EU budget: MEPs set themselves on collision course with national governments
Posted, June 08, 2011 @ 00:00
Strasbourg, 8th June 2011 -- 'Totally unacceptable' proposals adopted by the European Parliament today - which will see the next long-term EU budget increased by five percent, rebates scrapped and EU direct taxes - have put MEPs on a collision course with national governments, Richard Ashworth MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group spokesman said today.
The European Parliament established a temporary committee (called the SURE committee) to set out its priorities for the next so-called multi annual financial framework (MFF). Although the EU has annual budgets, they are all set within a longer-term seven-year MFF. The commission is expected to come forward with plans for the next MFF (2014-2020) at the end of June or start of July.
The position endorsed today by the full parliament calls for a five percent budget increase compared to the last seven-year budget, a system of EU direct taxation, a financial transaction tax, abolition of national rebates, and an end to returning unspent EU money to national governments.
Britain, France, Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands have already submitted a joint letter to the European Commission stating that the next long-term budget must reflect national governments' efforts to bring their spending under control.
The ECR group voted against the proposals.
Mr Ashworth said:
"MEPs are now on collision course with many national governments which have already indicated that they will not accept EU budget increases.
"One day national governments are being told by Brussels to cut their deficits and the next they're being asked to pay tens of billions more to the EU. National governments, local authorities and households are having to set priorities on their spending yet MEPs categorically refuse to do the same. This committee has been a massive missed opportunity and once again MEPs have scored an own goal in the court of public opinion.
"We need smarter spending, not more spending. Unfortunately for most MEPs the answer to every question is 'More Europe', which means more money. This kind of ostrich mentality just goes to increase disaffection with the European Parliament.
"The EU should never gain the power to raise its own taxes. Apart from the fundamental issue of loss of national sovereignty, we cannot allow MEPs to have any powers to raise taxation given their record of inexorably increasing the EU budget.
"This committee was a real opportunity to look in detail at areas where EU spending is effective and areas where it is wasteful, so that we can reprioritise the budget and make savings. Unfortunately, the committee has decided to give the European Commission an early Christmas present instead. The committee talked a lot about prioritisation of EU spending but it never materialised."
ECR group chairman Jan Zahradil MEP said:
"The ECR is the only mainstream group that is listening to taxpayers who reject EU taxes and who want Brussels to spend money with greater efficiency. The EU has a real credibility gap and the only way to close that is to refocus EU spending so that the EU does less and does it better. The European Parliament has to listen to the message that many voters across the Continent are sending it loud and clear."
ENDS
Note: Mr Ashworth's speech in the chamber this morning can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BlULMOUzDA
For a copy of the report go to: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/homeCom.do?language=EN&body=SURE