Latest news with #EuropeanSocialFund
Euronews
20 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
What MEPs and Parliament's parties want from the EU budget
As the European Commission prepares to publish on Wednesday its proposal for the next seven-year EU budget, political groups in the European Parliament are preparing to fight tooth and nail to defend their funding priorities. Since the 2009 Treaty of Lisbon the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) has required the regulatory consent of the European Parliament in addition to the unanimous consent of the EU member states. This means that a majority of Members of Parliament must approve the final text, giving the largest political groups some leverage to push for their demands to be included. The European Social Fund: a red line for Socialists The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group were the first to enter the fray last week. Socialists claimed they had received reassurances from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the European Social Fund (ESF) would remain a cornerstone of the next EU budget. This promise led them to vote against a no-confidence motion promoted in the European Parliament, which was eventually defeated by a large majority. The ESF is a fund designed to support employment, social inclusion, education and skills across the EU's member states, accounting for almost €100 billion in the current financial framework. It is indeed the top priority for Socialists, which deems its inclusion in the EU budget fundamental. 'We cannot accept an MFF without the European Social Fund. It's very important to support health, education, employment, [workers'] skills,' MEP Carla Tavares, the S&D's budget negotiator, told Euronews. Beyond this, the group is pushing for a larger percentage of member states' gross national income to be devoted to the EU budget, with the current figure at approximately 1.2%. An EU levy on digital companies and another on small parcels sent to the EU are also among the Socialists' demands, several MEPs told Euronews. EPP to defend agricultural and cohesion funding The European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the Parliament, also wants the ESF to be included, according to its lead MEP for budget talks, Siegfried Mureșan. 'The Parliament as a whole will defend the European social fund,' he told Euronews. 'Security and competitiveness need to be the new priorities of the budget, with special attention given to research and innovation,' the Romanian MEP argued. But the EPP does not want these aspects to be financed at the expense of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion funds—two budget lines that could be significantly reduced. A separate budget for farmers is needed, according to Mureșan, as well as direct allocations for regions under cohesion policy. The EPP opposes the idea of merging agriculture and/or cohesion policy into a broader fund—a concept pivotal to the Commission's proposal, as reported by Euronews. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) are also championing the CAP and cohesion funds as stand-alone instruments. They support investments in critical defence infrastructure such as transport connections, power grids, and communication networks that also improve military mobility, as stated in the group's position paper on the MFF. Liberals oppose the idea of 'national cash pots' The liberal Renew Europe group strongly opposes the idea of dividing the EU budget by merging different programs into a single national cash pot. This idea, which has also been circulating ahead of the proposal's unveiling, could sideline EU regions by granting power over expenditure to national governments alone. 'This is wrong. It threatens the very fabric of the union and risks severing the link our regions have with the EU institutions,' Renew's lead negotiator for the MFF, French MEP Fabienne Keller, wrote in a position paper. Liberals also want more and stable 'own resources'— revenues that the EU collects directly from citizens, complementing national contributions — and oppose any funding for 'autocrats', as the party labels leaders including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The proceeds of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the benefits of an OECD agreement on tax evasion, and a tax on small parcels delivered from outside the EU could be good candidates for revenues at EU level, the group believes. 'If we do not find new own resources for our budget then we will only be left with cuts', said Keller in a statement to Euronews. Far right against funding defence and Ukraine The far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group claims that the European Commission wants to set up a 'wartime budget' by cutting funding for European farmers. PfE doesn't support EU financial aid to Ukraine and rejects any EU-level taxation. Cracking down on irregular migration and scrapping climate policies are the key goals for the group. 'EU funds must support [...] the strongest possible external border protection. The Green Deal must be scrapped: its agenda is destroying farmers, crippling industries, and burdening families,' the head of PfE's Hungarian delegation, Tamás Deutsch, wrote in an internal booklet for his fellow MEPs. Protecting external EU borders is also the top priority of the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group, followed by tax relief, funding innovative research initiatives, safeguarding farmers' incomes and what they call 'a consistent, results-oriented use of funds". 'Every euro of the MFF has to deliver a clear benefit for citizens; costly prestige projects are out of place,' ESN German MEP Alexander Jungbluth told Euronews. Greens and The Left for climate and social justice The Greens/EFA group advocates that at least half of the next EU budget be spent on green objectives, co-president Terry Reintke said during the plenary debate on the topic last week in Parliament - 30% of the current MFF is earmarked for climate-related projects. This group also wants the Commission to introduce a tax on digital services to finance new budget needs. The Left's Portuguese MEP João Oliveira outlined his group's priorities in a statement to Euronews: the housing crisis, social and economic cohesion, full employment across member states, improved living conditions for workers and the fight against poverty. 'The Commission must resist its worst instincts of ramping up defence spending at the expense of policies with a direct impact on livelihoods and public services,' he said. The Left opposes any cuts to cohesion, agriculture and fisheries policies and calls instead for a €20bn European Child Guarantee, to fight against child poverty and social exclusion. If Parliament's demands are ignored, MEPs have the right to return the proposal to the Commission and reject it as a basis for negotiation. When negotiations start, political groups' priorities will be closely intertwined with the tug-of-war between the Parliament and the member states, which often have different priorities for funding. One thing has already been made clear in a resolution adopted in May: the current level of contributions granted to the EU by member states is not enough.
Euronews
a day ago
- Business
- Euronews
What MEPs and Parliament's parties' want from the EU budget
As the European Commission prepares to publish on Wednesday its proposal for the next seven-year EU budget, political groups in the European Parliament are preparing to fight tooth and nail to defend their funding priorities. Since the 2009 Treaty of Lisbon the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) has required the regulatory consent of the European Parliament in addition to the unanimous consent of the EU member states. This means that a majority of Members of Parliament must approve the final text, giving the largest political groups some leverage to push for their demands to be included. The European Social Fund: a red line for Socialists The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group were the first to enter the fray last week. Socialists claimed they had received reassurances from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the European Social Fund (ESF) would remain a cornerstone of the next EU budget. This promise led them to vote against a no-confidence motion promoted in the European Parliament, which was eventually defeated by a large majority. The ESF is a fund designed to support employment, social inclusion, education and skills across the EU's member states, accounting for almost €100 billion in the current financial framework. It is indeed the top priority for Socialists, which deems its inclusion in the EU budget fundamental. 'We cannot accept an MFF without the European Social Fund. It's very important to support health, education, employment, [workers'] skills,' MEP Carla Tavares, the S&D's budget negotiator, told Euronews. Beyond this, the group is pushing for a larger percentage of member states' gross national income to be devoted to the EU budget, with the current figure at approximately 1.2%. An EU levy on digital companies and another on small parcels sent to the EU are also among the Socialists' demands, several MEPs told Euronews. EPP to defend agricultural and cohesion funding The European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the Parliament, also wants the ESF to be included, according to its lead MEP for budget talks, Siegfried Mureșan. 'The Parliament as a whole will defend the European social fund,' he told Euronews. 'Security and competitiveness need to be the new priorities of the budget, with special attention given to research and innovation,' the Romanian MEP argued. But the EPP does not want these aspects to be financed at the expense of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion funds—two budget lines that could be significantly reduced. A separate budget for farmers is needed, according to Mureșan, as well as direct allocations for regions under cohesion policy. The EPP opposes the idea of merging agriculture and/or cohesion policy into a broader fund—a concept pivotal to the Commission's proposal, as reported by Euronews. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) are also championing the CAP and cohesion funds as stand-alone instruments. They support investments in critical defence infrastructure such as transport connections, power grids, and communication networks that also improve military mobility, as stated in the group's position paper on the MFF. Liberals oppose the idea of 'national cash pots' The liberal Renew Europe group strongly opposes the idea of dividing the EU budget by merging different programs into a single national cash pot. This idea, which has also been circulating ahead of the proposal's unveiling, could sideline EU regions by granting power over expenditure to national governments alone. 'This is wrong. It threatens the very fabric of the union and risks severing the link our regions have with the EU institutions,' Renew's lead negotiator for the MFF, French MEP Fabienne Keller, wrote in a position paper. Liberals also want more and stable 'own resources'— revenues that the EU collects directly from citizens, complementing national contributions — and oppose any funding for 'autocrats', as the party labels leaders including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The proceeds of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the benefits of an OECD agreement on tax evasion, and a tax on small parcels delivered from outside the EU could be good candidates for revenues at EU level, the group believes. 'If we do not find new own resources for our budget then we will only be left with cuts', said Keller in a statement to Euronews. Far right against funding defence and Ukraine The far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group claims that the European Commission wants to set up a 'wartime budget' by cutting funding for European farmers. PfE doesn't support EU financial aid to Ukraine and rejects any EU-level taxation. Cracking down on irregular migration and scrapping climate policies are the key goals for the group. 'EU funds must support [...] the strongest possible external border protection. The Green Deal must be scrapped: its agenda is destroying farmers, crippling industries, and burdening families,' the head of PfE's Hungarian delegation, Tamás Deutsch, wrote in an internal booklet for his fellow MEPs. Protecting external EU borders is also the top priority of the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group, followed by tax relief, funding innovative research initiatives, safeguarding farmers' incomes and what they call 'a consistent, results-oriented use of funds". 'Every euro of the MFF has to deliver a clear benefit for citizens; costly prestige projects are out of place,' ESN German MEP Alexander Jungbluth told Euronews. Greens and The Left for climate and social justice The Greens/EFA group advocates that at least half of the next EU budget be spent on green objectives, co-president Terry Reintke said during the plenary debate on the topic last week in Parliament - 30% of the current MFF is earmarked for climate-related projects. This group also wants the Commission to introduce a tax on digital services to finance new budget needs. The Left's Portuguese MEP João Oliveira outlined his group's priorities in a statement to Euronews: the housing crisis, social and economic cohesion, full employment across member states, improved living conditions for workers and the fight against poverty. 'The Commission must resist its worst instincts of ramping up defence spending at the expense of policies with a direct impact on livelihoods and public services,' he said. The Left opposes any cuts to cohesion, agriculture and fisheries policies and calls instead for a €20bn European Child Guarantee, to fight against child poverty and social exclusion. If Parliament's demands are ignored, MEPs have the right to return the proposal to the Commission and reject it as a basis for negotiation. When negotiations start, political groups' priorities will be closely intertwined with the tug-of-war between the Parliament and the member states, which often have different priorities for funding. One thing has already been made clear in a resolution adopted in May: the current level of contributions granted to the EU by member states is not enough.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Von der Leyen's EU Commission faces judgement in Strasbourg Parliament
As the European Parliament prepares on Thursday to vote on a motion of censure against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the political fallout could be significant - regardless of the outcome, with the motion reigniting concerns about her leadership style, lack of transparency and political positioning. The far-right-led motion of no-confidence will go to a roll call vote around midday on Thursday, with von der Leyen's and the entire Commission's future put to the test in the confidence vote. Ursula von der Leyen appeared to secure more votes protecting her from censure on Wednesday, as Socialists pledged support for the Commission President in exchange for assurances on the EU budget, including the European Social Fund. But how many MEPs will support the motion, and how many will abstain? Follow the vote and reactions with our reporters on the ground in Strasbourg and throughout Europe.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Socialists back von der Leyen in return for pledge on social budget
Ursula von der Leyen appeared to secure more votes protecting her from Thursday's motion of censure, as Socialists pledged their support for the Commission President in exchange for assurances on the EU budget, including the European Social Fund. The far-right-led motion of no-confidence will go to a roll call vote around midday on Thursday, with von der Leyen's and the entire Commission's future put to the test in the confidence vote. The motion, spearheaded by the Patriots for Europe, Europe of Sovereign Nations, and a fraction of the European Conservatives and Reformists, has gathered significant support but would need a two-thirds majority for the vote of no-confidence to be successful. With the European People's Party (EPP) firmly opposed and many in the centre-left and liberal groups rejecting the motion on principle, the opposition will likely fall short. The Socialists & Democrats (S&D), the second-largest group in the European Parliament, came out firmly against the motion on Wednesday after receiving reassurances from von der Leyen that the European Social Fund (ESF) will remain a cornerstone of the next EU budget. For the S&D, this was a non-negotiable demand and a key reason behind their decision to stand by the Commission, despite some internal dissent. A few MEPs from the group might still abstain, but overall, the vote will lean in favour of the Commission's survival. Tensions and doubts that group lines will be strictly followed The Renew Europe group has also voiced opposition to the censure motion, with members claiming that the far-right's tactics must not be allowed to succeed. However, internal tensions remain. Some MEPs, particularly from Fianna Fáil in Ireland, were reluctant to fully back von der Leyen, with a few choosing to abstain, including MEP Barry Andrews. The Greens/EFA group, while mostly aligned in rejecting the motion, has also seen some splits within its ranks. Italian and Spanish Green MEPs are planning to abstain by not participating in the vote, stating their opposition to von der Leyen's policies but unwilling to back a far-right motion aimed at her removal. The Left group, which has been vocal in its criticism of the Commission, remains divided. While most will abstain to protest von der Leyen's leadership, parties like Sinn Féin and Italy's Five Star Movement are expected to vote in favour of the motion, signalling their dissatisfaction with the current direction of the EU. Proponents of the censure motion will struggle today to find the votes for it to pass, but support for von der Leyen is likely to fall well below the 370 that originally approved her Commission in 2024. As reported, the motion itself is seen as having weakened her position, and today's vote marks another chapter in the growing political fractures within the European Parliament, signalling a tough road ahead for the Commission's leadership. Shona Murray contributed reporting from Brussels.
Euractiv
02-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Socialists blast Brussels plan to tie EU budget to national reforms
The centre-left S&D group has come out swinging against the Commission's plans to link the bloc's long-term budget payments to national reforms. Ahead of the next €1.2 trillion spending plan – the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – the Commission wants tighter control over when EU cash is disbursed, proposing that payments be made only after countries implement competitiveness-boosting reforms. After initially rejecting the idea, the largest parliamentary group, EPP, fell in line . Now, the Socialists, the Parliament's second-largest group, say their help getting the budget through the hemicycle means letting go of the 'reform-for-cash' scheme. 'We will strongly oppose the possibility for national [budget] plans to be underpinned by a 'payment against reforms' rule,' runs a letter sent to Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, seen by Euractiv, and signed by S&D chief Iratxe García Pérez and her lieutenants. While the EPP could get the budget through Parliament by relying on a right-wing majority, the group's chief, Manfred Weber, told Euractiv that the budget would be adopted with the votes from the Socialists. In their letter, the centre-left MEPs also stressed the need for a stand-alone social fund to fend off any attempt to repurpose the €142 billion European Social Fund for other priorities, such as defence. 'The urgency of the political situation does not allow useless political games,' the Socialists, who helped elect the current EU executive in June 2024, wrote. (mm)
