Lawmakers slate EU recovery fund, long-term budget
Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels
European lawmakers have condemned cuts to the EU's long-term 1.1 trillion euro budget. They also criticized the lack of control over how the bloc's new 750 billion euro COVID-19 recovery fund will be spent.
Inside the European Parliament there has been scathing criticism of the EU's long-term budget, due to run from next year to the end of 2027. Terms of the almost €1.1tn budget were agreed by EU leaders earlier this week but cuts to health and youth schemes have been slated.
Legislators also expressed concern over lack of oversight in relation to how EU nations spend their share of a €750bn coronavirus pandemic recovery fund, also agreed by EU leaders this week.
With the EU facing a potentially dire social crisis due to the impact of COVID-19, experts are urging political leaders to ensure that young people do not fall through the gaps.
In the European Parliament, the heads of the main EU institutions have been defending their efforts.
Oxfam claims the COVID recovery fund and long-term EU budget do not match the urgency of our current situation and the challenges ahead.
The aid agency says inequality within and beyond the EU is growing, and the recovery plan lacks ambition in addressing the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic. When it comes to the long-term budget, Oxfam is highly critical of cuts to the EU's foreign aid programme.
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