On 18 November, the respective presidents of the EESC Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC), the EESC Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) and the EESC Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law, Aurel Laurențiu Plosceanu, Stefano Palmieri and Cristian Pîrvulescu, issued a joint statement expressing great concern over the stance of two governments who threatened to veto the EU Budget if it remains tied to respect for the rule of law.
The EESC has already given strong support to the Commission's proposal on the Next Generation EU package, which should – together with the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and for a total amount of EUR 1.82 trillion – cushion the blows of the COVID-19 crisis and enable EU economies to make a quick recovery.
According to the statement, making the use of EU funding dependent upon Member States' respect for the rule of law should not be controversial as it is one of the core values upon which the EU was built.
Read the full statement here: https://europa.eu/!cH83Bj