The British delegation having finally lifted its reservation, the General Affairs Council of the EU, held in Luxembourg on Tuesday 20 June, was finally able to approve the regulation revising the multi-annual financial framework (MFF) of the EU for 2014-2020. Italy and the United Kingdom abstained during the vote. The UK lifted its reservation following the results of the national general election (see EUROPE 11779, 11774).
“The European Union is devoting more resources to help boost jobs and growth and to address the migration crisis”, reads a Council press release. The EU's capacity to react to unexpected occurrences has also been shored up.
The revised MFF increases the resources earmarked for the principal priorities of the EU by €6.01 billion over the years 2017-2020: an extra €2.08 billion to stimulate growth and create jobs (€1.2 billion for the 'youth employment' initiative, €200 million for Horizon 2020 and €100 million for Erasmus +); €2.55 billion to tackle migration, improve security and step up controls on the external borders; €1.39 billion will be available to address the root causes of migration.
Greater flexibility. To allow the EU to be better prepared to respond to unforeseen requirements, the MFF: - increases the annual amounts that can be spent under the flexibility instrument and emergency aid reserve (increased by €150 million and €23 million respectively over the period from 2017 to 2020); - allows the unused credits of the EU Solidarity Fund and of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to be redirected to the flexibility instrument (these credits would otherwise have been lost - for 2017, this means that an extra €646 million will be available for the flexibility instrument;) - increases by €5.6 billion the maximum amount by which the annual payments ceiling may be increased during the years 2019 and 2020 to recycle unused payments. The overall payments ceiling will stay at the same level in real terms, due to a corresponding reduction of the payments ceilings for the years in which they are not fully absorbed. Additionally, the Council and the European Parliament have pledged to take measures to avoid an excessive build-up of unpaid bills. The revised MFF regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force 20 days later. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)