Joint Declaration of V4 Finance Ministers on the Revenue Side of the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework

WE RECOGNIZE that the EU budget is the key investment tool of the EU. It serves to support EU policies and objectives and provides funds for medium- to long-term investments,

WE NOTE that the EU budget is largely driven by the expenditure side rather than determined by the availability of revenue. Therefore we should aim at fair, simple, transparent and resilient own resources system that responds to all demands.

WE RECOGNIZE the need to provide the Union with adequate resources which should be reflected in the appropriate level of the own resources ceiling.

WE ARE CONVINCED that the main building blocks of the new own resources system should consist of GNI contributions and traditional own resources as the latter represents a genuine own resource and the GNI is considered as the benchmark of fair burden-sharing.

WE RECOGNIZE that the VAT based own resource reflects the connection with the Single Market and that the new proposal would simplify the current calculation method. Its complete abolition would also lead to simpler and more transparent system of own resources.

WE ARE OF THE VIEW that all resources, including potential additional ones should be fair, simple, sustainable, in line with principles of proportionality and subsidiarity (in particular fiscal sovereignty) and consistent with the EU policies while providing for positive incentives. Any new resource thus should not put a disproportional burden on less prosperous Member States, in line with Protocol 28 to the TFEU.

WE EMPHASIZE that the focus on the European added value in the EU budget inevitably leads to the abandonment of the net position approach and thus makes any rebate unnecessary. Withdrawal of the UK from the EU provides a unique window of opportunity to review how we measure the real costs and benefits of the EU and to start the new financial framework without any correction mechanism.

Source: Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic