2023 general budget: all sections
The European Parliament adopted by 492 votes to 66, with 46 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the joint text on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023 approved by the Conciliation Committee under the budgetary procedure.
Parliament was successful in increasing funding for programmes and policies which they see as vital for addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, contributing to the post-pandemic recovery and strengthen efforts towards the green and digital transitions.
It approved the joint text agreed by the Conciliation Committee.
As a reminder, the main elements are as follows:
- the overall level of commitment appropriations in the 2023 budget is set at EUR 186 616.7 million, leaving a margin below the MFF ceilings for 2023 of EUR 421.2 million in commitment appropriations;
- the overall level of payment appropriations in the 2023 budget is set at EUR 168 648.7 million, leaving a margin below the MFF ceiling for 2023 of EUR 3 554.2 million in payment appropriations;
- the Flexibility Instrument for 2023 is mobilised in commitment appropriations for an amount of EUR 1 235.7 million, of which EUR 182.2 million for sub-heading 2b Resilience and Values, EUR 170.6 million for heading 5 Security and Defence and EUR 882.9 million for heading 6 Neighbourhood and the World.
In the context of the war in Ukraine, the Conciliation Committee succeeded in obtaining additional funding for programmes including: Erasmus+; humanitarian aid; asylum, migration and integration fund; border and visa management instrument and neighbourhood, development and international cooperation instrument and military mobility.
As regards research, energy, climate and support for the green transition, programmes benefiting from budgetary increases include the Horizon Europe research programme, the Connecting Europe Facility and the LIFE environment and climate programme.
In the context of the post-pandemic recovery, other priorities have received more funding, including the EU Health Programme, the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the Creative Europe Programme, the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme and the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Expenditure headings of the financial framework – commitment appropriations (C/A)
Heading 1 – Single market, innovation and digital
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 21 548.4 million, leaving a margin of EUR 178.6 million under the expenditure ceiling of heading 1.
The Conciliation Committee agrees to make commitment appropriations available again on the research budget lines for a total amount of EUR 148.8 million in commitment appropriations. These appropriations are part of the overall amount of up to EUR 0.5 billion (in 2018 prices) for the 2021-2027 period as agreed upon in the framework of the MFF agreement. This leaves up to EUR 238 million in 2018 prices available for the 2024-2027 period. Discussions will be held regarding the European Chips Act and its financing.
Sub-heading 2a – Economic, social and territorial cohesion
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 62 926.5 million, leaving a margin of EUR 12.5 million under the expenditure ceiling of sub-heading 2a
Sub-heading 2b – Resilience and values
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 7 660.2 million, with no margin left under the expenditure ceiling of sub-heading 2b and the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 182.2 million as well as the mobilisation of the Single Margin Instrument for an amount of EUR 280.0 million.
Taking into account the interest rates and the volume of NextGenerationEU financing operations until the end of 2022, the appropriations of budget line 06 04 01 (European Union Instrument for Recovery) may be reduced by EUR 170.0 million while fully preserving the capacity to finance the grant component of NextGenerationEU in 2023.
Heading 3 – Natural resources and environment
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 57 259.3 million, leaving a margin of EUR 35.7 million under the expenditure ceiling of heading 3.
Heading 4 – Migration and Border Management
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 3 727.3 million, leaving a margin of EUR 86.7 million under the expenditure ceiling of heading 4.
Heading 5 – Security and defence
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 2 116.6 million, with no margin left under the expenditure ceiling of heading 5 and the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 170.6 million.
Heading 6 – Neighbourhood and the world
The level of C/A is set at EUR 17 211.9 million, with no margin left under the expenditure ceiling of heading 6 and the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 882.9 million.
Heading 7 – European Public Administration
The agreed level of C/A is set at EUR 11 311.3 million, leaving a margin of EUR 107.7 million under the expenditure ceiling of heading 7, of which EUR 28.2 million under the sub-margin for ‘Administrative expenditure of the institutions’.
Joint statements
Parliament confirmed the joint statements by Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed to the resolution, which concern in particular:
- payment appropriations;
- the financing of the European Chips Act and the Secure space connectivity programme;
- strengthening cybersecurity;
- the need to assess the sustainability of the expenditure ceilings and sub-ceilings of all headings of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027.