Von der Leyen calls for an EU budget that "delivers" on European concerns

“Ι will not accept any result which does not guarantee that at least 25% of the budget is devoted to the fight against climate change,” Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said on Wednesday, during EP’s plenary session in Strasbourg.
“We need a budget that citizens and companies see that we are able to act on climate change. For citizens this is a top priority. For us it is a challenge. But it is our duty to turn this challenge into an opportunity,” von der Leyen added.
EU leaders are scheduled to meet on 20 February in an emergency council that was convened by EU Council President Charles Michel, to resolve the stalemate on the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027.
The European Commission’s primary target is to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050, an ambition that is expected to be achieved through its flagship “Green Deal” policy and will require a significant amount of EU’s long-term budget.
EU’s chief also stressed the necessity to have a “European budget that delivers on European concerns, such as research programmes, Erasmus, defence investments or migration funds.”
Addressing the European Parliament, she called the MEPs to compromise, supporting that “we have to find the right balance between our old policies and new priorities.”