Juste retour

The report examines the options for a major expansion of the EU budget in the pursuit of greater strategic autonomy of the Union. Becoming ever more exposed to global developments that transcend the powers of national governments, the European Union needs to widen the spectrum of strategic public goods it provides. To avoid fruitless conflicts over the ‘juste retour’, this should be funded by new permanent EU fiscal resources, with an appropriate mix of taxation and debt issuance, and underpinned by proper democratic governance. Not only would this advance the Union’s strategic goals but also yield benefits for economic stability, convergence and growth.