On Thursday 28 June, the committee on budgets of the European Parliament welcomed the draft 2019 budget presented by the European Commission, by adopting its mandate ahead of the conciliation process to be held with the Council on 12 July concerning the 2019 budget (see EUROPE 12042).
The committee on budgets adopted (20 votes to 4, with one abstention) the report by Daniele Viotti (S&D, Italy), which stresses that the Commission's proposal broadly corresponds to Parliament's priorities. The mandate invites the negotiation team to reinforce the key programmes further. The draft 2019 budget provides for a 3.1% increase in commitment appropriations.
Migration challenge. The budget committee considers that guaranteeing the security of its citizens and meeting the challenges of migration and refugees are two key EU priorities for 2019. It considers it vital to maintain expenditure in these areas at a level that is “adequate to respond to the needs of the migration and refugee crisis” taking place on the African continent, particularly in the Sahel, the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. The MEPs consider that the required solidarity between member states to manage the migration flow, particularly following the adoption of the revised Dublin regulation, should be reflected in the EU budget.
The committee stresses the need for sufficient funds for the emergency aid mechanisms of the 'Asylum, migration and integration' fund, especially in the form of continued support to Greece. It considers that financial support should also be granted to Italy and invites the Commission to explain why it has not made such a proposal.
The MEPs recall Parliament's position calling for the funds earmarked for the Turkish authorities (pre-accession instrument) to be subject to improvements in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. They call for a reinforcement of the social dimension of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). Finally, they observe that 19.3% of the 2014-2020 budget will have been spent on climate measures, whereas the target is to bring this to at least 20%. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)