Whether you believe in ‘climate change’ or not, the EU is spending on it like there’s no tomorrow
The whole climate change area is the top priority of Frau von Der Leyen’s new EU Commission. She laid this out five months ago before her Commission had even been chosen.
The BBC reports on the British political parties’ spending plans but conspicuously fails to tell the British public about the EU’s grandiose spending priorities. In this report let us all examine and address this omission by the state-funded broadcaster.
25% of the EU budget to be spent on climate change measures
In the current budget, £178 bn has gone on climate change
In the next budget, the EU plans to spend an extra £270 bn
The first priority of President von der Leyen’s Commission is her “European Green Deal”
By March she plans to introduce the EU’s first-ever European Climate Law
She will introduce a Carbon Border Tax
She plans a new “Just Transition Fund” to subsidise poorer EU countries, partly with UK money
Where is the EU spending all this money?
Using information from the “European [EU — Ed.] Parliamentary Research Service” — the approximate equivalent of the House of Common Library service in the UK — as well as from the EU Commission lets expose just how much one of the EU’s top policies is costing.
This report reveals the massive extent of the use of the EU budget on ‘climate change’ measures.
Here is where the climate change money is being spent in the current EU budget (MFF)
2014–2020 programmes — Heading
Climate Finance (£ billion)
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development — H2 £48.9
European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) — H2 £38.6
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) — H1b £31.1
Cohesion Fund (CF) — H1b £17.5
Horizon 2020 — H1a £16.9
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) — H1a £9.7
Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) — H4 £3.9
European Social Fund (ESF) — H1b £3.1
European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) — H4 £2.4
Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) — H4 £1.4
Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) — H2
£1.4
European Earth Observation Programme (Copernicus) — H1a £1.2
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) — H2 £0.8
Others £0.9
TOTAL
£177.8 billion
Here is where the climate change money is planned to be spent in the next EU budget (MFF)
2021–2027 programmes
Climate Finance (£ billion)
Common agricultural policy £123.7
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) £57.5
Horizon Europe £27.9
Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument £19.0
Cohesion Fund (CF) £14.7
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) £12.5
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) £5.2
InvestEU Fund £3.7
LIFE (environment and climate action) £2.8
Pre-accession assistance £1.9
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
£1.5
TOTAL
£270.4 billion
The next budget will not be signed off by the EU Council until next year, so the distribution of funds in the second table above may vary a little, but it represents current thinking.
This is only part of the picture — one trillion more to come
In addition to the spending above, the EU expects member states to spend far more from their national budgets.
Here is President von der Leyen at the Madrid climate change conference taking place in Madrid right now:-
“The European Green Deal is Europe’s new growth strategy.”
“We will deliver a Sustainable Europe Investment Plan — which will support one trillion euros of investment over the next decade.”
Frau von der Leyen has also talked of spending by the European Investment Bank (EIB) — in which the United Kingdom is still a major shareholder.
“The Fund will leverage public and private money, including with the help of the European Investment Bank that has committed itself to become Europe’s Climate Bank.”
EU Commission President von der Leyen, Madrid, 02 Dec 2019
“Whether you believe in ‘climate change’ or not, the EU is spending on it like there’s no tomorrow.”
If the UK government were proposing a budget in which 25% of the overall spend was on climate change, there would be a major debate in Parliament. In individual policy areas, the percentages are far higher.
The simple fact is that there has not been a debate in Parliament on the EU Commission’s priorities, nor on the amount it has spent and plans to spend going forward. The reason is simple. The United Kingdom has very little say in the matter.
When it comes to the “Transition Period” which will start on 01 February if Boris Johnson is elected, the EU will decide its final figures during that time. During the Transition Period, the UK will have no say whatsoever on the new EU budget.
And if a majority of Remainer MPs should form the next government, they will have to explain to the electorate why they never even mentioned the EU’s new budget at all.
[ Sources: EU Parliament | EU Parliamentary Research Service ]
