EU budget: focus still on the wrong track

Europe will finally spend more resources on the urgent challenges faced on the migration and security front: EUR 15.7 billion to be precise, spread over the coming three years, so it appears from the suggested EU budget proposal for 2017. “A step in the right direction,” European Parliament member Sander Loones states, “just like the shift of 547 staff members to departments where their efforts are more useful. However, when I look at the whole picture, the current proposal still leaves something to be desired as far as I’m concerned. For example, seventy percent of the EU budget still goes to the agriculture and cohesion policy, against the mere 2.7 percent allotted to security and citizenship. A critical investigation into the added value of all expenditures is sorely needed.”

Nonetheless, Sander Loones is satisfied that the budget proposal contains a recommendation to spend unused resources for agriculture and resources from cut-backs on administrative costs on the migration crisis from now on. “The N-VA has always advocated a shift of resources. It’s promising that the European Commission is increasingly following our lead in this. For that matter, EU budget is more than sufficient and should under no circumstances be increased.”

Costs of Brexit: five billion euros

Loones also received confirmation that the United Kingdom’s definitive departure will cost the EU in the vicinity of five billion euros, net. “As long as the British are still part of the EU, they have the same rights and obligations as all member states. Thus in the coming years they will continue to contribute their share. But at the same time we are clear: if Brexit results in lower income and a smaller European budget, the EU will have to adapt its spending. Because there is no circumstance under which other member states such as Belgium must pay a higher contribution to compensate the British loss. The EU will then have to cut back on spending by for example abolishing the monthly travelling circus to Strasbourg. That costs citizens about 114 million euros a year. Totally pointless and absurd,” Sander Loones concludes.