Ursula von der Leyen, Chairwoman of the European Commission, has warned that the European Green Deal could fail if the EU countries refuse to allocate sufficient funds for it.
During the plenary session of the European Parliament, Von der Leyen defended an ambitious multi-annual budget (2021-2027) to finance both the current traditional EU policies, including agricultural subsidies, as well as funding for new priorities such as digital transformation, the Green Deal, or Defence.
The head of the Commission placed special emphasis on the Green Deal, described as Europeâs new growth strategy. She told the MEPs that she will accept no result that does not guarantee at least 25% of the budget is dedicated to fighting global warming. Her warnings come one week before the extraordinary European Council on 20 February, where EU heads of government will try to reduce their differences over the long-term budget.
In a debate on the EU budget 2021-2027, members stressed that the European Parliament will only approve a multiannual budget if it meets the EUâs ambitions.
Most parliamentarians insisted that sufficient funding is essential to realize common ambitions such as fighting climate change, digital and ecological transformation, the social consequences of these, as well as maintaining support for weaker regions. For example, if the Green Deal were implemented but the total budget shrank, this would mean cuts would have to be made to other successful EU programmes.
Finally, it is important for the members of the European Parliament that new sources of EU revenue (âown resourcesâ) are created. Parliament President Sassoli made clear at a press conference in Strasbourg that the multiannual budget must make clear that future funding of a new, modern EU must be tackled differently than the current administrative, technical approach.
The current funding amounts to shuffling invoices and amounts back and forth because EU ministers set the annual amounts, the European Commission then has to do the work, and the invoices for this are deducted again from the annual amounts. As a result, Brussels is entirely dependent on the financial leeway it repeatedly receives from the 27 ministers. Therefore, Sassoli advocated for the introduction of a âEuropean Taxâ.