On 29 June, the Commission will present its proposal for the post 2013 multiannual financial framework. The proposal affects all policies: agriculture, cohesion policy, research and development, etc. The Commission's aim is to adapt EU spending to today's and tomorrow's big issues like: growth, education and research, climate, security and EU in the world. On the same day, 29 June, the Commission will present its proposal for future own resources. Proposing new own resources does not mean increasing the EU budget. The idea is to reduce Member States' contributions and to compensate by new sources of income. The background: The multiannual financial framework (MFF) defines the long-term political priorities and spending ceilings for each policy category or "heading". It stretches over several years (for example from 2000-2006 and from 2007-2013) to ensure sound and responsible financial planning and management. The multiannual financial framework is now compulsory under the Lisbon Treaty. The Treaty also says that each multiannual financial framework covers at least five years. Formally, the MFF is approved by a unanimous decision of the Council of Ministers, but not before Parliament has given it its consent. Own resources decisions, which may establish new categories of own resources or abolish existing ones, must also be unanimously approved by the Council, but the procedure here differs in that Parliament is only consulted. Currently, there are three resources (national contributions, VAT collected by Member States and import levies). Historically Member States contributions were a small part but have increased to some 70% in the last years due to trade liberalisation agreements. The event: The Commission presents its proposal for the post 2013 multiannual financial framework and proposal for future own resources. IP and MEMO will be available on the day.fromxxxxxxxxx ap
28/06/2011 -
Janusz Lewandowski: "Common strategic frameworks avoid duplication of efforts and investments"
27/06/2011 - Congress on citizenship and town twinning: exploring new forms of partnerships
Action: Non Legislative 
Sunday, 3 July 2011
On the eve of the European Commission's presenting its proposal for the post-2013 multiannual financial framework, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) asked three questions to EU budget commissioner, Janusz Lewandowski.
Will the idea of a common strategic framework end up being realised, thus replacing the current fragmented approach used for the different programmes?
It is still a little early to go into detail since the college meeting on the next financial framework will take place on Wednesday 29 June; I obviously cannot prejudge what the outcome of the meeting will be. However, it is true that we are studying the concept of common strategic framework for a number of policies. It seems to make sense to have a coordinated, strategic overview of the aims of EU funding rather than let each Member States have its own priorities. Common strategic frameworks avoid duplication of efforts and investments, enable working on bigger-scale projects and generally bring more added value to the 27 Member States and 500 million Europeans. However, I stress it once again, we must not prejudge the final decision of the college.
Does the European Commission intend to propose a well-balanced repartition of the major EU political priorities, and more specifically a reasonable financial basis for cohesion policy?
Well, the EU priorities are well known, they are in the Europe 2020 strategy, and I think the EU budget is the main way to translate priorities into achievements! Europe is at a crossroads: as new economic powers are emerging around us Member States are going through a painful budgetary and fiscal crisis. In this difficult context the EU budget has a dual obligation: to show restraint and to help Europe overcome the crisis. This in turn means that our proposal will be realistic while focusing on those areas where a euro spent at EU level is more effective than if spent at home by 27 Member States. Let me give you an example: Despite decades of integration Europe still needs to invest in infrastructure interconnections. Member States are eager to use EU funds at home but experience shows that they are less keen to invest them in purely cross-border projects. As a consequence, rail traffic across Europe is slower than it should be, some member States are at the mercy of one single government turning off the electricity tap, and whole areas are lagging behind in terms of information and communication technologies... In times of austerity, we must demonstrate that the EU budget invests where it can make a real difference on the ground.
As for the overall envelope of cohesion policy, I would not expect spectacular revolutions. In a way, this is less about "how much" and far more about "what", "why" and "how". A number of ideas are on the table, including that of intermediate regions, but again I cannot give you precise answers ahead of the college meeting. Let us say that I am confident that Europe's local and regional authorities will not feel that they were ignored in the Commission's proposal. I believe in cohesion policy and so do my colleagues; but cohesion policy, like any other policy, like all of us, must move with its time. Our proposal is for the years 2014-2020 and we simply must try imagine how best the cohesion policy will reach its aims in the future...
What kind of provisions does the Commission plan on putting forward in terms of effective spending, of macroeconomic conditionality, and of simplifying the management of funds?
The Commission wishes to simplify the management of funds. This is no scoop mind you, in May 2010 in our proposal to review the financial regulation we already stated that aim and indicated ways to reach them (no need for applicants to fill in the same forms every time they apply for funds, no need for them to open separate accounts, funding criterion focusing more on the actual result than on the mere "was the form filled in properly?" criterion, etc. We still wish to simplify access to EU funds simply because we believe that they have a crucial role to play in shaping the future of Europe.
I would be careful on conditionality; maybe it would be better to talk about "conditionalities" since the concept can take various shapes according to the policy. Some want a certain type of conditionality attached to the European neighbourhood Instrument (investments in projects that would help Northern African countries improve their socio-economic situation), whereas other muse about "green conditionality" for most EU funds for instance.
At the end of the day, the Commission's approach is fairly simple: the Council will decide at unanimity, any single Member State can stop the whole process; therefore our proposal must be seen as a solid starting point for negotiations. To ignore this simple fact would be catastrophic. In the current climate effective spending is a must!
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is co-organising a European Congress on Citizenship and Twinning, to take place from 29 September to 1 October 2011 in Rybnik, Poland, in order to explore.new forms of partnerships between local and regional authorities as well as discuss the future of the EU “Europe for citizens” programme.
The Congress is organised in partnership with the Association of Polish Cities, a CEMR member association, and the City of Rybnik, with the financial support of the European Commission and under the patronage of the Polish EU presidency.
How to foster the development of a more “grassroots democracy”? What does it mean to be European today? How to promote a more diverse and inclusive society at local and European levels? What types of twinning links can help respond to the concrete needs of citizens and municipalities? Such will be among the questions posed and discussed during the Congress.
Consultation --> green paper --> Congress conclusions --> white paper
CEMR has launched a public consultation, whose results will allow CEMR to compile a green paper putting forward recommendations for the future post-2013 European programme “Europe for citizens”. The green paper will be launched at the occasion of the Congress, the deadline for submission of contributions being 20 July 2011.
The green paper and Congress conclusions will then be incorporated into a white paper “for a new European citizenship”, which CEMR plans to present to the European Commission before the end of 2011.
Citizenship Avenue: shedding light on European citizenship
Short information sessions on technical aspects of the “Europe for citizens” programme and of other EU programmes are to be organised on “Citizenship Avenue”, which will be open to Congress participants and to any other interested parties.
Citizenship Avenue will also aim at raising awareness on different funding opportunities for citizenship and twinning initiatives and at identifying ways in which European programmes can be rendered more transversal.
Practical information
Date: 29 September to 1 October 2011.
Venue: Rybnickie Centrum Kultury, ul. Saint Vallier 1, Rybnik, Poland.
Registration: Fill out and send the online registration and hotel forms
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish (plenary sessions); English, French and Polish (workshops).
Website: http://www.rybnik2011.eu/
An “RSS news feed” application is available on the event website allowing subscribers to automatically receive the latest updates on the Congress.
Date: 29.Jun.2011
Where: Brussels
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