Riżorsi proprji ġodda li jingħataw lill-Unjoni Ewropea biex jitħaddmu minnha għandhom jirrispettaw is-sensittivitajiet ekonomiċi ta’ kull Stat Membru

Fir-reazzjoni tiegħu għal dibattitu plenarju fil-Parlament Ewropew dwar Rapport fuq il-proposta għal deċiżjoni tal-Kunsill dwar is-sistema tar-riżorsi proprji tal-Unjoni Ewropea, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant emfasizza li l-introduzzjoni ta’ riżorsi proprji ġodda biex ikopru impenji Ewropej tal-lum u ta’ għada jridu jirrispettaw s-sensittivitajiet ekonomiċi ta’ kull Stat Membru Ewropew. “L-attentat kontinwu minn atturi ewlenin biex itejbu r-riżorsi proprji tal-Unjoni Ewropea billi jimponu taxxa fuq il-kumpaniji fil-livell tal-Unjoni Ewropea mingħajr il-kunsens sħiħ tal-Istati Membri kollha huwa inaċċettabbli”, huwa sostna.

Alfred Sant wissa li s-sistema attwali ta’ finanzjament tal-baġit tal-Unjoni Ewropea hija strutturalment difettuża. Għal din ir-raġuni, jeħtieġ li tiġi aġġustata. Minn naħa, l-Unjoni Ewropea assumiet impenji ġodda u konsegwenza ta’ dan qed taffaċċja pressjonijiet finanzjarji dejjem akbar. Min-naħa l-oħra, il-programm NextGenerationEU diġà wera l-limiti tal-ibbaġitjar tal-Unjoni Ewropea peress li l-Unjoni Ewropea kellha tissellef il-fondi biex tiffinanzja proġetti.

Id-“Deċiżjoni dwar ir-Riżorsi Proprji” hija l-bażi legali li tipprovdi ħalli parti mis-sorsi ta’ dħul li jiddaħħlu fil-baġit Ewropew u għall-awtorizzazzjoni ta’ ħruġ ta’ fondi Ewropej jinstabu billi jsir self fis-swieq finanzjarji u b’hekk jiġi finanzjat l-Istrument ta’ rkupru NextGenerationEU. Fl-1 ta’ Ġunju 2021, id-deċiżjoni li biha ġiet riformata s-sistema ta’ finanzjament tal-baġit tal-Unjoni daħlet fis-seħħ, wara r-ratifika tagħha mill-Istati Membri kollha. Ir-Rapport tal-Parlament Ewropew huwa ta’ natura konsultattiva u jittratta l-proposta tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea għal pakkett ġdid ta’ riżorsi proprji għall-baġit tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Din il-proposta minn Ġunju kienet tinkludi riżorsi proprji bbażati fuq is-Sistema ta’ Skambju ta’ Emissjonijiet u l-Mekkaniżmu ta’ Aġġustament tal-Fruntieri tal-Karbonju kif ukoll riżors proprju statistiku temporanju ġdid ibbażat fuq il-profitti tal-kumpaniji.

Dwar l-aħħar punt, l-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Alfred Sant innota li l-proposta tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea ma tieħux l-istess approċċ bħall-Parlament Ewropew. L-introduzzjoni ta’ sistemi ġodda ta’ ġbir ta’ taxxa bbażati fuq il-profitt fuq livell tal-Unjoni Ewropea hija proposta problematika għal għadd ta’ Stati Membri. Għalhekk, m’għandhiex tkun għad-diskussjoni f’dan iż-żmien, huwa sostna.

Ir-Rapport ġie adottat b’399 vot favur, 138 kontra u 61 astensjoni. Alfred Sant astjena.

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New own resources to cover ongoing and developing EU commitments must respect the economic sensitivities of each Member State

In his reaction to a plenary debate in the European Parliament on a Report about the proposal for a Council decision on the system of own resources of the European Union, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant emphasized that the introduction of new own resources to cover ongoing and developing European commitments must respect the economic sensitivities of each European Member State. “The constant attempt by major players to enhance EU own resources by imposing a uniform corporate tax at EU-level without the full consent of all Member States is unacceptable”, he claimed.

Alfred Sant warned that the current financing system of the European Union budget is structurally deficient. For this reason, it needs to be adjusted. On one hand, the European Union has assumed new commitments and is consequently facing increasing financial pressures. On the other hand, the NextGenerationEU programme already showed the limits of EU budgeting as money needed to be borrowed to finance projects.

The “Own Resources Decision” (ORD) is the legal basis that provides for part of the revenue sources that feed into the European budget and for authorising funds to be borrowed on the financial markets and thus finance the Next Generation European Union Recovery Instrument (NGEU). On 1st June 2021, the decision by which the financing system of the Union budget was reformed entered into force, following its ratification by all Member States. The European Parliament’s Report is of a consultative nature and deals with the European Commission’s proposal for a new own resources package for the European Union budget. This proposal from June included own resources based on the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), as well as a new temporary statistical own resource based on corporate profits. Council will take the final Decision taking note of the European Parliament’s position on this matter.

On the last point, Labour MEP Alfred Sant  noted that the European Commission proposal does not take the same approach as the European Parliament. The introduction of new profit-based tax collection systems at an EU level is  a problematic proposal for a number of Member States. Therefore, it should not be for discussion at this time, he argued.

The Report was adopted with 399 votes in favour, 138 against and 61 abstentions. Alfred Sant abstained.