LThe members of the 27 member states of the European Union have reached a final agreement on a $ 2 trillion plan designed to rebuild a fragile economy following the collapse of the coronavirus.
How’s The Stimulus Divided?
The package contains EU’s € 1.1 trillion ($ 1.3 trillion) EU Multi-annual Financial Framework, which is paid to all member states and distributed across the block over a period of seven years, as well as a special Covid return fund of € 750 billion ( (858 $ 858) billion), in which the EU will finance the financial markets and provide loans and grants to member states.
The EU reached an agreement on the package back in July, but member states have struggled to agree unanimously on the conditions for funding.
The Struggles
Two member states, Poland and Hungary, have opposed the agreement at previous EU member states demanding that money be withheld from member states that are considered illegal. Both countries are currently being investigated, with cases ranging from repression of political opponents to reduced judges’ independence.
At the Brussels summit, however, a compromise was reached that satisfied the two rebel countries. If enough member states believe that Poland or Hungary, for example, do not meet the EU’s agreed rules and standards, they could create a disenfranchised majority. However, the latest agreement gives the country concerned the opportunity to challenge that decision in the European Court of Justice.
Vera Jourova, vice-president of the European Commission, said she was “satisfied that the official text of the Regulation on Rule of Law condition remains unaffected and that” there is a majority of eligible voters in the Council’s decision. “
He added that he believed that “other member states may want to seek legal redress on this important matter before the European Court of Justice. This is their right. I expect the court to proceed sooner. In my view, we are talking about months rather than years.”
Rebuilding The European Economy
However, that may not satisfy the critics of Hungary or Poland. Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, was quick to seek victory just after the agreement. “We have succeeded. In a difficult time of epidemic, economic crisis, there is no time to continue political debates and ideologies that prevent us from emulating,” Orban said.
The Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, has already said that he intends to take the EU to the ECJ, according to Reuters.
“There is concern that the inclusion of additional patterns in the regulatory framework will delay its effective implementation,” Jakub Jaraczewski, a legal officer at Democracy Reporting International, told CNN. “If member states are to be able to challenge the proposed law before the European Court of Justice, it could be a long time before it can be properly implemented.”
The agreement will be a major step forward for European citizens, who have suffered greatly during the Covid-19 epidemic. Indeed, Brussels’ high bronze had a happy atmosphere.
“Now we can start by using and rebuilding our economy,” Charles Michel, president of the EU Council, tweeted shortly after the agreement was reached. “Our history acquisition package will further our green and digital transformation.”
However, in the coming days, European Union critics are likely to accuse the block of blinking the law, a cornerstone on the credibility of the blog.
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