EU states, led by Germany, accuse the European Parliament of endangering the recovery plan concluded by forceps by the Twenty-Seven, because of the demand of MEPs to make the allocation of funds conditional on compliance with Right wing state.
Read also: European recovery plan: will France pay more than what it will receive?
"
Without a rapid general agreement between the Council (which represents the Member States, editor's note) and the European Parliament
" on the 2021-2027 budgetary framework, "
we run the risk of delaying the recovery plan
", warned the ambassador on Friday German to the EU Michael Clauss, in a press statement.
“
I am extremely concerned that the negotiations are progressing far too slowly at this time.
We must strongly accelerate the negotiations
”, he continues, specifying that the States proposed to the MEPs to work“
on weekends
”.
After a marathon summit, the Twenty-Seven had agreed in July on a recovery plan of 750 billion euros, backed by the European budget 2021-2027 under negotiations and supposed to start in January.
Regarding the EU's multiannual budget, the European Parliament considers its amount to be largely insufficient.
In addition, MEPs are calling for guarantees to create new sources of income for the Union (digital tax, carbon market, etc.).
Above all, Parliament demands that European subsidies be conditional on the States respecting the rule of law (independence of the judiciary, freedom of the press, etc.), which primarily targets Hungary and Poland.
This is a "
red line
" for the leaders of the main parties.
Read also: Deficit, debt: will the European totem of budgetary austerity be brought down by the crisis?
However, "
the budgetary framework and the stimulus fund are politically and technically inseparable (...) Time is running out
", alarms Michael Clauss.
“
If MEPs do not vote on the budget, everything goes wrong and the recovery plan is in danger.
No recovery without a budgetary framework: the elements of the EU's rescue plan are being held hostage by elected officials,
”said another European diplomat questioned by AFP.
If states are happy to point out the responsibility of Parliament, the question of associating the budget and the rule of law also divides the Twenty-Seven: Hungary is particularly fiercely against it.
“
We are in intensive discussions with all states.
The negotiations are extremely complicated
”, admitted Michael Clauss, indicating that Berlin, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU until December, will“
soon
”make a proposal, moving more towards a mechanism of sanctions for misuse of European funds.
