On Tuesday 16 October, the European Commission proposed to trim €184 million from the EU agricultural budget for 2019. The autumn rectifying letter provides for a more precise estimation of agricultural spending than when the Commission presented the draft 2019 budget earlier this year.
The Commission considers that €43.4 billion will be needed in 2019 to cover agricultural expenditure, including the amounts for the crisis reserve (€468.7 million).
The autumn rectifying letter includes other elements, such as legislative changes following political agreement on various dossiers (European Defence Industrial Development Programme, European Solidarity Corps, Structural Reform Support Programme) and the impact of the new initiatives presented by the Commission (European Border and Coast Guard Agency, EU Agency for Asylum, Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations).
Taking account all of these elements, amending letter no. 1 for 2019 will take the form of a €45 million reduction in commitment appropriations and €85 million for payment appropriations. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)