The European Parliament voted by 472 votes to 122 with 41 abstentions in favour of a motion for a resolution on the European Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2024, tabled by rapporteur Nils Ušakovs (S&D, Latvian).
The proposed budget amounts to just under €2.4 billion. It is therefore 6.06% higher than the 2023 budget.
This increase is due to several elements, notably the statutory obligations, which make up almost two thirds of the budget. These include salary indexation, amounting to €62.9 million, and funding obligations in an election year, amounting to €32.9 million (such as expenditure on the transitional allowance for outgoing MEPs).
Non-compulsory expenditure amounts to €17 million, an increase of 1.97% compared to 2023, which is below the 2% recommended by the Commission.
The motion for a resolution also stresses the importance of financing the communication campaign of the 2024 elections: “€27.5 million has been allocated to the electoral campaign conducted by the Parliament administration in the 2023 budget procedure; (...) the remaining 25% will be allocated in 2024 (€9.5 million)”.
The proposal goes on to highlight the importance of equipping the Parliament against disinformation and cyber-attacks, including through the creation of 40 cyber-security posts decided in the 2023 budget procedure, as well as the Parliament's environmental obligations and the renovation of buildings, but does not foresee significant new building investments for 2024.
The European Parliament also did not request additional permanent or temporary posts for 2024.
To see the motion for a resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/6ed (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)