MEPs spoke once again and for the last time under this mandate against macroeconomic conditions in the next regulation laying down common provisions between the various structural and investment funds, on the occasion of the adoption in plenary (show of hands) at first reading of the report by Constanze Krehl (S&D, Germany) and Andrey Novakov (EPP, Bulgaria) on Wednesday 27 March.
The position thus adopted will be submitted to the next European Parliament. There are many changes compared to the initial proposal (see EUROPE 12029/11). In addition to the removal of macroeconomic conditions, MEPs reintroduced the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) into the scope of the regulation.
They also limited transfers from the various structural and investment funds to InvestEU, as well as to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Finally, they have significantly increased the overall dedicated budget, bringing it into line with the current budget (€378 billion at 2018 prices - see EUROPE 12193/2).
The Parliament and the Council of the EU had started negotiations on parts of the Regulation, but following a blockade by a group of Member States on the partnership principle, they were postponed until after the European elections (see EUROPE 12212/15). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)