Meeting in plenary session on Wednesday 13 March to vote on the draft report by Victor Negrescu (S&D, Romanian) on the general approach for the preparation of the 2025 budget, MEPs approved it by 380 votes to 102, with 10 abstentions.
Several amendments had been tabled by the The Left group and by Identity and Democracy. None of them has been validated by Parliament. Identity and Democracy wanted to include an amendment calling for the suspension of EU funds for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), following allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the attacks of 7 October 2023.
The MEPs’ text calls for an investment-oriented budget for 2025 that would provide “greater support for the green and digital transitions, for competitiveness and for ensuring prosperity, inclusion and security across the EU”.
The Council, for its part, set out its guidelines a few weeks ago, advocating a realistic and prudent approach in order to deal with unforeseen circumstances (see EUROPE 13365/11). (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)