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INTERVIEW Siegfried Muresan: Main objective is to adopt strong EU budget by year end.
The main objective is to adopt on time, by the end of the year, a solid budget of the European Union, which will ensure the payment of all the expenses from European funds planned for next year, and in the negotiations I will defend the interests of Romanians, but also those of the people of all the other member states and I will also take into account the priorities of the European Union as a whole, said Siegfried Muresan, Vice-President of the European People's Party's Group in the European Parliament, appointed on Tuesday as the European Parliament's general rapporteur (chief negotiator) for the 2024 EU budget, in an interview with AGERPRES.
The Romanian MEP argued that, in a context where the EU budget resources are limited in relation to the needs, any possible cuts proposed by some member states should be avoided, as it is extremely important that the budget is sufficient for all categories of beneficiaries.
Moreover, in all those areas where increases are necessary and justified, I want to obtain increases in European funds for beneficiaries in Romania and all EU member states, explained Muresan.
On the other hand, the MEP believes that support for Ukraine allocated in the EU budget must be increased and that the same assistance must be offered to the Republic of Moldova, a country "as important for our security as Ukraine is."
On Romania's EU funds spending, the EPP Group Vice-President noted that since its accession to the EU, Romania has received over 83.7 billion euros from the EU budget and has contributed only 27.3 billion euros to it, which means net receipts of over 56 billion euros for our country and the fact that Romania has absorbed the overwhelming majority of the funds at its disposal. He voiced the hope that Romania will speed up the absorption of European funds under the 2021 - 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.
Siegfried Muresan is the only Romanian MEP to have been appointed twice as the EP's chief negotiator for the EU budget. He also negotiated the 2018 EU budget. The European Commission is due to submit a budget proposal for 2024 in early June and, on the basis of this proposal, negotiations will follow between the EP and the EU Council representatives.
AGERPRES: What would be your main priorities as the European Parliament's chief negotiator for the European Union budget for 2024, the year in which European elections will take place in the member states?
Siegfried Muresan: The main objective is to adopt a strong budget in time, by the end of the year, to ensure the payment of all the EU funds planned for next year. I want to make sure that, in 2024, all beneficiaries of European funds in Romania and other member states will receive their money on time, whether we are talking about farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, local and county authorities receiving European funds for water, sewerage, gas infrastructure works in villages and municipalities or students receiving Erasmus scholarships.
AGERPRES: Member states obviously have different interests which they want to be reflected to some extent in the final form of the EU budget. In this context, what challenges do you think you will face in order to structure a balanced EU budget for all member states, but at the same time meeting the needs of the European Union as a whole?
Siegfried Muresan: As the European Parliament's chief negotiator for the 2024 EU budget, my role is to take into account the priorities and needs of the people of all member states. As such, in the negotiations, I will defend the interests of Romanians, but also those of the people of all other member states. I will also take into account the priorities of the European Union as a whole, such as economic development, support for farmers, digitisation, green transition, but also security and support for Ukraine and our neighbouring countries.
That is why, since the European Union must do more now than ever before with the budget resources it has, I want to avoid any possible cuts that I expect some member state governments to propose. We need to make sure that the budget is sufficient for all categories of beneficiaries. And if some governments are going to propose cuts to the EU budget, my aim is to reject any cuts.
Moreover, in all those areas where increases are necessary and justified, I want us to obtain increases in European funds for beneficiaries in Romania and in all EU member states.
AGERPRES: Does Romania have a problem with spending European funds? What should our country do to improve absorption and how will this be reflected in the EU budget for 2024?
Siegfried Muresan: Since Romania joined the European Union and until today, we have received more than 83.7 billion euros from the EU budget, while we have contributed only 27.3 billion euros to the budget. This means that we have received 3 euros for every 1 euro contributed to the budget and it means net receipts of over 56 billion euros for our country. Romania has absorbed the overwhelming majority of the funds made available to it.
Romania is today much better at absorbing European funds than is the perception created especially within this anti-European narrative. In 2022, for example, Romania absorbed 11.3 billion euros in European funds, the largest amount of EU funds we have attracted so far in a calendar year, since we have been an EU member state.
Of course, it is important to absorb EU funds as soon as possible because the sooner we finish a project financed by European funds, for example, a motorway, the longer we have a positive benefit from it. In order to speed up the absorption of European funds, we have simplified the rules at European level, we have reduced bureaucracy in the new budget year 2021 - 2027, and this will have a positive impact for the beneficiaries of European funds in the coming years.
Regarding the 2024 EU budget, I expect Romania to speed up the absorption of European funds related to the 2021 - 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. That is why my objective is to allocate enough money in the budget to settle next year's expenditure on these investments from EU funds on time.
AGERPRES: If the war in Ukraine continues into 2024, what place will this crisis near the European Union's border occupy in the EU's budget concerns?
Siegfried Muresan: Ukrainian citizens are fighting with a gun in hand to defend their country. But by doing so, they also defend our peace, in the European Union. That is why we must continue and increase the support for Ukraine that we allocate from the EU budget.
And whatever we give to Ukraine in terms of assistance, we must also give to the Republic of Moldova, which is as important to our security as Ukraine is.
AGERPRES: How likely is a decrease in EU budget allocations to member states in the next Multiannual Financial Framework?
Siegfried Muresan: My objective is to have a stronger Multiannual Financial Framework for the people and businesses of EU member states, not a weaker one. Because people expect the European Union to act more, to support more entrepreneurs, farmers, to invest more in the transition to a green economy, in digitisation, in the development of more sustainable cities, in the health system.
Nonetheless, if we want the Union to do more, we must also equip it with the resources to meet our expectations. That is why we are now working at European level to create a European Union own resources package that will provide stable, predictable revenues for the EU budget, without increasing the burden on European citizens and businesses and without depending on the outcome of regular budget negotiations between member state governments.
