NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE EU BUDGET: STILL VERY DIVERGENT POSITIONS

Last weeks were notably marked by:

• In the Member States, a coalition was formed to secure the current levels of the Cohesion Fund in the next MFF.

• Within the Council, (i) the Finnish Presidency revealed the figures in the MFF negotiating box, which were deemed “worrying” by the President of the European Commission and “insufficient” by the European Parliament, (ii) the heads of state met but the real negotiation will take place at the summit on 20 February convened by Charles Michel, (iii) the delegations reminded the Agricultural Council twice in December and January of the need to maintain the CAP budget at the level of the EU-27, in current euros, iv) Germany is showing signs of wanting to finalise the adoption of the EU budget before its presidency, but would still limit itself to concessions of 1.08% of GDP, a far cry from the Commission’s proposals and even further from the EP’s demands.

• The new Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski has repeatedly defended the maintenance of the CAP budget at the level of the European Commission’s proposal.

• Finally in the Parliament i) the President of the ComAgri Norbert Lins pleads for an overall budget at 1.3% of the GNI of the Member States, ii) Vice-President Elsi Katainen in her report on the transitional regulations proposes to increase national co-financing, iii) and the Parliament as a whole has agreed to suspend part of the budget negotiations.

Highlights in chronology:

05/11 MS united to protect cohesion funds in the next MFF

12/11 The regions mobilised for their budget

22/11 German MEP’s back strong farm budget

02/12 Council reveales figures of the Negotiating box

10/12 Wojciechowski promises to fight for budget

16/12 Delegations reiterate the need for a budget “up to scratch”

20/12 EP agrees to pause parts of budget negotiations

25/01 Charles Michel calls extraordinary European Council (Feb 20)

27/01 Ministers call for a budget that meets the requirements of the Green Pact

28/01 MEP Elsi Katainen proposals to secure CAP budget over the period 2021 and 2022

full note available on FE Members area