New General Budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021
The European Parliament adopted by 540 votes to 77, with 70 abstentions, a resolution on the Council's position on the second draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021.
Parliament approved the Council's position on the second draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021. This is the first annual budget of the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the next seven years (2021-2027).
Budget 2021
According to the elements for joint conclusions:
- the overall level of commitment appropriations in the 2021 budget is set at EUR 164 251.5 million. Overall, this leaves a margin below the MFF ceilings for 2021 of EUR 778.8 million in commitment appropriations;
- the overall level of payment appropriations in the 2021 budget is set at EUR 166 060.5 million. Overall, this leaves a margin below the MFF ceilings for 2021 of EUR 2 001.4 million in payment appropriations;
- the Flexibility Instrument for 2021 is mobilised in commitment appropriations for an amount of EUR 76.4 million for heading 2b Resilience and Values.
The 2021 payment appropriations related to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are estimated by the Commission at EUR 628.5 million.
Parliament also approved five statements by the institutions concerning (i) the fight against child poverty in the framework of the European Social Fund plus; (ii) tackling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on sectors such as tourism and SMEs and on the people most affected; (iii) payment appropriations: the Parliament and the Council undertake to take the necessary decisions in due time for justified needs; (iv) the governance of decentralised agencies; and (v) the Brexit adjustment reserve.
Increase of EUR 185 million obtained in the conciliation negotiations
The report welcomed the increase of EUR 185 million on top of the levels of the first DB as modified by amending letter No 1/2020 obtained in the conciliation negotiations correspond to Parliament’s main political priorities.
The increases include:
- EUR 60.3 million for the Connecting Europe Facility- Transport;
- EUR 42 million for LIFE to support climate and environmental related projects;
- EUR 25.7 million for the Digital Europe Programme;
- EUR 6.6 million for the Rights and Values Programme, of which EUR 4.8 million is for Daphne);
- EUR 2.7 million for the Justice programme;
- EUR 25 million for Humanitarian Aid, as part of the EUR 500 million reinforcement for the period from 2021 to2027 as agreed in the context of the MFF;
- EUR 10.2 million for UNRWA under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI);
- EUR 7.3 million for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office mainly for staff reinforcements.
Amending letter No 1/2020 had already incorporated increases for the Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and EU4Health programmes to reflect the outcome of the MFF negotiations.
Parliament welcomed that the overall level of payment appropriations agreed for 2021 represents an increase of 1,2 % compared to Budget 2020, as well as the fact that the Conciliation Committee agreed, for the first time, to make EUR 20 million in commitment appropriations available again on the research budget lines.
The report noted that the level of appropriations in Budget 2021 for the Parliament is set at EUR 2 063 million.
Financial framework expenditure headings - commitment appropriations
Heading 1: Single market, innovation and digital
Commitment appropriations are set at EUR 20 816.6 million, leaving a margin of EUR 102.4 million under the expenditure ceiling for the heading.
Heading 2a: Economic, social and territorial cohesion
Commitment appropriations are set at EUR 48 190.5 million, leaving a margin of EUR 0.5 million under the expenditure ceiling for the heading.
Heading 2b: Resilience and values
Commitment appropriations are set at EUR 4 671.4 million, with no margin left under the expenditure ceiling for this heading and taking into account the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for EUR 76.4 million.
Heading 3: Natural resources and environment
The level of commitment appropriations is set at EUR 58,568.6 million, leaving a margin of EUR 55.4 million under the expenditure ceiling for this heading.
Heading 4: Migration and border management
The level of commitment appropriations is set at EUR 2 278,8 million, leaving a margin of EUR 188,2 million under the expenditure ceiling of heading.
Heading 5: Security and defence
Commitment appropriations are set at EUR 1 709.3 million, leaving a margin of EUR 95.7 million under the expenditure ceiling for this heading.
Heading 6: Neighbourhood and the world
Commitment appropriations are set at EUR 16 097.2 million, leaving a margin of EUR 149.8 million under the expenditure ceiling for the heading.
Heading 7: Administration
Commitment appropriations are set at EUR 10 448.3. This results in an unallocated margin of EUR 186.7 million.