On Tuesday 5 April, the European Parliament called for the EU to provide “significant funding” in the 2023 budget “to address the geopolitical consequences” of the war in Ukraine.
Adopting (463 votes in favour, 71 against and 97 abstentions) the report by Nicolae Ştefănuță (Renew Europe, Romania) on the guidelines for the 2023 budget, the European Parliament calls for the deployment of humanitarian aid and preparedness measures for welcoming refugees in the Member States and in the Eastern Neighbourhood (see EUROPE 12913/7).
The Commission and the Member States are invited : - to mobilise all the financial means at their disposal to support Ukraine, including the European Peace Facility; - to provide “additional emergency humanitarian assistance” to Ukraine, with a focus on vulnerable groups, minorities, women and children.
The European Parliament notes that uncertainty in the economic forecast persists, given factors such as disruptions in supply chains, high energy prices, rising inflation and the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine.
MEPs note that the EU budget for 2023 will be of great importance for strengthening the EU economy and contributing to the successful implementation of the ‘European Green Deal’. The Commission is expected to present its Draft Budgetary Planfor 2023 in early June. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)