On Tuesday 9 October, the budgets committee of the European Parliament confirmed its determination to cancel the cuts proposed by the Council to the draft 2019 budget (see EUROPE 12104).
In their adoption of the report by Daniele Viotti (S&D, Italy) which accompanies the budgetary amendments (see EUROPE 12104), the MEPs state that they do not understand the rationale for the cuts proposed by the Council, particularly those affecting Horizon 2020 and the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility), both of which have already been affected by redeployments in favour of the EFSI (European Fund for Strategic Investments).
On the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT), the MEPs provide for the EU budget to contribute to the financing of the second tranche in the same proportions as for the first, i.e. €1 billion, while the member states would be expected to contribute €2 billion to its financing.
Vote on 24 October. On 24 October, the European Parliament will take position in plenary on the draft 2019 budget, which is set at €166.3 billion in commitments (or €721 million more than the Commission's original proposal) and €149.3 billion in payments. The Parliament vote will mark the start of three weeks of conciliation with the Council, the aim being to reach an agreement so that the budget can be voted through by the Parliament and signed off by its president on 29 November. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)