European Parliament discusses the EU budget - worrying developments for health
The European Parliament rapporteur on the EU Budget recently released his draft report on the future EU Budget. Health and civil society are not mentioned in the report. This is worrying as this report will be the European Parliament position on what the priorities of the EU should be for the coming 5 to 7 years. The health community can find below a summary of the report as well as the list of key MEPs to contact in order to advocate for public health to be taken into account by the European Parliament.
The rapporteur Salvador GARRIGA POLLEDO MEP (EPP Spain), states that the structure of the future EU Budget (‘Multi Annual Financial Perspectives MAFF’) should reflect the EU priorities, particularly the Europe 2020. However, he also recognises that the Europe 2020 is not an all-inclusive strategy covering all Union policy fields and therefore stresses that other Treaty-based policies pursuing different objectives will also need to be duly reflected in the next MAFF.
According to EPHA and its partners, the report is problematic as it does not mention public health, funding for civil society and it only considers inclusion in its role to increase growth.
It is therefore of utmost importance that the European health community gets active to support appropriate European Funding for health in the coming years. The European Commission is likely to make a its proposal in June 2011 and actions beforehand towards the European Commission and MEPs are welcomed.
Main points of the report
It calls for a leading EU role in the Digital Agenda but makes no mention to vulnerable groups, such as people living in poverty, older people, people with disability nor access to health.
Regarding the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), the report stresses that the CAP has a multifunctional role in delivering a variety of public goods beyond agricultural markets, such as guaranteeing the Union’s food security in maintaining farm land in production throughout Europe, shaping the diversity of landscapes, enhancing biodiversity and animal welfare, and in combating rural depopulation. There is however to reference to health. The amounts allocated to the CAP in the budget year 2013 should be at least the same.
The report reiterates the Europe 2020 goal of investing 3% of GDP into research and development. The report recommends that the financing of research and development in the Union via a significant increase in relevant expenditure from 2013 (the next strategic research framework). Any increase in funds must be coupled with a more result-oriented, performance-driven approach and with a radical simplification of funding procedures.
The rapporteur and shadows rapporteurs
Rapporteur
EPP Salvador GARRIGA POLLEDO (ES)
Shadow rapporteurs
S & D Eider GARDIAZÁBAL RUBIAL (ES)
Ivailo KALFIN (BG)
ALDE Carl HAGLUND (FL)
Greens / EFA Bas EICKHOUT (NL)
ECR Richard ASHWORTH (UK)
GUE Miguel PORTAS (PT)
EFD Marta ANDREASEN (UK)
The report is open for ammendments until the 31 March.
The date of the votes for ammendments has yet ot be communicated. EPHA has contacted MEPs to propose ammendments and to support the Opinion from the ENVI Committee.
The European Parliament will vote on the report in Plenary in June.
Background
In 2013, the EU is to adopt the Financial Perspectives for the coming five to seven years. The negotiations have therefore already started and the European Commission will make a proposal in June 2011.
In order to be active and prepared for this, the European Parliament decided to establish a special committee on the policy challenges and budgetary resources for a sustainable European Union after 2013. There are 49 MEPs in total that form this committee.
This Special Committee will identify the Parliament’s political priorities for the post-2013 multi annual financial framework (MFF), both for legislation and the budget. It will also carry out an estimate of the financial resources needed for the EU to reach its budgetary objectives. The Committee will link the reform of the EU’s financing with a review of expenditure.
This Committee will be established for a term of 12 months, starting from 1 July 2010. It will present a report on its proposals to the European Parliament for approval before July 2011. The first meeting of the SURE Committee took place on 9 September in Strasbourg.
The Chair is of the Committee is Jutta Haug (S&D DE).
There are four Vice-Chairs:
Anne E. Jensen (ALDE DK)
Jan Olbrycht (EPP PL)
Konrad Szymanski (ECR PL)
Helga Trupel (Greens/EFA DE)
Related EPHA Articles
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Social Platform calls for third of EU budget to be devoted to Inclusive Growth
Civil Society Contact Group Statement on European Commission Communication on Budget Review
Changing perspectives: How the EU budget can shape a sustainable future
Unveiling the budget review
Budget review - reform or business as usual on the CAP?
EU Budget and Financial Perspectives: what are the upcoming steps?
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