Il-baġit tal-Unjoni Ewropea għandu jgħin fl-irkupru mill-pandemija Covid 19

Fi spjegazzjoni tal-vot tiegħu favur Riżoluzzjoni ta’ Mozzjoni Konġunta tal-Parlament Ewropew dwar il-Qafas Finanzjarju Multiannwali, ir-Riżorsi Proprji u l-Pjan ta’ Rkupru, Alfred Sant qal li l-użu ta’ dan il-qafas bħala strument għall-irkupru jiggarantixxi li l-baġits nazzjonali ma jinqabdux fl-obbligi ta’ ħaddieħor.

Peress li l-baġit kurrenti tal-Unjoni Ewropea jispiċċa fil-31 ta ‘Diċembru 2020, l-UE teħtieġ pjan ta’ qafas baġitarju ġdid għas-seba’ snin li ġejjin sal-2027. Id-daqs tal-baġit kien u għadu suġġett ta’ kontroversja iżda l-Kummissjoni Ewropea qed  tissottometti proposta għal Qafas Finanzjarju Multiannwali u fond ta’ rkupru li jindirizza l-kriżi tas-saħħa tal-Covid-19 u l-konsegwenzi tagħha.

B’din ir-riżoluzzjoni, adottata b’505 vot favur, 119 kontra u 69 astensjoni, il-Parlament Ewropew qed jitlob pakkett robust li jibni fuq il-baġit tal-UE filwaqt li jiffoka fuq il-bżonnijiet taċ-ċittadini.

Alfred Sant iddikjara li l-pakkett irid ikun b’saħħtu biżżejjed biex jipproteġi s-setturi l-aktar vulnerabbli tal-ekonomija Ewropea u jservi bħala tnedija għall-irkupru. Għandu jkopri l-interessi vitali kollha li jiddefinixxu s-suq uniku, filwaqt li jżomm il-prijoritajiet li ilhom għaddejjin tal-Unjoni, bħall-konverġenza soċjo-ekonomika fl-UE kollha u r-riforma ambjentali.

Il-pjan ta’ rkupru għandu jiġi pprovdut lil hinn mill-Qafas Finanzjarju Multiannwali li jmiss u mhux għad-detriment tal-programmi eżistenti u futuri tal-UE.

Minkejja li vvota favur ir-riżoluzzjoni, Alfred Sant esprima nuqqas ta’ qbil mar-riżorsi proprji l-ġodda għall-Unjoni Ewropea li r-riżoluzzjoni tidentifika.

 

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The EU’s long-term budget should help post-Covid 19 recovery

When explaining why he voted in favour of the European Parliament’s Joint Motion Resolution on the Multiannual Financial Framework, Own Resources and the Recovery Plan, Alfred Sant said that using it as an instrument for the recovery guarantees that national budgets do not get caught in the obligations of others.

As the current long-term budget of the European Union runs out on 31 December 2020, the EU needs a new budgetary planning horizon for the next seven years up to 2027. The size of the budget has been the subject of unresolved controversy but the European Commission is submitting  a proposal for a revamped Multiannual Financial Framework and recovery fund to take account of the Covid-19 health crisis and its consequences.

With this resolution, adopted with 505 votes in favour, 119 against and 69 abstentions, the European Parliament is demanding a strong package that builds on the EU budget while focusing on the needs of citizens. 

Alfred Sant stated that the package has to be robust enough to protect the most vulnerable sectors of the European economy and serve as the launchpad for recovery. It must cover all the vital interests that define the single market, while maintaining the longstanding priorities of the Union, like EU-wide socioeconomic convergence and environmental reform.

The recovery plan must be provided on top of the next Multiannual Financial Framework and not to the detriment of existing and upcoming EU programmes.

Despite voting in favour of the resolution, Alfred Sant expressed disagreement with the new own resources for the European Union which the resolution identifies.