Insufficient focus on security and migration in EU budget

The N-VA delegation in the European Parliament has voted against the EU budget for 2017 because it contains insufficient focus on security and migration. “Less than 9% of the budget is reserved for measures aimed at strengthening the security and asylum policy,” European Parliament member Sander Loones comments, “while those are exactly the themes that should be assigned the highest priority.”

Especially when it comes to security, Europe achieves an insufficient score: only 2.7 percent of the budget is allocated to security measures. “Europe has the obligation to set out a policy together with the member states that provides our citizens with maximum protection against terror,” says Sander Loones. “Therefore we have suggested increasing the resources allocated to Europol and Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard.”

Unnecessary expenses

On the other hand, N-VA is also sceptical about the unnecessary and cost-intensive issues that Europe focuses on. “Take for example the operation of the new House of European History, while the Parlementarium already includes this and fills the role of a visitor centre perfectly,” European Parliament member Anneleen van Bossuyt says. “In addition, the traditional groups refuse to accept cuts to the travel and expense reimbursements for parliament members. Even worse: for some, their own limousine service or a free Interrail pass for 18-year-olds seems like a real priority. Any politician in their right mind understands that tax money is not intended for such purposes.”

Finally, it is striking that the traditional groups vote in favour of expanding European resources by more than four billion euros. “Unnecessary and inappropriate,” says Sander Loones. “In times in which serious efforts are being demanded from European citizens and member states, we should be doing the exact opposite and looking into areas in which we can save appropriately.”