The European Parliament has called today in its plenary session for a larger long-term EU budget than that proposed by the European Commission. They also ask for the share of the EU’s budget dedicated to climate action to increase from 25% to 30%.
The European Parliament has called for a Multiannual Financial Framework that represents 1.3% of the EU’s Gross National Income and for new own resources. This increase compared to the European Commission’s proposal of 1.1% would grant more ambitious support for a fair and clean energy transition throughout Europe and worldwide.
In addition, the European Parliament’s position to ring-fence 30% of the EU budget after 2020 for measures that address climate change would further boost the total support available for climate action. This is more ambitious than the European Commission’s weak 25% climate action target.
Markus Trilling, Finance and Subsidies Policy Coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:
“The European Parliament’s call for more ambitious climate action in the EU budget is a strong signal that public finance must be used to confront the great challenges of our times, climate change being one of them. It would enable stronger and bolder support for the zero-carbon transition in Europe and worldwide, which must now roll out at a faster pace in order to avoid dangerous climate change.”
“The European Parliament’s position must translate into more ambitious support to climate action measures throughout all funding programmes, with a spending target of 30% of the overall EU budget to address climate change. All fossil fuels need to disappear from the EU funds’ accounting books.”
ENDS
Contact:
Nicolas Derobert, CAN Europe Communications Coordinator, nicolas@caneurope.org, +32 483 62 18 88
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. With over 150 member organisations from 35 European countries, representing over 1.700 NGOs and more than 40 million citizens, CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.
