“The next EU budget must concentrate on research & development, digitalisation and reinforcing cohesion”, Minister for Innovation and Technology László Palkovics said at a press conference held by the Friends of Cohesion group of countries on Monday in Budapest.

“The challenges that the EU is having to face are in the most part the result of technological development, and accordingly the EU’s innovative research capabilities must be reinforced”, he pointed out.

At the press conference, the European Commission’s Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Günter Oettinger highlighted: “Member states must understand that the EU’s resources will be reduced as a result of the exit of Great Britain, meaning less EU money will also be available for cohesion”.

Mr. Palkovics repeated the Hungarian position to reporters, according to which the EU cohesion policy currently on offer is not acceptable in view of the fact that assisting migration cannot be made part of cohesion policy. “Let us stick to the original principles with relation to cohesion policy”, he said.
Commissioner Oettinger indicated that the financial resources available to the European Union will be reduced by some 80 billion euros during the next budget period, and this is something that member states must also understand, but the reduction in resources must be realised as painlessly as possible. The goal continues to be to reduce differences in development between the various member states of the European Union, including the reduction in differences with relation to GDP per capita, he indicated.

Mr. Palkovics told reporters: The conference was organised with the aim of debating cohesion policy, and particularly the political goals of an “intelligent Europe”, in light of innovation, digitalisation, the multiannual financial framework and the various drafts of the new cohesion regulations. “Cohesion policy is important for all member states, because it is only with its help that Europe can be strong and successful”, he highlighted.

Mr. Oettinger’s words at the meeting, according to which the European Commission is open to agreeing on tangible compromises with member states with relation to the level and method of the reduction in resources, were reassuring, he said. The main topics of the conference, linking to the Commission’s ideas with relation to the post-2020 multiannual framework, were the reinforcement of research & development and the development of digitalisation, both of which will be determining areas of cohesion policy within the upcoming budgetary period.

“Europe is behind both the United States and the Asian countries with relation to spending on research, development and innovation”, the Minister for Innovation and Technology pointed out. “The participants of the conference agreed that for this reason more money must be spent on these areas in future”, he indicated.

According to the Minister, it became clear at the meeting that EU member states have differing opinions on the framework for cohesion policy and on its method of application. Hungary wants to avoid the reduction of funding for the poorer countries of the EU during the 2021-2027 programming period, and the spending of financial resources earmarked for cohesion and closing the gap for other purposes, such as migration. “It has become clear that these positions must converge, and the importance of such events will increase significantly in the near future”, Mr. Palkovics highlighted.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)