Amidst uncertainty and instability brought about by the coronavirus crisis, we must not hesitate to act to save lives and help our economies bounce back into shape. One of the main tools to contribute to the recovery of the EU is the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The next EU Budget is part of the solution to this crisis and must be planned accordingly to support our citizens and industries.

As we currently find ourselves in the process of adopting the next MFF, the European Parliament (EP) will continue to play a constructive role during the negotiations, always keeping in mind the current situation, the promises we made to our citizens, and the political priorities the European Commission undertook at the beginning of its mandate.

The truth is that the EP has been ready for two years already to negotiate with the European Council an ambitious and suitable EU Budget. But the vision of the next MFF of these two institutions could not be more divergent. The EP built its proposal following a bottom up approach, prioritising research, innovation, digitalisation, education and cohesion policies, among others.

Where the Council cut Erasmus scholarships, the EP added more. Where the Council reduced the amounts for EU farmers, the EP allocated enough money to ensure we can still produce quality food. Where the Council slashed cohesion funds, the EP allotted sufficient resources to reduce the gap between our regions that benefits the whole Europe, not just a few.

All in all, the EP’s request to allocate 1.3% of GNI for the next financing period is realistic and necessary. The Council’s refusal to finance its ambitious political priorities with enough money was deceiving to our citizens and disappointing for the future of the union.

Today, we are in a different situation that requires even more funding. On top of previous political priorities, we must ensure enough funds to help the economic recover after the current pandemic. But until we have further predictability and an exact picture of the actual effects of this crisis, the European People’s Party is proposing to put in place an “emergency budget” for at least the year 2021. Such a budget will give us room to speed up the recovery and decide responsibly on the next 2022 MFF.

An “emergency budget” would have to adapt slightly the current programmes in order to   address better the current crisis. For example, research should focus more on health related issues, while investments in infrastructure should better address the lack of medical facilities in the EU.

In addition to this, the next MFF should have sufficient margins of manoeuvre to allow us to tackle unforeseen events such as the current pandemic. We should also have at our disposal sufficient investment means to recover from the current crisis, but also to ensure that our healthcare systems will better endure the next one, whenever it will arrive.

As always, the EPP thinks ahead and included in its proposal on coronavirus crisis an initiative to create an EU Coronavirus Solidarity Fund, of which I am happily the author.

The Fund would make available 50 bn EUR to all member states as of the beginning of 1 January 2021, the start of the seven-year EU budget. It would be based on two pillars: €20 billion in non-reimbursable grants and €30 billion in loans available to all EU member states, all-accessible within two years.

First pillar will provide 20 bn EUR in grants to reimburse part of the costs incurred by the Member States, particularly by the healthcare systems and crisis management systems, during this emergency. It would be constituted outside the ceilings of the MFF. Second pillar will provide 30 bn EUR in loans to invest in strengthening the healthcare sectors of the Member States and make them more resilient to future crises. The EU Budget would guarantee the loans.

We owe our citizens strong and modern healthcare systems across the EU capable of coping with pandemics. We also owe our citizens a modern, adequate and capable to serve them budget. Experience has taught us than when we pull our resources and act together, we are an unbeatable force. This is the time to keep in mind our successes and act again responsibly to deliver an EU budget suitable for our times.