Defining the multiannual financial framework of the European Union (MFF) means defining the shape of Europe for the coming decade. We do not need false debates on the principles of shared austerity, or on the appropriate policy priorities. Instead, we must strive to balance the books while promoting economic growth and especially job creation throughout Europe.

The MFF talks being held today and tomorrow in Brussels are taking place as Europe, in particular the eurozone, faces a severe economic crisis and as member-state governments introduce austerity budgets. Not surprisingly, there are voices calling for parallel budget cuts at European level, and these opinions must be taken seriously. But how would reducing EU investment in science and innovation stimulate economic recovery? How do we build a robust European foreign policy? And what about the Cohesion Policy?

Guided back to growth

My country – Poland – is a good example of how well-invested European funds can help countries to weather the current economic and financial crisis. With our experience in mind, I firmly believe that the EU must now work together to agree a MFF that will guide all its member states out of the current crisis and back into growth.

That is why Poland, which is currently the president of the EU’s Council of Ministers, has insisted on bringing as wide a number of stakeholders as possible into these discussions from the very beginning of the process. Only in this way can we start building as broad a consensus as possible behind this next and most crucial MFF. 

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Previously, these frameworks were negotiated in a closed circle of member states and only later presented as a fait accompli to the European Parliament. Greater democratic legitimacy argues against such an approach today – and the Lisbon treaty prevents it. EU citizens must be sure that their directly elected representatives have the opportunity to participate in talks as important as these are.

The European Parliament, as well as national parliaments, must therefore have a voice in the discussion. They are both represented in force at today’s conference, at which we will see how the European Commission’s proposal for the next MFF resonates in other EU institutions and member states.

In these discussions, we must not limit our focus simply on the EU’s spending, which represents just 2% of public expenditure at member-state level. Instead, we should also talk about new sources of revenues and about new proposals – for example, about the financial transactions tax proposed recently by the Commission. There must be no taboos. 

Working together

Above all, let us not lose sight of the fact that the MFF is also about solidarity and about making policy choices to ensure the EU’s sustained future competitiveness on the world stage. Let us not forget, too, that EU budgets in collaboration with national budgets are helping to transform our economy by establishing clear links between the EU budget, national budgets and our Europe 2020 growth strategy and vision.

As one example of what we can accomplish by working together, Galileo, Europe’s own global navigation system, will be launched tomorrow (21 October) from French Guyana to compete with the US GPS and the Russian Glonoss systems. Funded in part by the EU, Galileo will eventually comprise a network of 30 satellites. It will create jobs – and the technology it uses has enormous potential for use in a wide range of other applications. Its importance is best illustrated by the fact that already some 6%-7% of European gross domestic product (€800 billion in value) depends on satellite navigation – notably in the logistics, transport and telecom sectors. 

The MFF is ‘EU policy translated into numbers’. At stake is the future welfare and prosperity of all Europe’s citizens. The Polish presidency wants to ensure that this is at the very forefront of everyone’s mind in the coming debate.

Mikołaj Dowgielewicz is Poland’s secretary of state for European affairs.