The European People’s Party supports a strong EU budget for a prosperous and secure Europe for our citizens. We welcome the results-focused approach of the European Commission’s proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2020, as a good starting point for the negotiations. The EPP calls for the adoption of the next MFF before the 2019 European Parliament elections, thereby ensuring a timely launch of the new programmes to secure the funding for all beneficiaries. We need to show a European Union with 27 Member States that is united, strong and able to deliver, as well as provide for reliability in an uncertain global context. The European budget has to be stable, secure and predictable, to give confidence to citizens and investors. 1. The EPP’s priorities for the MFF 2021-2027 are centred on improving the lives of our people and on enabling them to realise their full potential. We must boost competitiveness and innovation, strengthen cohesion, empower our youth, strengthen the EU’s security and defence, support our neighbourhood countries and address sustainability and climate change. The EU needs additional funding to deal with migration and to protect its external borders. We must further promote investment to develop cohesive and inclusive growth across our regions, cities and rural areas. We must show solidarity with our citizens who expect to be protected from instability and both internal and external threats. 2. To match our ambitions, we need to secure a sufficient amount for the EU budget. We must reinforce flexibility and synergies between public and private funding and ensure genuine EU owned resources. The EPP is committed to simplification, transparency, accountability and efficiency in EU spending. 3. The EU budget can only deliver successfully if it is founded on ownership and partnership. We must respect the principle of subsidiarity in order to keep decisions as close to the citizens as possible. 4. The EU budget must have clear European added value so as to deliver effective solutions for the MFF’s current and new priorities. We must communicate the impact of EU budget via local dialogues. This is the best way to make citizens aware of and value the EU’s worth and to ensure trust in its fundamental purpose: building a community of values, peace and prosperity. On the other hand, the EU taxpayers’ money should not be spent in countries where fundamental EU values and the rule of law are not respected or in countries which do not fully cooperate with the EU’s anti-fraud institution OLAF. 5. In light of the above, the EPP calls on all institutions involved, especially the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers - with the support of the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions - to join forces and develop a real dialogue so that negotiations can be concluded before the 2019 EU elections. We have a common responsibility to our citizens and future generations to make this happen. Our people, especially the young generation, need the resources and opportunities to face the future and do so with full confidence that the EU is working for them.