David SASSOLI, EP President, opens the "Nuovo Bilancio Pluriennale Comunitario" in Rome, Italy.

speech

EU - Italy (T)

Italy

Rome

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

Multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 (T)

"Nuovo Bilancio Pluriennale Comunitario": extracts from the opening speech by David SASSOLI, EP President

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The green deal, it's a book still to be written. It's becoming today a project in which everyone is called to participate. And this goal can only be achieved if we deploy every available resource. But how can anyone be left behind? The European Commission has made a commitment to present 50 legislative proposals in the next two years.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, But now we are at the beginning of a new battle. If the green deal is the frame of interventions that will accompany for a long time, the choices to be made on the Union's multiannual financial framework become the other side of the same coin. What budget do we want for the next 7 years? Where do we want to put the money, or take it out? What do we want to become?

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, We are supposed to cut the Cohesion Fund. But how could we close the gap among countries in Europe with great unbalance, if we will cut the Cohesion Fund and the resources to our territories, in particular for those that need more to grow? And what about cutting funds on agricultural policy, for example affecting Member States&rsquo; contributions? This would mean killing the common agricultural policy. And what about Erasmus program, research, culture, industry, European Social Found? What about transferring the FEAD (Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived), an instrument of humanity which allow to feed every day in Europe 14 million people? Should we move it to European Social Found, increasing the bureaucracy and cutting the budget? I mean: 14 million European people. Every day.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, With an increase of 1% we would not be able to maintain any commitment. We should reduce the funds on cohesion, on agricultural policy, on research, on Erasmus, on industry, on the European social fund. To finance new projects all this is at risk. Our regions are having big discrepancies in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, But how could we try to shorten the distances if we cut the cohesion funds that guarantee our regions and territories to reach common standards? The 1.07% proposed by the Finnish presidency is certainly insufficient. This is 237 billion less than the European Parliament's proposal that starts from the analysis of how much the old and new sectoral interventions are worth. Hence the scandal indicated to reach an increase to 1.3%. And let's not be fooled: this is not about transfers that affect national budgets, but about increasing the capacity of our Member States, and investing in their capacity and growth. But Parliament's proposal does not stop there. After years of debate, we want to open a real negotiation with the Council also on the European Union's own resources.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The main objective of Parliament is to obtain the best possible result for European citizens and to relaunch our European policies in a decisive manner for an ever stronger and more prominent Europe in the global market.