Amending budget 3/2022: surplus of the financial year 2021

The European Parliament adopted by 565 votes to 15, with 24 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 2/2022 of the European Union for the financial year 2022 – Entering the surplus of the financial year 2021.

Parliament approved the Council's position on the Commission's draft amending budget 2/2022, which is solely devoted to entering the surplus from 2021, amounting to EUR 3 227.1 million, in the budget, in accordance with the Financial Regulation.

Noting that the surplus for 2021 is particularly high, Members recalled that the Commission must respect the principles of sound financial management when implementing the budget. They also regretted that the EUR 183 million earmarked for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 had not been used as planned by the Commission or reallocated to other needs.

Parliament reiterated its view that all available EU budgetary instruments, including the budget surplus, should be mobilised to continue to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and the frontline countries and to further strengthen the Union's solidarity capacities in order to address the social, energy, agricultural and economic consequences for the Union and its citizens of the Russian-led war in Ukraine. It invited the Commission to present, if necessary, amending budgets mobilising additional appropriations in order to respond to these challenges.

Member States, in this context, should devote the significant amount of expected reductions in their GNI-based contributions from the 2021 surplus to budget actions to address the consequences of the war on Ukraine.

According to the Commission, the fines imposed in the competition cases in 2021 amount to EUR 957 million. Members reiterated their view that the EU budget should be allowed to re-use any revenue from fines or late payments without a corresponding reduction in GNI contributions.