Meeting of the Committee on Budgets, Committee on Budgetary Control and Committee on Legal Affairs&nbsp; in the EP in Brussels. Questions Isabelle THOMAS (S&amp;D, FR), Jan OLBRYCHT (EPP, PL), Vladimir MAŇKA (S&amp;D, SK), and Clare MOODY (S&amp;D, UK) and answers by&nbsp;G&uuml;nther OETTINGER, Member of the EC in charge of Digital Economy and Society on the transfer of the portfolio for Budget and Human Resources.

Brussels

exchange of views

meeting

Committee on Legal Affairs

THOMAS, Isabelle (S&D, FR)

Committee on Budgets

Committee on Budgetary Control

MAŇKA, Vladimír (S&D, SK)

OETTINGER, Günther (DE, EC)

OLBRYCHT, Jan (EPP, PL)

MOODY, Clare (S&D, UK)

hearing of Günther OETTINGER (T)

Exchange of views with Günther OETTINGER, Member ofthe EC in charge of Digital Economy and Society on the transfer of the portfolio for Budget and Human Resources: extracts from the Questions & Answers session

Atmosphere before the three EP Committees meeting started the exchange of views with G&uuml;nther Oettinger, Member of the European Commission (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (French), Isabelle THOMAS (S&amp;D, FR), Do you feel that in this context what you said in Hamburg and the suspicion that people have about you and travelling, do you think that is is compatible? Do you think that your regret is going to be enough to wipe that clean? Do you think you are going to have sufficient legitimacy for the years that we are going to be discussing not just future budgets but also the future MFF?

SOUNDBITE (German), G&#252;nther OETTINGER, EU Commissioner for Budget &amp; Human Resources, former Commissioner Digital, , As soon as possible, we need an agreement between the Council and the Parliament. Knowing the extend to which the Council wants to use the revision, we have to find a compromise and achieve that as soon as possible. Whether I am suitable for management, managing the budget policy of the EU, I am prepared to work with other people to work with experts to be advised by you. So that I can also meet your expectations of a sensible budgetary policy. I am continuing the footsteps of previous Commissioners in this area and I think they have done some very good work.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Jan OLBRYCHT (EPP, PL), How would you see the role of the European Parliament in preparation of the new MFF so that is not ad-hoc again but in systematic preparation?

SOUNDBITE (German), G&#252;nther OETTINGER, EU Commissioner for Budget &amp; Human Resources, former Commissioner Digital, , I see that the EP as a full partner with full responsibility on an equal footing than the Council. We have MFF that comes to an end in 2020. There are thoughts that when we have the Brexit coming to an end in 2019 there will be a shortening of the MFF. I am not ruling it out, but I am somewhere cautious when looking at this possibility. My experts told me that there it would be significant risks here. There will be proposals made by the end of the year for the next MFF. It is important to discuss these issues with you together, five years or seven years.

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Vladimir MA&#327;KA (S&amp;D, SK), What plans do you have in 2018 for youth employment and also for the revision of  the MFF, so we do not lose sight of these important priorities.

SOUNDBITE (German), G&#252;nther OETTINGER, EU Commissioner for Budget &amp; Human Resources, former Commissioner Digital, , If you look at the labour market in various regions in Europe, I am convinced that youth employment must be a priority project in the next MFF. It is not something that can come to and end in 2020. Within the framework of what I can do in line with democracy, I can promise you that every Euro will be spent efficiently.

SOUNDBITE (English), Clare MOODY (S&amp;D, UK), Do you support gender budgeting and gender main-streaming and are you committed to investing to develop a specific methodology for gender budgeting?

SOUNDBITE (German), G&#252;nther OETTINGER, EU Commissioner for Budget &amp; Human Resources, former Commissioner Digital, , <p>The women are younger than the men, and they are likely to be around for two or three years more. Demography is going to help women in achieving these goals. I had discussion on this with experts but I have not come up with a final conclusion. I am prepared to overarching objectives to be putting on the European budget agenda. I will be happy to discuss this with you and if you can suggest specific instruments I will be happy to look at them.</p>