The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called today for a solution to be reached on the creation of new sources of revenue for the European Union budget. At an event in Brussels dedicated to the European budget for the period 2028-2034, she announced that the European Commission has already presented a draft law and is working on additional proposals in this direction, BTA reports.
“It is high time to find a solution. We need to start repaying the loans that have been drawn down. I know that the negotiations will be difficult“, said von der Leyen. According to her, the main focus of the next multiannual budget will be economic cohesion between member states and support for agriculture.
She stressed that the current budgetary framework no longer meets the realities of the modern world. “The budget was prepared for a world that no longer exists. Over the past five years, we have constantly tested what can be achieved with it. Today, 90% of the expenditure is pre-allocated, and the foreseen flexibility is below 4% - this is too little, because we do not know what will happen tomorrow“, she explained.
Von der Leyen stressed that the future budget must provide opportunities for rapid and adequate reactions to unforeseen events. She also insisted that regional authorities should be actively involved in the budget process, as the needs of different regions in the EU vary significantly.
“Respect for the rule of law is non-negotiable - it will remain an unchanging prerequisite for securing European funding“, the President of the European Commission was categorical.