Experts from the EU member states reached agreement on Friday 7 July on the Council’s negotiating position for the draft EU budget for 2018 (see EUROPE 11823).
The total commitment appropriations is €158.9 billion and €144.4 billion in payment appropriations for 2018. This is a €1.7 billion reduction on the proposal unveiled by the European Commission in terms of commitment appropriations and just under €1 billion in payment appropriations.
The agreement will now be confirmed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) on Wednesday 12 July, ahead of a trilogue meeting of the EU institutions on next year’s budget.
The Council is expected to formally adopt its position using the written procedure in early September.
The agreement reached on the Council’s position foresees: - for Heading 1a (competitiveness), €21.1 billion in commitments (€21.8 billion in the Commission’s draft budget) and €19.9 billion in payments (€20.1 billion in the Commission’s draft); - for Heading 1b (cohesion), €55.4 billion in commitments (the same as in the Commission’s draft) and €46.5 bn in payments (€46.7 billion in the Commission’s draft); - in Heading 2 (natural resources), €59.3 billion in commitments (€59.6 billion in the Commission’s draft) and €56.1 billion in payments (€56.4 billion in the Commission’s draft). The experts also reached agreement on two draft amending budgets for 2017. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)