Brussels, 16.09.2020. JEF Europe calls on both the European Parliament and the Council to make use of the current political momentum to introduce a future-proof system for financing the EU budget beyond “Next Generation EU” and pave the way for a Fiscal Union. “A Union with a truly independent fiscal capacity can better serve its citizens. The EU’s dependence on Member State contributions is threatening its ability to adequately react to present challenges and reduces the European added value, as the painful MFF negotiations in July have again demonstrated”, comments Emma Farrugia, Vice-President of JEF Europe.
As the European Parliament today gave its opinion on the future of the financing of the EU budget, Emma Farrugia adds: “The sheer size of both envelopes, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and ‘Next Generation EU’, the green light for a common issuance of EU debt and the intention to partially repay the latter from the EU’s own resources give hope for breaking the stalemate around economic integration. Reaching an agreement on genuine EU own resources has become more important than ever. Failing to reach an agreement now we risk deep cuts to the next MFF once the money for the recovery fund has to be repaid.”
Seeing it as a first step towards a Fiscal Union, we welcome the proposal of the European Parliament to set up a legally-binding roadmap aimed at generating new revenue sources for the EU, including a digital services tax, a single market levy, proceeds from a carbon-adjustment mechanism at the EU border, a plastic tax, a financial transaction tax and a common consolidated corporate tax. These will help to establish a long term sustainable revenue and support policy priorities.
We also support the Parliament’s intention to make the approval of these suggestions by the Council a precondition for its green light for the Multinational Financial Framework. “While the Council tends to ignore the democratic will of the European Parliament, which reflects the direct votes of European citizens, this time it may have to look for a compromise to get the MFF approved in a separate round of negotiations. It would be a success for those who believe in a democratic and sovereign European Union”, adds Andreas Høstgaard Poulsen, Member of JEF Europe’s Executive Board.
JEF Europe believes the European Parliament, as the voice of the European citizens, should have a significant role in the implementation of “Next Generation EU” as well as the establishment and oversight of independent sustainable revenue sources for the EU beyond this extraordinary recovery fund.
JEF Europe agrees with the previous Parliament’s call for the implementation of the MFF 2021-2027 to be closely aligned with the Union’s fundamental values and making the distribution of funds conditional on respect for the rule of law by the Member States. “This way, we want to make sure the money of EU taxpayers doesn’t end up supporting the authoritarian policies of certain governments that treat the European Union as an ATM”, concludes Høstgaard Poulsen.
About JEF Europe
The Young European Federalists (JEF) Europe is a non-partisan youth NGO with 10,000 members active in over 30 countries. The organisation strives towards a federal Europe based on the principles of democracy and subsidiarity as well as respect for human rights. JEF promotes true European Citizenship, and works towards more active participation of young people in democratic life. While the umbrella organisation JEF Europe was founded in 1972, its sections have been operating continuously since the end of the Second World War, making it the oldest pro-European and only federalist youth organisation.
21.07.2020 Press Release: JEF Europe calls on MEPs to make MFF truly historic
19.06.2020 Press Release: Our future will not be a “one-shot”
Contact information
Emma Farrugia
Vice-President
Young European Federalists
Rue d’Arlon 53
1040 Brussels
