Debate: Guidelines for the  Budget – Section III
Date: WEDNESDAY, 24 MARCH 2021
Speaker: Victor Negrescu
Political group: S-D
Country: Finland
Language: EN

This is why the S&D Group in the European Parliament calls for more ambition coming from the Commission and the Member States in the efforts to implement the multiple programmes and initiatives designed to manage a pandemic, and prepare for future challenges linked to the digital and green transformations. Investing more in healthcare, education and social infrastructure, prioritising research and innovation, supporting our start-ups and SMEs, helping vulnerable groups and promoting gender equality should be an integral part of what we plan for the future of Europe. We call for a citizen-centred EU budget that brings an added value across Europe. We believe that the European Pillar for Social Rights represents a central guiding line for what we want in terms of the relaunch of Europe. The EU budget should therefore allocate proper resources and fully integrate the results of the Porto Social Summit. Through our amendments, we managed to promote a stronger social response to the crisis, coming up with detailed guidelines for what needs to happen in health, education, fighting unemployment, combating poverty, and supporting children and young people, promoting digital skills and the green transformation. We need an inclusive budget that leaves no one behind. The most affected sectors, like tourism and the hospitality sector, the cultural and creative sector, the education and the agricultural sector, should all be referred to with precise policies. We should deal with all the challenges existing at local but also at global level. Therefore I am really happy to see that our amendment calling for Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia to become part of the Schengen area has been taken on board in the final report. All citizens should be at the centre of the MFF and the recovery plan. This is why the European Union should push for a stronger and better answer to the crisis by making sure that all Member States have the capacity to make 2022 a full absorption year. Cohesion in this regard is the key. We cannot repeat the mistakes made at the beginning of the previous MFF. We need to increase transparency, but also reduce the bureaucracy surrounding EU funds. Unfortunately, some governments – like in my own country, Romania – are incapable of preparing a proper answer to the crisis using European funds, and this is where we need to intervene. The European Parliament should be an active actor of this relaunch plan. We are ready to do our part and we should understand that we are in all of this together. It is essential for us to be proactive and respect our commitments in the MFF.  We reiterate our support for the European Child Guarantee, the European Youth Guarantee, the EU4Health programme, the European Social Fund, the Erasmus programme, Creative Europe, and other programmes. The pandemic has shown us that we also need a European health union at the same time. And of course we must also think about our responsibility at global level: our international partners need our help. We are the voice of EU citizens, and we should act as such in the negotiations with the Council and the Commission. Let us work together in finding the best solutions for a social, green, digital and inclusive European budget.