The European Parliament adopted by an overwhelming majority (649 votes to 7, with 31 abstentions) on Thursday 21 January the Interinstitutional Agreement to increase resources of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) in response to Covid-19 in the framework of REACT-EU.
Thus, MEPs approved the Interinstitutional Agreement reached on 18 December at the technical level between the EU Council and Parliament. In accordance with the European Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE 12495/3), it amends the FEAD Regulation to release additional resources until 2022, on the basis of a voluntary increase in resources from the Member States. The agreement also includes an increase in pre-financing, with a minimum share of at least 3% of the additional resources.
The vote in Parliament was welcomed by the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, who believes that “this agreement is a clear sign that the European Union continues to stand by those most in need”.
Unlike the April amendments in relation to the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative, CRII Plus (see EUROPE 12469/6), the agreement does not change the fund’s operation. It now remains for the EU Council to formally adopt the text. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)