EU: Sassoli (Parliament President), pleased with the deal but “we want to make corrections to the budget. Some of the planned cuts are unjustified.”

“The agreement reached is an important one; it bridges the gap between demands, sensitivities, various legitimate interests. But the Council does not have the final word on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework.” David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, made known that at tomorrow's extraordinary session the hemicycle will vote on a resolution containing three requests: European Parliament involvement in Recovery Plan governance; a detailed timetable on the inclusion of at least two items for boosting own resources in 2021; to open negotiations on the EU's long-term budget. Sassoli explained: Parliament does not intend to discuss the substance of every national plan but it wishes to voice its opinion on the "general guidelines of the alignment of national reforms and  European objectives." As for Own Resources included in the Recovery Plan, Parliament is now waiting for the Commission's proposal, but calls for taxing plastic waste and carbon emissions in 2021. With regard to the Multiannual Financial Framework: "We need to improve it in order to solve unjustifiable cuts. We need a plan that is more useful for our citizens." He referred to the proposed cuts on Erasmus and research, migration and asylum funding, and Africa: these cuts need to be rectified: "if not, it will be impossible for the EU to reach its own objectives." He pointed out that the EP "is the budgetary authority and we are determined to enforce it.” Parliament will equally raise the question of linking funding to respect for the rule of law: "Parliament wants to play a leading role in identifying concrete elements, elements of intervention “which have remained unspecified. Principles are not enough.”
Sarah Numico