On Tuesday 25 September, the European Parliament's budgets committee adopted the draft report by Siegfried Mureşan (EPP, Romania) by 27 votes in favour, one against and four abstentions, thus supporting draft amending budget 05/2018 in which the European Commission proposes reallocating some of Turkey's pre-accession funds.
According to the Commission's proposal, €70 million in commitment appropriations should be transferred to measures linked to the central Mediterranean migration route and to respond to part of the EU's commitment for Syria.
More precisely, €28 million would be transferred to the EU trust fund for Africa's North Africa window, and €42 million would be transferred to the EU regional trust fund in response to the Syrian crisis – the 'Madad EU Trust Fund'. Meanwhile, €35 million will go to boost humanitarian aid through payment appropriations.
During the budget negotiations in November 2017 (see EUROPE 11916), the Parliament and Council decided to place these funds in reserve and to release them when "Turkey makes measurable, sufficient improvements in the fields of rule of law, democracy, human rights and press freedom, according to the annual report of the Commission". However, the Commission's April report considers that "Turkey has been significantly moving away from the European Union, in particular in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights and through the weakening of effective checks and balances in the political system" (see EUROPE 12003). "The conditions set by the budgetary authority have not been met", Muresan's draft report states.
The draft report will be voted on at the plenary session of 3 October. The EU Council of Ministers adopted its position, without debate, in favour of draft amending budget no 5 to the 2018 general budget (see EUROPE 12098). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)