The EU’s economic coordination

Question for written answer  E-000015/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Hélène Laporte (ID)

The European Court of Auditors has stated that the policy response to COVID-19, involving as it does a wide range of measures at national and EU levels, gives rise to risks, challenges and opportunities for EU economic coordination and integration for two reasons.

First, the pandemic may cause economic divergence in the various sectors of Member States’ economies. Second, the EU’s response to the emerging difficulties in Member States entails risks attributable to disparities in each Member State’s economic development.

The pandemic may amplify fiscal divergence between Member States: the Commission forecasts further debt rises in 2020 in the countries which already had higher public debts levels before the crisis.

• 1.In its forecasts, has the Commission already taken account of the state of play in the new EU action plans for investment in the green and digital transitions, which may see their funding further curtailed as national public debt increases?
• 2.Has the Commission taken account of the risk of the state aid opt-out clause – which has been invoked without coordination at EU level – distorting competition within the single market?