Debate: General budget of the European Union for the financial year  – all sections
Date: WEDNESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2020
Speaker: Nils Ušakovs
Political group: S-D
Country: Belgium
Language: EN

I will start with key programmes. Enhancing Horizon Europe is highly important to boost the digital transformation. This is pretty straightforward. The COVID crisis has shown us all how much we depend on technologies – technologies which are both not perfect and not equally available to every EU country and every European.  Investment in research and innovation must both bring new advanced solutions and narrow the gap between Member States, regions and social groups. Fighting digital inequality will in future be as crucial as fighting social or any other inequalities we are dealing with right now.  As part of the overall MMF deal, the flagship programme Horizon Europe will receive an additional EUR 4 billion for research and innovation – which is great news for European scientists – and that means we have to stand for a corresponding increase in annual allocation for 2021 already.  The COVID crisis has proved once again that medical workers and healthcare systems are probably as important as military personnel and armies. Our enemy right now is invisible and we need medicine and vaccines, rather than guns and bombs, to defeat it. EU4Health is the answer to major cross-border health threats and one of the much-needed steps to create a European Health Union.  An additional EUR 3.4 billion as part of the MFF triples the budget of the programme. We all understand that in order to meet current challenges and to prepare for future ones, we need to increase financing for 2021 significantly. This budget is crucial in order to increase the quality of healthcare systems around Europe and their affordability and of course in order to deal with inequalities between Member States and regions.  Another of the enhanced 15 flagship programmes to mention is Erasmus+. It is our strategic investment – investment in our youth, in social cohesion, in European integration. It is investment in our values, identity and heritage that we wish to pass on to future generations. The investment means EUR 2.2 billion of additional money for the next 7 years, and at least EUR 165 million next year. At the same time I would like to outline that Europe can afford much more for its values. The 2021 budget is a good tool in helping us in both enhancing and rethinking the way European institutions work during the COVID crisis and after it, when the ‘new normal’ will arrive. Starting with the European Parliament itself, all the institutions are fighting with the challenges of teleworking in 24 different languages, with different quality of internet and technical advancement around the continent. Nevertheless, they all work hard, bringing Europeans and their ideas together, like for instance the Committee of the Regions or the European Economic and Social Committee.  Our experience from previous economic crises tell us, ‘cut down the estimates for institutions’. That is not the case this time. The estimates for the other institutions and agencies take into account both the tasks to be performed next year and the level of possible transformation that each institution may go through, finding the best suitable way to work in future.  I wish us all good luck in the forthcoming negotiations with the Council.