Brussels, 23/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Thursday 23 October, the European Parliament gave first reading to the draft EU budget for next year. In adopting the report on the draft 2009 general budget by Jutta Haug (PES, Germany) by 509 votes to 60, with 25 abstentions, MEPs set the top priorities as growth and jobs, tackling climate change and improving EU citizens' security, and the social dimension (for example, through the growth for jobs initiative and aid for small businesses) and also support for inter-regional cohesion. The EP, then, in amending the first reading by European ministers with responsibility for budgetary affairs on 17 July, decided to “reinforce appropriations on budget lines financing these priorities”.
The 2009 budgetary procedure is moving forward, but, at this point, is still feeling its way. EU member states and the EP will, during the second consultation exercise on 21 November, have to resolve all the issues that separate them, including the volume of payment appropriations of the 2009 Community budget and how to finance large-scale EU external action (Georgia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and aid for agriculture in developing non-EU countries). The 2009 budget is due to be approved by the EP in Strasbourg in December.
Total volume. In first reading, the EP set the draft 2009 budget at €136 billion in commitments and €124.5 billion (equivalent to 0.959% of EU gross national income) in payment appropriations. In July, the Council adopted a draft budget of €133.9 billion in commitments and €114.9 billion in payments. In voting as it did, the Parliament has remained within financial perspective limits.
Competitiveness (Heading 1a). The EP cancelled the reduction of funds applied by the Council on lines supporting the Lisbon strategy. Furthermore, it stressed that “the disbursement of funds from budget line 06 03 04 (TENs Energy) and accordance of TEN-E status to any gas pipeline or project that facilitates the transmission of gas from Russia or from entities ultimately controlled by Russia shall be conditional on the realisation of the NG3 route, as confirmed by the EU co-ordinator”. MEPs also want to launch new pilot projects, such as the Erasmus programme for entrepreneurs and measures to aid SMEs take advantage of opportunities to internationalise their activities.
Cohesion (1b). The EP intends to do all in its power to ensure adequate funding for cohesion policy in order to meet current and future challenges. Therefore, it restored the sums initially put forward and even increased funding for the European Social Fund by €135 million.
Natural resources (Heading 2). The EP called for the re-establishment of the figures in the preliminary draft budget (PDB) for agricultural spending. In addition, it suggested practically doubling payment appropriations allocated to the LIFE+ environmental programme. It also called for a new budget line for climate change in Heading 2 to make the budget more transparent and comprehensible.
Freedom, Security and Justice, and Citizenship (3). The Parliament stressed that it was important to provide sufficient funding in the EU budget to manage legal immigration and the integration of non-EU citizens, while, at the same time, tackling illegal immigration and strengthening border protection, including increasing funding of the European fund for refugees. The EP wanted additional funding for the European external border agency FRONTEX: €10 million more in commitments and €55 million more in payments (with €5 million of this held in reserve).
EU as a global partner. (Heading 4). MEPs kept the amounts proposed in the PDB for: - the CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policy); - Palestine (€300 million in commitments and €280 million in payments, if account is taken of the amending letter); - Kosovo; - Afghanistan (€160 million in commitments and €150 million in payments). The EP also wanted to stay under the ceiling for this heading. It hopes, however, to persuade the Council to allocate more money for external action. The money needed could be found by using the flexibility mechanism and/or emergency aid. This issue will be crucial in budgetary consultation on 21 November. An “asterisk amendment” adopted by the EP brings together some priorities which cannot be funded for the moment: additional funding for Palestine, Kosovo and Afghanistan, plus the €250 million for agricultural aid to poor countries in 2009. These priorities would mean that the €350 million ceiling allowed in this heading would be exceeded. This would allow the EP to have the Council negotiate on the use of the flexibility instrument. MEPs also put in a specific credit line for aid to Georgia, but did not grant any funding. (L.C./transl.rt)