The European Parliament adopted today its position on the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework with 393 votes in favour (136 against, 52 abstentions). Henrike Hahn, Member of the European Parliament (The Greens/EFA), deputy speaker of the German delegation of the Greens, industrial policy speaker and shadow rapporteur of the Greens/EFA in the Budget Committee for the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) comments:

“If we want to keep green European industrial policy competitive in times of a global subsidy race, we need we need besides other measures courageous, well-financed industrial policy funding pots.

It is therefore regrettable that the Commission has failed to deliver on its promise of a European Sovereignty Fund with its proposal to revise the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The European Parliament clearly spelled this out in today's vote.

Nevertheless, I very much welcome the fact that the European Parliament is calling for an additional €2 billion for the InvestEU program and to prevent re-deployments under Horizon Europe. The European Parliament across political groups has already called for fresh money for fresh initiatives to promote the semiconductor industry in the negotiations on the EU Chips Act.

The member states must finally give up their blockade of European financing of industrial and climate policy. Here, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner must also finally openly declare himself in favour of a European, competitive and green industrial policy.

Instead of plundering the resources of the Cohesion Funds as is currently being attempted in the STEP negotiations, we need strong own resources to counter-finance the EU budget.

We also urgently need further EU funds for humanitarian aid and natural disasters, for reconstruction in Ukraine, and for interest payments for the recovery and resilience fund. As shadow rapporteur for the European Solidarity Fund, I very much welcome the fact that the European Parliament is calling for an increase in EUSF funds by €2 billion.

In order to prevent rising interest costs from placing a heavy burden on current and future EU programs such as Horizon or Erasmus, they must finally be managed outside of the existing budget headings. The current blockade by the member states on this endangers the credibility of the EU on the financial markets.”

 

I would be happy to answer any further questions.