generationNetwork

We, the four pro-European groups in the @Europarl_EN, reject the #EUBudget proposal put forward by the Irish Presidency of the @EUCouncil, which cannot constitute a basis for Parliament’s consent on the next #MFF. The draft budget presented by the Commission was half full, half empty. The Irish Presidency’s proposal is completely empty. The European Commission rightly identified security, defence and competitiveness as new priorities. However, its proposal fails to secure traditional priorities, such as agriculture and cohesion. The Irish Presidency’s proposal reduces funding for the new priorities, leaving the EU unprepared to tackle new challenges, and slashes much-needed investment intended to improve competitiveness. It also leaves farmers and regions underfunded. Parliament’s official position, advocating a budget in line with the political commitments made by the Council, the Commission and Parliament, is completely disregarded. The Irish negotiating box also leaves the Union with no capacity to react in the event of unexpected developments. The flexibility put forward by the Commission in the draft budget and defended by the European Parliament is further reduced by the Irish Presidency. When it comes to funding the Union, the Irish Presidency is relying solely on the own resources proposed by the Commission, which have clearly failed to secure the unanimous backing of the Member States. It endangers the funding of the Union by disregarding the own resources proposed by Parliament. Read the statement by the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA groups in the European Parliament: