The European Commission, scrambling to defuse a standoff with Parliament over the EU’s €2 trillion long-term budget, signalled over the weekend that it was prepared to make significant revisions to its seven-year draft spending plan.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered the concessions on Sunday in a letter, seen by Euractiv, that was sent to Parliament chief Roberta Metsola and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (who currently represents EU leaders) ahead of crunch talks Monday.
Opposition to the Commission’s proposal has been particularly strong in Parliament, where a majority of MEP’s appear to be against it. That’s a problem because Parliament’s approval is required for the plan, which will define EU spending from 2028 to 2034.
At the centre of the conflict is the Commission’s plan to merge farm and regional subsidies into national programmes totalling €865 billion, a proposal that has drawn fierce opposition from farmers and regional leaders who are concerned that pooling resources will lead to unequal treatment of recipients and grant national capitals too much control over the resources.
In her letter, von der Leyen offered to strengthen MEPs’ oversight of spending priorities, along with the introduction of a so-called “rural target” to ensure a tenth of the financing is channelled to the bloc’s regions.
“With the proposed changes … the Commission stands ready to support the European Parliament and the Council in the process leading to the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework,” von der Leyen wrote, referring to the budget.
Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin hinted last week that the executive was considering making some “legal changes” to its draft, signalling the executive was preparing to back down.
The Commission’s last-minute manoeuvring, first reported by Politico, marks a rare instance of the executive bowing to pressure from a parliament over which von der Leyen typically runs roughshod.
The only remaining question is whether von der Leyen’s overture will be enough to secure a deal.
Eddy Wax contributed to this report
(mhk, jp)
