NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE EU BUDGET: towards a new MFF proposal

The month of March was marked by:

– At the level of the European Parliament, the exchanges of MEPs in Plenary session after the failure of the European Summit on 21 February, in the absence of agreement and concrete ambition shown by the Member States. 

– At the level of the European Commission, the announcement by the President of a new MFF proposal to come, to deal with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The timing of budgetary decisions for the period 2021-27 becomes even more uncertain and the timing of the implementation of a CAP reform just as uncertain. If the decision on the EU budget is only expected in the first half of 2021, this would imply a further postponement of the CAP negotiations, with a questioning of the ability to implement it by 1 January 2023, notwithstanding the technical discussions that continue to take place in the European Parliament. With a reformed CAP designed to be completed by the end of 2027, therefore, discussions on the ‘reform of the reform’, which should start in 2024, either the duration of the CAP under discussion or its validity would have to be discussed if it were not to start applying until 1 January 2024.

full note available on FE Members’ area