European Parliament aligns future EU budget with higher climate ambition

Financing the transition

Today the European Parliament’s leading committee on the future EU budget agreed on EU spending priorities for the period 2021-2027. MEPs put future EU funding one step closer to delivering on the EU’s climate action commitments, sending an important signal to EU leaders ahead of an informal European Council which will discuss the future EU budget.

MEPs today called for more financial support to tackle climate change in future EU spending. They also stressed that the next budget should enable the EU to achieve its international climate commitments. They also underlined that the EU should not finance fossil fuel projects as these are contrary to the achievement of these goals.

Markus Trilling, finance and subsidies policy coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, said: “The current approach of the European Parliament to the future EU budget is clearly pointed in the right direction as it recognises how vital it is to make all EU spending work for the climate and to end any support for fossil fuels.”

“Likewise we are expecting EU leaders tomorrow to acknowledge the signs of the times and to ensure EU funds are fully delivering on the Paris Agreement, serving higher climate ambition in Europe.”

The future EU budget has great potential to catalyse the transition away from fossil fuels towards 100% renewables and fully energy-efficient economies, holding the seeds of multiple benefits for European citizens and the climate. It is also the right tool to allocate financial support to the European regions and communities in pursuing the clean energy transition, as well as to developing countries that are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts.

ENDS

Contact:

Nicolas Derobert, CAN Europe Communications Coordinator, nicolas@caneurope.org, +32 289 446 73

Notes:

  • Article 80 of the draft report, adopted by the budget committee today, says: “Stresses the importance of the EU’s leading role in tackling climate change and its internal and external biodiversity commitments and goals; asks for appropriate financial resources to be provided to implement the Paris agreement and thorough climate mainstreaming of future EU spending; recalls that the next MFF should help the Union to achieve its 2030 climate and energy framework objectives; underlines that the EU should not finance projects and investments that are contrary to the achievement of these goals;”

  • A new infographic summarises our main political asks to make the future EU budget fully climate-friendly.

 

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s largest coalition working on climate and energy issues. With over 140 member organisations in more than 30 European countries – representing over 44 million citizens – CAN Europe works to prevent dangerous climate change and promote sustainable climate and energy policy in Europe.

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