Greens request more funding for EU budget 2014-2020

Alternattiva Demokratika has joined the European Greens in calling for an increase in funding for the EU budget 2014-2020.

AD chairperson Arnold Cassola said it was important that this increased in the context of the high level of unemployment and social hardships in Europe.

This, he said, was a consequence of the austerity measures of the different governments.

"Such increases, especially in the area of education, research and competitiveness, would not only benefit the whole European economy but would also probably enable Malta to obtain even more funding than that already obtained for the period 2014-2020," Cassola said.

Helga Trüpel, budgetary spokesperson for the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, said that the proposed €85bn of EU budget cuts goes far beyond the savings efforts at national level by a number of member states and will have serious impacts on funding for EU grants programmes.

"The Council's heaviest cuts are in the areas of education, research and competitiveness, while investment in future competitiveness and in education, research and development were all sacrificed to short-term national interests, despite initial promises," she said.