Chapter 17 - ‘The EU budget – including the CAP – should be used to finance the Union’s priorities

Annika Hedberg states in her contribution ‘The EU budget – including the CAP – should be used to finance the Union’s priorities’ that in its current form, the MFF proposal suggests that the EU’s priorities lie in the past rather than in the future. While keeping old structures, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), on life support, it underperforms when it comes to addressing today’s pressing challenges. It also fails to devote enough resources to people’s top concerns today. As the European Commission’s proposal for the new MFF is currently under discussion with the European Parliament and the member states, it is still possible for the next EU leadership to ensure that this time around the Union will put its money where its mouth is. She identifies a number of concrete issues where changes in the EU’s budget can enhance the Union’s performance in regard to those pressing challenges.