European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
financial regulation
How the EU budget is spent: European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)
An investment gap in the European Union (EU) persisting several years after the financial and economic crisis is one of the various challenges confronting the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the years 2014 to 2020 since its beginning. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: The fight against tax fraud [Policy Podcast]
Tax policy, and the fight against tax fraud, have gained particular exposure over the five past years as a result of the light shed by repeated tax leaks and the related journalistic investigations. Continue reading
LIFE programme for 2021-2027: Financing environmental and climate objectives [EU Legislation in Progress]
Launched in 1992, the LIFE programme is the only EU fund entirely dedicated to environmental and climate objectives. It supports the implementation of relevant EU legislation and the development of key policy priorities, by co-financing projects with European added value. To date, LIFE has co‑financed more than 4 500 projects. Continue reading
Cross-border euro transfers and currency conversions: A step forward in favour of the single market [EU Legislation in Progress]
Cross-border payments are crucial for the integration of the EU economy, and play an important role in ensuring that citizens and enterprises from all EU Member States enjoy the same rights offered by the single market. Continue reading
European territorial cooperation (Interreg) 2021-2027 [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 29 May 2018, the European Commission adopted several proposals aimed at defining the architecture of EU cohesion policy for the post-2020 programming period. Continue reading
Connecting Europe Facility 2021-2027: Financing key EU infrastructure networks [EU Legislation in Progress]
Strong, modern, and reliable infrastructure is essential to secure jobs, growth and competitiveness in the European Union. Given this need, the EU supports the development of high-performing, sustainable and interconnected trans-European networks in three areas: transport, energy and digital infrastructure. Continue reading
EU Multiannual Financial Framework [What Think Tanks are thinking]
The European Commission has made proposals for the new long-term budget and on own resources for the European Union. The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027 is slightly bigger than the current MFF, in constant prices. Continue reading
Post-2020 MFF and own resources: Ahead of the Commission’s proposal
On 2 May, the Commission is expected to publish proposals for a new multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the European Union for the years after 2020, as well as for a new system of own resources (OR) to provide the EU with the means to finance its annual budgets. Continue reading
Performance budgeting: A means to improve EU spending
In 2015, the European Commission launched an initiative entitled, ‘The EU budget focused on results’. The initiative is aimed at changing spending culture and making results a horizontal priority for the EU budget, by paying as much attention to funds’ performance, efficiency and effectiveness as to their absorption and compliance with financial rules. Continue reading
The long-term EU budget [What Think Tanks are thinking]
European Union leaders agreed at their informal meeting on 23 February that the EU should spend more after 2020 on curbing illegal migration, on defence and security, and on the Erasmus+ student-exchange programme. Continue reading
Outcome of the informal meeting of the 27 Heads of State or Government of 23 February 2018
At an informal meeting on 23 February 2018, 27 Heads of State or Government (the UK did not take part as the discussion were future oriented) discussed two major topics: institutional issues, in particular the future composition of the European Parliament and high-level EU appointments, including the Spitzenkandidaten process, on the one hand, and the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), on the other. Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Strasbourg, February I 2018
Highlights of the session included the second in a series of debates with EU leaders on the future of Europe, with Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković; and the debate and vote on the composition of the European Parliament after Brexit. Continue reading
The EU’s next long-term budget [What Think Tanks are thinking]
European Union Member States and institutions are preparing to embark on negotiations on the EU’s next long-term budget, or Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), that will cover five or seven years, starting in January 2021. Continue reading
Economic and Budgetary Outlook for the European Union 2018
In 2017, the EU and euro-area economies continued their moderate growth (slightly over 2 %) in a context of global improvement (3.5 %) underpinned by a strong rebound in world trade, continuing growth in China and a return to growth in countries such as Brazil and Russia. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Development Cooperation Instrument
The Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) is the main financial instrument in the EU budget for funding aid to developing countries. Continue reading
Revision of EU financial rules [EU Legislation in Progress]
In September 2016, the Commission tabled a proposal for a new Financial Regulation which would replace the current one (together with its Rules of Application), as well as amend 15 other sectoral instruments each containing financial rules. The Commission justifies its proposal by the need to simplify EU financial rules and make them more flexible. Continue reading
European Fund for Strategic Investments – EFSI 2.0 [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 14 September 2016, the Commission proposed an extension of the duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) until end-2020, and the introduction of technical enhancements for that fund and the European Investment Advisory Hub. Under the new regulation, (EFSI 2.0), steps are taken to increase support for small-scale projects; Parliament can send a (non-voting) expert to EFSI’s steering board, and EFSI’s scoreboard will be publicly available after a project is signed. Continue reading
The Development Cooperation Instrument
In December 2013, the European Parliament (EP) approved the compromise text agreed in trilogue on a new Regulation on the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), the EU’s major financial instrument for development cooperation in the 2014-20 period. The Council is expected shortly to approve the text in its turn, ensuring adoption of the legislative act at … Continue reading
Hercule III: protecting the EU’s financial interests
Through its Hercule programme, the EU supports projects to improve prevention, detection and investigation of offences against its financial interests. Examples include specialised training, studies and purchase of technical tools. Further to an agreement in trilogue, a new phase of the programme should run from 2014 to 2020, with a total budget of €105 million. … Continue reading
The MFF 2014-2020: how much can the EU budget contribute to growth and employment?
Corresponding to around 1% of the EU’s gross national income (or 2% of public spending in the EU), the EU budget is considered small in size by many analysts and its impact on the economy of the EU is debated. However, the role that the EU budget can play in economic recovery should not be underestimated. … Continue reading
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