A breakthrough on the EU’s long term budget was achieved in the EU Council summit underway in Brussels, with Hungary and Poland dropping their vetoes on the rule of law mechanism that makes EU funds conditional on the respect of rule of law.
This paves the way for Parliament to vote on the future EU financing package and the 2021 budget.
Anticipating the breakthrough in Council, Parliament’s Press Service announced:
If the European Council succeeds in breaking the deadlock on the long-term budget and recovery package, MEPs stand ready to vote on all related legislative files.
As long as the Council of the EU refers the texts of the regulations for a multiannual financial framework (MFF) and a Rule of Law Mechanism, as well as of the annual budget for 2021, as agreed with MEPs in the negotiations, to Parliament in time before the 14-17 December plenary, MEPs will fast-track and hold final votes on all proposals.
This would allow urgently needed support from the EU budget and the recovery fund to get to citizens as of the start of next year.
The MFF (including the accompanying Interinstitutional Agreement, IIA) was informally agreed with Council on 10 November, while the mechanism that enables the EU to stop funding governments that disrespect EU values such as the rule of law was agreed on 5 November and the annual budget for 2021 on 4 December.
The debate and vote are yet to be set but are expected to be voted by the relevant committees in time for the plenary of the European Parliament to vote on the EU budget on Thursday.
