Statement from Ambassador Sem Fabrizi on European Commission proposal for the next long-term budget (2021-2027) :
“The next long term budget proposed by the Commission is good news for Serbia and the Western Balkans region for two reasons” Ambassador Fabrizi says on Friday.
“The first reason is that the European Commission is proposing to increase its total pre-accession assistance to €14.500 billion. This is a 20% increase compared to the current budget period and it means more funds for Serbia and the Western Balkans to prepare for EU accession.
The second reason is that this budget has the necessary flexibility to adapt to new accession once candidates are ready to join. This is what was said in the Western Balkans Strategy adopted in February and this is what the EU already experienced when Croatia joined the EU in 2013, with a long term budget going until 2014.
So this budget proposal clearly confirms the European Commission’s commitments to Serbia and the Western Balkans.”, Ambassador Fabrizi added.
Background:
The Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF) for the years 2021-2027 proposed by the European Commission on 2 May 2018 reflects the EU’s need to focus on strategic priorities both geographically – the Western Balkans, the European Neighbourhood and Africa, but also thematically – security, migration, climate change and human rights. The Commission proposed to increase investments and assistance in external actions up to 26% to reach €123 billion in the future long-term EU budget (in the in the neighbourhood and beyond and assistance for countries preparing for accession to the EU), along with a major restructuring of the EU’s external action instruments to provide better coherence, build on cooperation effectiveness, simplify processes and use economies of scale. The funds allocated for the Pre-accession assistance are 1.2 times superior to the previous EU budget period, in line with the priorities, total €14.500 billion.
There will be more funds available for the Western Balkans in the new EU budget, and – which is also what the Western Balkans Strategy says – preparations for new accessions will be made in good time. This means more funds in support of WB reforms in view of the EU membership with the necessary flexibility to adapt in case of future accessions. The rule in the long term budget is that for new accessions to the Union the Multiannual Financial Framework shall be revised to take account of the expenditure requirements resulting there. This was also done for Croatia which joined the Union in 2013, while the MFF ran till 2014.
More information on:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-3570_en.htm?locale=en
