’s long-term budget, complicating attempts to reach a quick agreement on the badly needed recovery fund for the member states.
European Parliament votes for new taxes in EU to repay recovery borrowing
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday (16 September) in favour of assigning new tax revenues to the European Union to repay the bloc's intended joint borrowing of €750 billion for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parliament wants to top up EU budget with €110 billion
The European Parliament on Monday (7 September) requested a €110 billion increase to the EU’s seven-year budget and legally binding commitments on the introduction of new levies to finance the bloc's €750 billion stimulus against the COVID-19 crisis, EURACTIV has learnt.
Economy agenda: Recovery and taxation to dominate the EU’s priorities
The implementation of the EU’s recovery fund and taxation will dominate the second half of the year, as both issues will top the German presidency agenda, and new resources are needed to finance the stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Parliament insists on revisiting budget cuts despite Michel, von der Leyen charm offensive
European Council and Commission presidents tried to gain the European Parliament support on Thursday (23 July) for the recovery plan backed earlier this week by the EU27 but lawmakers insist on negotiating budget cuts.
Parliament threatens to withhold consent on budget cuts, potentially delaying recovery plans
The European Parliament will adopt a critical stance against the European Council's recovery plans on Thursday (23 July), opposing cuts to EU-funded programmes in the bloc's long-term budget while also hitting out at the alleged 'weak' nature of rule of law conditionality.
Leaders edge closer to deal as EU recovery fund talks enter fourth day
EU leaders have edged closer to a compromise on a new long-term budget and a multi-billion euro coronavirus recovery fund and will reconvene on Monday (20 July) afternoon for a fourth day of negotiations.
Leaders hit summit stalemate on EU recovery fund
EU leaders hit a dead end during the first round of the European Council meeting on Friday night (17 July) after The Netherlands clashed with Italy and Spain over the governance of the planned €750 billion EU recovery fund.
EU leaders pressed to overcome differences and agree on historic stimulus
Pressure is mounting on EU leaders to get over their differences as they meet on Friday (17 July) in person for the first time since the start of the coronavirus outbreak to close a deal on an unprecedented stimulus package to tackle the socio-economic fallout of the crisis.
Green budget rules won’t be the hottest potato at EU summit talks
Plans to reserve 30% of European Union spending for climate objectives will not be the hottest topic on the agenda when EU leaders meet on Friday (17 July). And that may be good news for the climate.
In Berlin, Sánchez vows to ‘do everything to reach a deal’ at EU summit
Just before the EU Council summit on 17 July, leaders of those EU countries that suffered most from the coronavirus pandemic are meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the politician on whom they pin their hopes for a rapid recovery. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Workers’ involvement should not be ‘decorative’ in coronavirus recovery, expert says
If EU leaders agree on the EU's seven-year budget and the recovery fund on Friday (17 July), this could facilitate the transition to a more modern and greener Europe. But labour representatives also want to ensure that workers have a say in the entire policymaking process.
Foreign aid to be big loser from EU budget under Michel plan
EU external and development spending is in line to be the biggest loser from next week’s crunch EU budget summit in Brussels. The blueprint outlined on Friday (10 July) by European Council President Charles Michel includes a reduction of €4.7 billion for the Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument in the EU's next seven-year budget.
Michel gives control to member states to facilitate recovery fund deal
European Council President, Charles Michel, proposed on Friday (10 July) to give more control to member states over the recovery funds to overcome Northern member states’s opposition to the ambitious stimulus.
EU to face difficulties without a deal on recovery plan, Budget Commissioner warns
If EU leaders fail to reach an agreement on a pandemic recovery package next week, “we will enter into difficulties,” the EU Commissioner for Budget, Johannes Hahn, warned during an event in Brussels on Tuesday (7 July).