Renew Europe imprints its ambitions for Europe on the 2022 EU draft budget

In these troubled times, the European Union must assert itself as a global leader. For Renew Europe, the European budget is one of the major tools of this ambition and it is in this spirit that the group has exercised all its weight so that the fiscal year 2022 reflects its political priorities. Renew Group has delivered on 5 priorities: 1.1 billion euro in funds allowing the EU to become the main global donor to Covax and to invest massively in the health of Europeans, to better respond to humanitarian and migratory crises, to tackle the challenge of the climate emergency, to prepare the future of young people and boost the competitiveness of the economy and to give its institutions the means to strengthen our democratic model and the rule of law .

Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ (USR, Romania), Renew Europe shadow rapporteur for the 2022 budget in the Parliamentary Committee on Budgets (BUDG), said : “Will 2022 be the first post-pandemic year? We want this and together we hope to return to our previous lives. But for now, we are still in a crisis, our citizens are facing very serious problems and they are worried not only for their future, but for tomorrow, for their health, for how they will pay their increased energy and gas bills. The crises are multiple, from pandemic, to energy, economy, to crises related to the rule of law and misinformation. That is why it is important that in these times the citizens see in the European Union a life jacket. The budget that the European Parliament is proposing is a realistic one, which reflects the needs of the citizens today. There is never enough money but we want the EU money to be green, clean and impactful for the citizens”.

Olivier CHASTEL (MR, Belgium), shadow rapporteur for Renew Europe on the 2022 budget for the other institutions, added: “Faced with the health and socio-economic crisis that we are going through, our citizens who for many months have demonstrated courage, resilience and solidarity, have their eyes riveted on the European Union. We cannot disappoint them, as the Conference on the Future of Europe places them at the center of an innovative, transnational democratic debate! The Union wants to be a strategic compass facing all types of threats by 2030. It has the means, if the Council adopts a responsible attitude and reviews the horizontal and blind reading of its budget cuts, if the Union adopts an effective policy against tax fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, if the money is invested in future programmes ensuring a fair and inclusive green and digital transition. Europe wants to be strong from within and recognised on the international stage. To achieve this, it will have to have the political will to act collectively and in accordance with the values ​​we defend”.