In a vote in the European Parliament today, S&D MEPs strengthened their call for a strong budget for the EU in the upcoming year. As the first of an unprecedented multi-annual financial framework, this budget must mirror citizens’ priorities: health, climate, youth and culture, while also upholding the social dimension.

Eider Gardiazabal MEP, S&D spokeswoman on budget, said:

“2021 is the first year of the next multi-annual budget of the EU. It is crucial that we put our money where our mouth is and show citizens that our promises will not stay just empty words. This is why the 2021 budget is crucial. So far, negotiations in committees have secured strengthened funding for many of our progressive flagship programmes for youth, health, climate, just transition, infrastructure, culture, gender, external action and humanitarian aid. We hope that the vote in plenary will confirm these achievements, for the sake of all Europeans.

“We have just reached a historic agreement on the next MFF this week. This will now boost our possibilities to finance the 2021 budget and give our citizens the help and hope they expect.”

Pierre Larrouturou MEP, negotiator on the file, said:

“In total, all the amendments that we have integrated to finance action for health, climate, and employment have led to requesting 15 billion euros more than what the European Commission proposed for the 2021 budget. For the first time in this Parliament, six political groups support this report on the 2021 budget. In reality, much more is needed: in the report that we are voting on this week on the financing of the Green Deal - at the same time as the report on the 2021 budget - we recall that there is a shortfall of 600 billion euros each year to win the climate battle, as well as for the social dimension of the transition.”