The next MFF
Paris, Berlin tentatively back "genuine EU own resources"
Today, the European Commission is proposing a swathe of bloc-wide taxes that would help bolster Brussels bankroll directly as part of the new MFF, rather than wait for transfers from national capitals – we covered the details last weekend.
Usually, EU countries can't agree on this. Yesterday, the French and German finance ministers said "we should examine how European public goods can be increasingly finance from genuine EU own resources in order to make EU financing more autonomous" in an op-ed for German outlet Handelsblatt.
"Our aim is to get more out of every euro spent," argue German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and his French counterpart Éric Lombard.
Their priorities: "Future-proof investments in European security, an effective transition to climate neutrality and cross-border infrastructure."
Read: Well-armed militaries, opening the door to nuclear power, and a boost for the Connecting Europe Facility – and Ursula von der Leyen's European Competitiveness Fund.
"We need a smart spending policy that uses EU funds to unlock private capital and drive transformation," the ministers wrote.
What we know: France and Germany met in Brussels on 3 July to coordinate their stance on the MFF "in the form of a seminar with representatives from both governments and, in some cases, with the participation of think tank representatives," the German foreign ministry told Euractiv.
Usually, EU countries can't agree on this. Yesterday, the French and German finance ministers said "we should examine how European public goods can be increasingly finance from genuine EU own resources in order to make EU financing more autonomous" in an op-ed for German outlet Handelsblatt.
"Our aim is to get more out of every euro spent," argue German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and his French counterpart Éric Lombard.
Their priorities: "Future-proof investments in European security, an effective transition to climate neutrality and cross-border infrastructure."
Read: Well-armed militaries, opening the door to nuclear power, and a boost for the Connecting Europe Facility – and Ursula von der Leyen's European Competitiveness Fund.
"We need a smart spending policy that uses EU funds to unlock private capital and drive transformation," the ministers wrote.
What we know: France and Germany met in Brussels on 3 July to coordinate their stance on the MFF "in the form of a seminar with representatives from both governments and, in some cases, with the participation of think tank representatives," the German foreign ministry told Euractiv.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (left) and French Minister of Finance Eric Lombard . Photo: EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET