The budget and European disintegration – what role for the post-2020 MFF?

Abstract

ABSTRACT With each negotiation round for a new multiannual financial framework (MFF), European policy actors are confronted with claims for significant reforms. In most cases, those claims are not-well justified as they often lack recognition of the stabilizing function of the framework’s complex institutional structure. Given that the future path of European integration appears quite uncertain after a decade of multiple crises, this contribution argues that there are two main challenges that exist for the post-2020 budget. Firstly, the 2021–2027 MFF has to reinforce the EU’s problem-solving capacity in areas of integration that are largely undisputed among member states. This holds especially for the functioning and integrity of the single market and its supporting policies, but also for the main expenditure programs in agriculture, regional development, or research and innovation. Secondly, the budget must provide a sufficient amount and targeting of resources to prevent the Union from further disintegration in socio-economic, territorial, and political terms, especially in light of future challenges such as the ‘greening’ of the Union’s economy.