Prime Minister Rinne and President-elect of the Commission von der Leyen discuss the finalisation of the EU’s next financial framework

Government Communications Department
Publication date 24.10.2019 13.50
Press release 560/2019

Today on 24 October, Prime Minister Antti Rinne and the President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen met in Helsinki to discuss the finalisation of the next multiannual financial framework, i.e. the EU’s long-term budget (2021–2027), and the priorities of the next European Commission.

As the current Presidency of the Council of the EU, Finland has pushed forward the negotiations on the financial framework. The aim for Finland is to submit a draft agreement, the negotiation box with MFF figures, to the European Council President by the end of this year.

“Next we will finalise the negotiation box including figures and present this to the member states. After that, it is up to the European Council President, Charles Michel from the beginning of December, to decide when agreement on the framework is sought in the European Council. We hope that agreement will be reached as soon as possible so that important new funding programmes can be implemented without delay,” Prime Minister Rinne says.

Climate work will have an important role both in the MFF and in the agenda of the next Commission.

“In the future framework at least 25% of the funding will be targeted to measures to fight against climate change. EU leads the way in global climate work, and this must be the case in future as well. A carbon-neutral EU by 2050 is a very concrete target, and a budget that strongly supports climate work is in a key position to achieve this,” Prime Minister Rinne says.

The topics discussed also included the agenda of the next Commission more broadly, and its priorities.

“I wish to thank President-elect von der Leyen for her strong focus on research, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and clean technologies. Finland fully supports these priorities,” Rinne says.

The term of the Commission led by von der Leyen will begin after the European Parliament has approved the overall composition of the new Commission.

Inquiries: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 50 468 5949, Pilvi-Elina Kupias, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 295 160 995, Dimitri Qvintus, Special Adviser (Media Relations), tel. +358 50 574 0956 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU and International Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office