The EESC welcomes the proposed Home Affairs funds for migration, border management and internal security for 2028–2034, but warns that, taken together, they reflect a strong shift towards security and control that risks marginalising integration, inclusion and fundamental rights. While acknowledging the need for effective border management, returns and internal security, the EESC stresses that migration policy must prioritise legal, safe pathways, respect for EU and international law, and robust individual protection. The Committee calls for independent monitoring of fundamental rights at borders, stronger commitments to legal migration and integration, and strict human-rights compliance in cooperation with third countries. Ultimately, the EESC argues that the EU’s legitimacy in migration, border and security policies depend on its ability to defend democratic values and fundamental rights.
Europeans need more (and better) Europe. The powers and financial resources currently allocated to the EU have been increasingly misaligned with the concerns and expectations of Europeans. The EESC, in accordance with the European Parliament's position, therefore proposes that the expenditure and revenue figure reach 1.3% of GNI. The proposed level of commitments of 1.11% of the EU's GNI is too modest to credibly deliver on the political agenda of the EU.
The EESC recognises the high European added value of the programmes where the MFF 2021-2027 concentrates the main increases in expenditure. However, the Committee questions the fact that these increases are made at the cost of strong cuts in cohesion policy (-10%) and the Common Agricultural Policy – CAP (-15%).
Download — Parere del CESE: Multiannual Financial Framework after 2020
