A loose alliance of 16 countries swhich spans southern and eastern Europe has launched a push to shore up the bloc’s next long-term budget and for the EU to approve new common debt, according to a joint statement issued on Monday.
The group includes Poland, Italy, Spain and Portugal. oraccording to the statement, seen by Euractiv ahead of a meeting of European affairs ministers on Tuesday, a “more gradual repayment scheme” for the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund and “new joint borrowing to support the loan” should remain on the table as institutions haggle over the bloc’s 2028-2034 budget.
Furthermore, the EU’s current budget structure, which includes cohesion policy – used to finance infrastructure in the EU’s poorest and peripheral areas – along with the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy must be protected, argue the countries working together under the Friends of Cohesion umbrella.
Decisions about how to spend such money “must remain entirely the responsibility of Member States,” the statement said.
The commission wants national authorities be more included in the administration of EU money, at the expense of regional bodies.
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The EU’s so-called ‘frugal’ countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, which are not part of the 16-nation alliance, are strongly opposed to increasing the size of the MFF at a time of already stretched national budgets.
“From a German perspective, neither higher debt nor European bonds in the capital market are under consideration,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in late April after a dinner debate with EU leaders on the future long-term budget in Cyprus.
Berlin, by far the largest contributor to the budget, has long held reservations over new EU debt – and recently hit in France for his promotion.
European ministers will meet in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the next draft budget, with capitals expected to present the first spending figures by next month.
Governments are under pressure to reach an agreement on the budget by the end of this year.
(jp)
