The members of the Committee of the Regions reiterated their support for the proposed EU financial framework 2014-2020 in a plenary debate with Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski. Mercedes Bresso, President of the CoR stated that the EU budget was of crucial importance to help Europe recover from the devastating effects of the economic crisis and should not be reduced under its current level.

The Committee of the Regions reiterated its support to the proposed EU financial framework 2014-2020 by the Commission in a plenary debate with Janusz Lewandowski, European Commissioner for Budget. The Commissioner stated that the major challenge for the future EU budget was how to finance more Europe with the same money. Following a long consultation process, the European Commission had published its proposals for the financial framework 2014-2020 at the end of June, with overall budget commitments amounting to €1,025 billion or 1.05% of the EU's gross national income. The European Parliament asked also last June to increase this amount.

Mercedes Bresso, president of the Committee of the Regions, welcomed the Commission proposals on EU financial framework. Ms Bresso highlighted that the EU budget was of crucial importance to help Europe to recover from the devastating effects of the economic crisis and should not be reduced under its current level. The CoR President also expressed her support for new EU own resources, such as a new value-added tax-based resource and a financial transaction tax.

The responsible for the drafted opinion to the CoR on the EU financial framework, Flo Clucas, stressed that in the crisis, the whole of Europe was in the same boat, and the EU budget provides 'convergence' funding for less developed regions. Afterwards, tailor-made EU support is a lifeline for regions that have not yet completed their transition. He also added that when the EU have helped the regions aboard, they can still get assistance under the 'competitiveness' objective. Clucas concluded that Europeans have to see the EU budget as an investment in their regions and towns, so that the EU can start getting out of the crisis.