Brussels, 17/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament decided on Thursday 17 October to postpone the vote of approval of the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 that was initially scheduled for 23 October at the plenary session in Strasbourg.
Parliament and the Council are engaged in a trial of strength over filling the EU's 2013 budget coffers. Differences are not over the additional €3.9 billion (amending budget 8/2013) which Coreper approved on 14 October to cover unpaid invoices, but over the arrangements for financing the solidarity fund's €400.5 million worth of aid (amending budget 9/2013).
The Council wants to fund this €400 million through re-affectations identified in the global transfer (€509 million) as, with agreement of amending budget No 8, the margin below the cap has been used up. The Parliament is calling for new money, on the basis that solidarity fund payments should be outside the MFF cap. However, while the inter-institutional agreement does, indeed, state that commitments are to be outside the multiannual financial framework cap, it says nothing about payments. The Parliament also wants to separate negotiations on the €3.9 billion from those on the €400.5 million. It argues that this latter sum should be dealt with as part of the draft 2014 budget. It should be noted that Parliament had called for all payments to be honoured before the vote on the 2014-2020 MFF.
It also called for an agreement on cohesion policy. Talks took place on Thursday to try to overcome the final differences over macroeconomic conditionality. (LC/transl.fl)