Deciding on the long-term financial resources is essential in order to make the policy objectives of the European Union a reality. The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which facilitates financial programming and budgetary discipline, reflect the political priorities of the community as a whole. Thus, it is no surprise, they are subject to intense debate among Member States.
The negotiations for the next EU budget, which will run from 2021 to 2027, are expected to be as hard as ever. The EU is increasingly expected to do more in a variety of (new) policy areas, e.g. on migration, innovation, industry and sustainability. At the same time, member states are not keen on increasing their contribution to the common budget and there will likely be a budget gap due to the departure of the United Kingdom.
The EPC follows and accompanies the discussion on the next MFF with regular contributions and interventions. For the past recent years, the EPC has had a Framework Contract with the European Parliament for the provision of external expertise in the fields of budgetary affairs.