On 21^st July 2020, EU heads of state and of governments agreed on the shape and size of both the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 (MFF) and the Next Generation EU recovery instrument.

Commenting the agreement reached by the European Council, Valeria Ronzitti, CEEP General Secretary, said:

“As CEEP repeatedly called on EU leaders to maintain the ambition of the Euroepan Commission on the overall size of €750bln, we welcome the overall volume of the recovery instrument agreed. We however deeply regret that the innovative dimension of this instrument didn't meet its highest potential level with the proposed game-changing EU4Health.
We now count on the National Recovery Plans to revive that ambition, to promote investment in social infrastructure, including healthcare, as well as in digital and green. This shall compensate the loss in ambition in the final deal for some programmes, including InvestEU or the Just transition Fund. In order to make sure that those Plans will promote a sustainable and inclusive growth, it will be essential to involve national, regional and local social partners in their preparation.”

On the MFF, we commend the negotiating capacities of President Charles Michel and the fact that an agreement was found; any further delay would have put citizens' and markets' confidence in the capacity for Member States to reach compromise in the name of the European project under threat. Important progress will still be needed to modernize the MFF. This can only be achieved thanks to an institutional framework that allows the efficient coordination among different levels of governance and enhances the leading role of the EU. This can spark the Union’s unique competitive advantages to face the challenges ahead. We count on the Conference on the Future of Europe to be the basis for this new framework.”

“Finally, we now look forward to the discussion and approval of this framework by the European Parliament, which is a key step to ensure the legitimacy of an instruments that is made to serve European citizens.”

For further information, please contact:

Maxime STAELENS, Communication Advisor
Email: maxime.staelens@ceep.eu
Tel.: + 32(0) 2 229 21 40
Website: www.ceep.eu

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CEEP, European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services and SGI, is one of the three general cross-sectoral European Social Partners. It gathers public and private providers of services of general interest from across Europe. CEEP members contribute to more than 26% of EU GDP and employ 30% of the EU workforce.