Following the adoption of the resolution by the European Parliament concerning the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework, EU Commissioner for Budget and Financial Programming, Janusz Lewandowski, said:
"The adoption by the European Parliament of its resolution on the next financial programming period (MFF 2014-2020) is a key step forward as we now have the official positions of both the Council and the Parliament to finalise the negotiations on the next MFF.
Now, the negotiations should be launched swiftly. We owe this to 500 million Europeans, to our businesses, towns and regions, scientists, students, NGOs and all those who benefit from EU funds: to reach an overall agreement as well as to complete the work on each sectorial policy in order to be fully ready by 1 January 2014.
The European Commission will continue to act as facilitator, helping to broker an overall agreement between the European Parliament and the Council.
Pooling our resources together through a more focused EU budget for investment in growth and jobs will deliver bigger impacts at a time when Europe needs it most.
MEPs deplore the Council´s regular practice of making "horizontal cuts" to money intended for payments in the annual budget and see it as the main cause of this de facto budget deficit. They urge the Commission to submit a draft amending budget to cover last year´s bills by the end of this month at the latest to ensure that the budget negotiations for next year are not compromised. This was actually agreed during last year´s negotiations on the 2013 budget.
To prevent bill shocks at the end of the year, MEPs suggest that the Commission report monthly to Parliament and Council on progress with payments to each country from the big funds.
The EP wants the Commission to indicate clearly how its proposed budget will contribute to the Growth and Jobs Compact agreed in June 2012. It says the budget should not be seen as an additional burden but rather as a tool to boost investment. The ability of the EU budget to trigger economic growth, competitiveness and job creation is more important than ever in times of economic difficulty, it stresses.
