MEPs of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) adopted, on Monday 2 October in Strasbourg, their position on the proposed European budget for 2024 (see EUROPE 13196/13).
Before proceeding to the vote on each of the budget headings, the rapporteur for Section III, Siegfried Mureșan (EPP, Romanian), once again deplored the EU Council’s position, which envisages several budget cuts (see EUROPE 13221/22; EUROPE 13247/17).
“We reject all the EU Council’s cuts. In Parliament, we are returning to the initial budget proposed by the European Commission. Given that it has already been subjected to a great deal of pressure, what it is proposing is the bare minimum”.
MEPs therefore voted in favour of restoring appropriations on all lines reduced by the EU Council in its negotiating position (€772 million) to the level of the initial draft budget plan proposed by the Commission.
They also removed the line dedicated to the reimbursement of interest rates generated by NextGenerationEU and placed the amount in a new special instrument above the multiannual macro-financial ceilings.
“As Parliament, we have always proposed that these amounts should be budgeted outside the framework of the EU budget so that any increase in interest rates would not present a risk for other budget lines”, added the rapporteur after the vote.
MEPs were also keen to align their 2024 annual budget position with their position on the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) (see other news).
They voted as well in favour of increasing the budget for certain programmes such as Horizon Europe for research and Erasmus+, and called for greater support for climate action, transport infrastructure, humanitarian aid and the neighbourhood policy through the EU Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, among others.
Parliament’s position will be voted on at the second plenary session of October in Strasbourg. Negotiations will then begin with the EU Council. MEPs hope that these can be concluded in November.
To see the European Parliament report: https://aeur.eu/f/8u8
To see the amendments submitted: https://aeur.eu/f/8uc (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)