Brussels, 06/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 14 November, the European Parliament's budgets committee is expected to vote on the report drafted by Jean-Luc Dehaene and Ivailo Kalfin recommending that the EP approve the draft regulation on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2014-2020 period. The European Parliament (EP) vote on this dossier is expected to take place on 19 or 20 November during the plenary session in Strasbourg.
The budgets committee wanted to vote on the MFF on 5 November but the compromise on cohesion policy reform had implications on one of the articles in the MFF. In addition, while the EPP wanted to proceed to the vote on 5 November, the other groups requested that it be postponed.
Approval of the amending budgets for 2013. The budgets committee has approved three outstanding draft amending budgets for 2013. Amending budgets 7 and 8 have already been approved by the Council and now just need confirmation by Parliament as a whole, most likely at the November plenary session. On amending budget 9, on solidarity funding to repair flood and drought damage, Parliament and Council still differ on financing arrangements.
Draft amending budget No. 8 for 2013 relates to an increase of €3.9 billion in payment appropriations to meet remaining requirements until the end of the year. This draft budget updates amending budget No.2/2013 presented by the Commission in March 2013 and amounting to €11.2 billion, only partly approved by the budgetary authority - €7.3 billion - in September 2013. The budgets committee notes that the postponement to the 2014 tax year (around €20 billion) of a significant amount in payment demands linked to the 2007-2013 cohesion period, is still expected to take place, as admitted by the Commission at the most recent inter-institutional meeting on 26 September devoted to payment appropriations.
Draft amending budget No. 7 for 2013, relates to an increase of €150.0 million in commitment appropriations from the European social fund to rectify a number of problems affecting France, Italy and Spain. This additional funding should help tackle specific problems such as unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, poverty and social exclusion being experienced in these member states. The EP notes that an additional €150 million will mainly be funded from the flexibility instrument.
Draft amending budget No.9 covers European Union solidarity fund intervention worth €400.5 million in payment commitments and appropriations. This will go to Romania, which was hitby drought and forest fires during the summer of 2012 and Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, which were devastated by floods in May and June 2013. The budgets committee (which reinstates the initial Commission proposal) would like this to come from new money, whilst the Council is more in favour of redeploying existing funding. This difference of opinion will be discussed during the conciliation meeting on the draft budget for 2014 (see EUROPE 10957). (LC/transl.fl)