EU budget discussions enter decisive period
 

European institutions have been holding intensive talks on the EU's next long-term budget for 2021-2027, otherwise known as the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF). Last week, EU leaders convened in Brussels to discuss the spending volume and policy priorities of the budget, but they unfortunately failed to overcome their differences.

Consensus between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council on the overall spending has not been achieved yet. The Finnish Presidency has proposed to reduce the size of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion policy, which was harshly criticised by the Visegrad countries. In order to find a common proposal, Member States have called on the Finnish Presidency to present a negotiation box for the next European Council summit in mid-December.
 
Earlier this month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the MFF, reiterating the importance of a more citizens-oriented budget. By stressing the need to launch negotiations with the Council as soon as possible, the Parliament has called for an agreement on the reform of the EU own resources, urging the Commission to table a contingency plan to tackle the consequences of potential delays in the negotiations with the Council.

Input from the European Movement International
 

We believe that the EU’s next long-term budget must reflect the ambitions and future challenges of the European Union. The new MFF must be designed to foster a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable EU. In our policy position on "A Future-Proof European Union Budget”, we argue that the introduction of new own resources would make the EU budget more independent from the contributions of Member States. These resources would free the EU from Member State hobby-horses and allow it to prioritise EU programmes in crucial policy areas, such as youth, climate and migration.

The next EU budget needs to function more effectively, overcome the financial horse-trading between Member States, and accommodate the exit of the UK from the EU. While the priority areas for EU spending should match citizens' expectations, we advocate for a multi-annual budget that strengthens social rights, supports an ambitious climate policy, advances the Economic and Monetary Union and invests more in existing youth initiatives, such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.

In the future, elements of participatory budgeting should be taken into consideration, as budgetary decisions directly affect the life of EU citizens. Involving them in these decisions can be a good step to revive democratic participation and strengthen civil society.