The proposal of Charles Michel fails to meet the challenges of the 21st century
MFF
Philippe Lamberts, Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, comments:
“Should this proposal be adopted, the Green Deal will be at risk. Charles Michel's proposal fails to provide the reorientation needed to align the EU budget with the challenges of this century. Europe must become a global champion in ensuring our societies fit within planetary boundaries, by tackling climate change, the collapse in biodiversity and the exhaustion of natural resources. Instead, Charles Michel keeps the budget on a course inherited from the past.
“The 1.074 percent of gross national income proposed by EU Council President Charles Michel is far below the 1.3 percent demanded by the European Parliament. Europe's economy is confronted with a structural shortfall in investment. In a context of negative interest rates, the EU would be remiss not to seize the opportunity to boost investment for the public good. The proposal keeps the stranglehold of Member States on the EU budget, as it still deprives the European Union of its own budgetary resources. The only own-resource being considered is a meagre tax on plastics and then only in a distant future.”
Ska Keller, Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, comments:
"You cannot make a budget for the future with the lowest common denominator. Charles Michel's proposal is a budget of hesitation where investment and ambition is required. The EU Council President has missed the opportunity to improve the EU Commission's proposal and present a budget proposal that is fit for the Green Deal and digitisation. The EU budget needs to help tackle the many challenges that we face today, be it climate crisis, digitalisation or growing inequality, and be up to the tasks that Member States also demand of it.
“In order to stop the haggling and underbidding every seven years, we need an EU budget that stands on its own feet. For that we need own resources, starting with, for example, a plastic tax or a tax for digital companies.”
