Agreeing on the EU’s 2021-2027 budget by may 2019 is difficult and democratically questionable

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said that agreeing on a final package by May 2019 on the EU 2021-2027 Budget will be difficult and democratically questionable. Dr Sant said that MEPs elected in 2019 will have the democratic mandate to vote the financial package following the 2019 political campaign and elections.
Dr Sant reacted to the financial EU package which was presented at the European Parliament by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Budget Commission Günther Oettinger.
Dr Sant said there are contradictory factors within the Commission proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework.
“Rightly, it features worries about the sizeable gap in EU budgetary resources that Brexit leaves behind. For this reason, the proposal diminishes crucial spending dedicated to cohesion, as well as agriculture.”
The Maltese MEP also refered to the Defence Fund which features prominently among the EU’s new funding priorities.
“Although defence is and should remain a national competence, this new fund could be soon eating from money other long established funding programmes. Moreover, bundling tax-based own resources in the form of a CCCTB within an agreement on the new MFF is dangerous.
Many countries are clearly against an EU-level system in the field of corporate taxation. This proposal could lead either to conflict or stalemate. Concerning the criterion used when calculating the allocation of cohesion funds, unemployment, climate change and migration will now also be considered as relevant indicators. But the geographic position of regions, especially insularity, is not to be disregarded.” remarked the Maltese MEP.

Maltese Version – DIFFIĊLI U DEMOKRATIKAMENT DIBATTIBBLI LI JINTLAĦAQ QBIL DWAR IL-BUDGET EWROPEW SA MEJJU 2019

Il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Maltija Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew Dr Alfred Sant qal li dawk eletti fil-Parlament Ewropew fl-2019 se jkollhom il-mandat demokratiku jivvotaw għall-pakkett finanzjarju wara l-kampanja elettorali u l-elezzjonijiet fl-istati membri tal-UE. Dr Sant qal li qbil fuq il-pakkett finali dwar il-baġit Ewropew 2021-2027 sa Mejju 2019 se jkun diffiċli u demokratikament dibattibbli.
Dr Sant irreaġixxa għal pakkett finanzjarju tal-UE li ġie ppreżentat fil-Parlament Ewropew mill-President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea Jean-Claude Juncker u l-Kummissarju tal-baġit Günther Oettinger.
Dr Sant qal li hemm fatturi kontradittorji fil-proposti tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea:
“Ġustament, il-KE qed turi t-tħassib għal ħofra mdaqqsa fil-baġit tal-UE bil-Brexit. Għal din ir-raġuni, ġie propost tnaqqas fl-infiq kruċjali ddedikat lil koeżjoni, kif ukoll l-agrikoltura.”
Dr Sant irrefera wkoll għal Fond tad-Difiża li jidher prominenti fost il-prijoritajiet ġodda biex jiġu ffinanzjati mill-UE.
“Għalkemm id-difiża hija u għandha tibqa’ l-kompetenza tal-istati membri, dan il-fond il-ġdid jista’ jispiċċa jiekol mill-fondi ta’ programmi tal-UE li ilhom stabbiliti. Huwa perikoluż
li tgħaqqad ir-riżorsi bbażati fuq it-taxxi komuni għall-Korporazzjonijiet (CCCTB) fi ftehim dwar il-Qafas Finanzjarju Multi-Annwali l-ġdid.”
Dr Sant qal li huwa ċar li ħafna pajjiżi huma kontra sistema f’livell Ewropew fil-qasam tat-tassazzjoni korporattiva. Din il-proposta tista’ twassal għal kunflitt jew għal staġnar. Il-qgħad, it-tibdil fil-klima u l-immigrazzjoni, issa se jibdew jiġu kkunsidrati bħala indikaturi rilevanti għall-allokazzjoni tal-fondi ta’ Koeżjoni. Imma l-pożizzjoni ġeografika tar-reġjuni, speċjalment tal-insularita`, ma għandhiex tiġi injorata, irrimarka l-MEP Malti.