|
The EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) defines the maximum amounts available for each major spending area of the EU’s budget. It is both a political and a budgetary framework, setting out on which areas - cohesion, agriculture, research and innovation, transport, environment, social affairs, culture, etc. - the EU should focus its spending. Within that framework, the European Parliament and the Council, who jointly make up the EU’s ‘budgetary authority’, must each year agree on the budget allocations for the following year. In practice, the annual budget adopted always remains below the overall ceiling of the MFF. The current MFF period started in 2007 and will end in 2013. On 29 June 2011, the European Commission published its proposal for the next MFF, from 2014 – 2020, known as ‘A Budget for Europe 2020’. The Commission proposes to increase the EU budget from the current €976 billion to €1.025 billion for the next seven year period, representing a 4.8% increase. Linking the budget closely to the Europe 2020 strategy, the Commission has built its proposal around smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The Commission proposes that financial programmes and instruments should focus on delivering key policy priorities, on EU added value and on impacts and results. The proposal is now subject to negotiations in the European Parliament and between member states. In January 2010, we established a budget task force to communicate our responses to developments throughout the negotiations of the next MFF, expected to run until mid-2012. Chaired by Copenhagen, it comprises representatives from all our forums and our executive committee, ensuring a broad, cross-cutting perspective. The task force came up with a response to the Commission’s budget review consultation in March 2011, and a position paper on the Commission’s proposal for ‘A Budget for Europe 2020’ in November 2011. Both papers call for an MFF that delivers more value for money by supporting integrated local development, moving towards a genuine partnership approach and delivering on Europe 2020 objectives. For more information on the EU budget on the European Commission's website, click here. |
good practices |
you're not logged yet please click here to log in |