Brussels, 1 December 2016 –  ECR Spokesman on Budgetary Affairs in the European Parliament and delegate of the German Party Liberal Conservative Bernd Kölmel MEP criticised the EU budget 2017 adopted today for its lack of visionary new highlights and considers it merely a continuation of the past. The budget expert points out that in the year 2017 72 per cent of EU funds will still be allocated to cohesion and agricultural policy, that are in urgent need of reform, according to Koelmel. He furthermore condemns that Pre-Accession Assistance funds for Turkey will be continued despite last week’s decision of the European Parliament to freeze the accession talks with the country.

“Even though a great majority of the Parliament voted for freezing the accession talks with Turkey, 450 million Euros will be directed to Turkey as so called Pre-Accession Assistance next year. This is inconsistent and shows that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing”, says Koelmel. “It is of course laudable that there are up to six billion Euros available now to cope with the migration crisis. However, it is not called into question enough which long-term gains the general spendings have and if they are still advisable. A lean budget looks different”, concludes Koelmel.

The EU Parliament adopted the EU budget for the upcoming year in the amount of 157.9 billion Euros of commitment appropriations and 134.5 billion Euros of payments, leaving a gap of 23.4 billion Euros between possible commitment appropriations and available means of payment. Not having enough money at the end of the year to settle outstanding invoices has repeatedly been a problem of the EU in the past.

 ENDS

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