For a sustainable future, reinforcing solidarity: Parliament adopts 2019 EU budget priorities
- Particular focus on young people and those at risk of poverty or unemployment
- Tackle challenges of climate change and international security threats
- EU must perform better to support creation of sustainable growth and jobs
MEPs’ priorities for the EU Budget 2019 are growth, innovation, competitiveness, security, the fight against climate change, the transition to renewable energy and migration.
The recovery from the financial, economic and social crisis – strengthened as a result of EU and Member State efforts – must be further consolidated so as to generate a positive influence on the day-to-day lives of EU citizens, MEPs say in their resolution on next year’s budget, which has been adopted by 417 votes against 122, with 97 abstentions
They call for a particular focus on young people and people at risk of poverty or unemployment to ensure that they feel the beneficial effects of the recovery. All relevant instruments for tackling youth unemployment should be reinforced, they add, but also the student mobility programme Erasmus+, the budget of which for 2019 should be at least doubled.
In addition, MEPs underline the need to invest more in policies that boost jobs and growth, such as Horizon 2020 that provides funding for research and COSME that helps support small and medium sized businesses.
They reiterate that new political priorities and upcoming challenges for the EU should be financed by fresh appropriations and not by reducing existing successful programmes. MEPs deplore that “the Council has repeatedly contradicted itself over the last few years, by presenting new political priorities for the EU but showing itself unwilling to provide for fresh appropriations to finance them.”
Watch the speech by rapporteur Daniele Viotti (S&D, IT) opening the plenary debate on the guidelines for the 2019 budget on 13 March 2018.
Background
The budget guidelines are the first document that Parliament produces during the annual budget procedure. It sets out the line that Parliament expects the Commission to take when drawing up its budget proposal.
Next steps
The Commission is expected to present its proposal for the 2019 budget in May 2018. Next year's budget has to be agreed between the Council and the Parliament by the end of the year.