European Union Documents — Connecting Europe Facility — 19 Jan 2012 at 14:05

The majority of MPs voted for the overall European Union budget to be reduced and to call proposed spending on integrating transport, energy and communications networks within the European Union "unacceptable" as opposed to calling for the proposals to be "reordered".

In this vote MPs were choosing between two possible responses to a proposed European Parliament and European Council regulation to create a new integrated instrument called the Connecting Europe Facility for investing in EU infrastructure priorities in Transport, Energy and Telecommunications. The aim of the facility would have been to seamlessly connect the transport, energy and communications infrastructure across the European Union.

Both possible responses before MPs called for the European Union's overall budget to be reduced. The rejected amendment called for the Connecting Europe Facility proposals to be reordered whereas the original motion called the proposed spending on the proposals unacceptable.

MPs were considering the following motion:

• That this House
• takes note of European Union Documents No. 16176/11 and Addenda 1 and 2, No. 16499/11, No. 16006/11 and Addenda 1 and 2, No. 15629/11 and Addenda 1 to 35, No. 15813/11 and Addenda 1 and 2, relating to the European Commission’s draft regulations on the Connecting Europe Facility in the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-20;
• ''supports the Government’s view that at a time of ongoing economic fragility in Europe and tight constraints on domestic public spending, the Commission’s proposal for substantial increases in EU spending in this area compared with current spend is unacceptable and incompatible with the tough decisions being taken to bring deficits under control in both the UK and countries across Europe;
• considers that spending in this area should focus on identifying and providing genuine EU-added value, and not on spending where domestic governments and the market are better placed to act; and
• further supports the Government’s ongoing efforts to reduce both the Commission’s proposed budget for the Connecting Europe Facility and the overall level of spending in the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-20.

The amendment rejected in this vote was:

• amendment (a), in line 5, leave out from ‘2014-20’ to end and add
• believes that there should be no overall increase in expenditure compared with current levels;
• takes note of the concerns about the Eurozone economy expressed by Standard and Poor’s that “a reform process based on a pillar of fiscal austerity alone risks becoming self-defeating, as domestic demand falls in line with consumers’ rising concerns about job security and disposable incomes, eroding national tax revenues”;
• calls on the European Commission to reduce its proposed budget and the proportion of the Multiannual Financial Framework set aside for the Common Agricultural Policy and to reorder the Connecting Europe Facility proposals to phase capital infrastructure components so that they enhance employment and economic growth within a more limited multi-year budget;
• supports action to promote EU competitiveness and review the impact of the structural funds; and
• calls on the Government to develop more effective deficit reduction strategies at home and across the EU by advocating urgently a credible plan for growth.’.

Debate in Parliament | Source |