The European Parliament on Wednesday 20 October in Strasbourg endorsed its ambitious position on the 2022 draft budget plan, which allows to strengthen certain programmes to help the EU economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report by Karlo Ressler (EPP, Croatia) on the draft budget plan for 2022, which accompanies and justifies the budget amendments in the Chamber, was adopted by a large majority (521 votes in favour, 88 against and 84 abstentions).
Parliament set the total level of commitment appropriations for 2022 at €171.8 billion, an increase of €2.7 billion (+€1.3 billion for the Brexit Adjustment Reserve) compared to the draft budget plan proposed by the Commission. The institution has set the overall level of payment appropriations at €172.5 billion (see EUROPE 12810/21).
This vote marks the launch of three weeks of negotiations (‘conciliation’) with the EU Council to reach an agreement on next year’s budget, which will then have to be adopted by Parliament and signed by its President at the second November plenary session (22-25 November).
MEPs reversed most of the cuts made by the EU Council in September (€1.43 billion in total).
They have also increased, compared to the draft budget plan, the funds available for many programmes that contribute to the post-pandemic recovery.
This budgetary boost particularity concerns the Horizon Europe research programme (+€305 million compared to the draft budget plan), the Connecting Europe Facility (+€207 million), and the environment and climate action (LIFE programme, +€171 million).
Young people and health. Erasmus+ increases by €137 million and €700 million has been added to support the implementation of the ‘European Child Guarantee’. EU4Health was also boosted (+€80 million).
Humanitarian aid and migration. MEPs increased funding for humanitarian aid by 20% and boosted the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, particularly in light of the situation in Afghanistan. They also supported the Covax initiative for equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines. The MEPs increased the funds for security and defence by €80 million.
Turkey. By adopting an amendment, Parliament calls on the Commission to ensure that the Turkish government is not directly involved in the management and allocation of funds under the successor to the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey, and that these funds are primarily allocated directly to refugees and host communities and managed by organisations that ensure accountability and transparency.
Biodiversity. Furthermore, by endorsing an amendment by the Greens/EFA Group, Parliament underlined that the Commission must put in place an effective methodology for monitoring measures to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, before the presentation of the draft budget plan for 2023, to ensure that the 2024 target can be met. Parliament believes that further efforts should be made to devote 7.5% of annual spending under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to biodiversity targets in 2024 and 10% starting in 2026.
Frontex. Parliament, in the context of the vote on the 2022 budget, asked (470 votes in favour, 96 against and 126 abstentions) to put in reserve 12% of the Frontex agency’s 2022 budget (see other news).
EU Council and Commission warning. Parliament “calls for substantial increases of €2.7 billion in commitments and €1.8 billion in payments. This exceeds the margins available in almost all categories, as well as the availability of ‘special instruments’”, noted Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Tuesday’s debate.
The Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council also warned Parliament about the narrow margins available in next year’s budget. “If these margins do not exist, the EU will not be in a position to act when needed. Parliament proposes to increase expenditure beyond the EU Council’s position, i.e. +€4.1 billion in commitment appropriations and +€2.5 billion in payment appropriations. We are only at the beginning of the current MFF”, regretted Irena Drmaž, the Delegated Minister for negotiations on budget.
Parliament proposes €700 million more for the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) to support the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. “It is difficult to understand why, a few months later, Parliament wants to change the agreed approach. Moreover, ESF+ is mainly implemented under shared management, and Member States’ programmes are already underway”, stressed the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.
Finally, the Council of the EU “finds it difficult to understand the proposed increases for staff, especially in Parliament’s case”, concluded Irena Drmaž. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)