15/03/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday, 15 March, the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on the budget guidelines for 2023 (https://aeur.eu/f/s6 ), reiterating that next year’s EU budget will contribute to the recovery of the European economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the third consecutive year, the 2023 budget will be reinforced by funds from the temporary recovery instrument, NextGenerationEU. The EU Council does not mention the budgetary consequences of the war in Ukraine. Furthermore, the Council of the EU has adopted recommendations in which it suggests that the European Parliament give discharge to the European Commission with respect to the implementation of the European Union’s budget for the 2020 financial year. In a joint statement, Sweden and the Netherlands have criticised the implementation of the 2020 budget. (LC)