Wanna make the EU a global player? Change the budget

As the European Parliament adopts its position on the revision of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) on Wednesday, Renew Europe calls on the Council to speed up their so far stalling negotiation process to ensure that the updated financial package is in force the 1^st of January 2024. With the Ukraine facility as the top urgency, reinforcing EU strategic autonomy and reducing our dependencies, as well as providing extra funds for EU external action, defence and crisis response is equally urgent. In the Parliament, Renew Europe has played a leading role in shaping the revised MFF and is working relentlessly to ensure that the EU delivers MFF equipped with the financial muscles needed to carry out its objectives and adequately respond to challenges of both the present and the future.

Valérie Hayer (Renaissance/France), who has represented Renew Europe in the negotiations, says:

"The EU did not increase its budget by €1 since 2021, despite the pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine. No fresh money led our Union to a standstill. Ensuring the survival of Ukraine and dealing with the huge influx of migrants in need requires a higher budget. Either we make the EU run until 2027, or we give in. Renew Europe made its choice."

In Parliament’s freshly adopted position, Renew has in particular secured ta demand that authorities in member states benefitting from EU funds linked to migration fully respect and comply with human rights, that financial support to the defence sector is more crucial than ever in order to protect the sovereignty of European states, and a request to ensure that final beneficiaries receive EU funding even in scenarios where sanctions are adopted against their governments for not respecting the rule of law.