S&Ds: the EU Parliament adopted a pro-European budget 2019. The Council must demonstrate its commitment to live up to EU citizens’ expectations
Date
24 Oct 2018
Sections
Euro & Finance
Following today’s vote in Plenary, which confirmed the adoption of the Parliament position on General Budget 2019, the Conciliation phase will now start. The final agreement between European Parliament, European Commission and the Council is due to be reached by November 2018.
Budget rapporteur, S&D MEP, Daniele Viotti stated:
“The European Parliament has adopted a real ‘Pro-European’ general Budget for 2019. Thanks to the S&Ds commitment, we achieved important improvements from the initial Council proposal. We boosted the rise of the Youth Employment Initiative by over €360 million and the allocations for Erasmus+ by the 15%. The Funds aimed to tackle climate change have been increased, as well as the funds for tackling the root causes of migration, with specific regard to development. At the same time, as Ankara is not upholding respect for human rights, we decided to cut off financing support to Turkey. The European Parliament demonstrated to have fulfilled its duty, living up to the expectations of EU Citizens. It is now up to the Council, namely the member states, to demonstrate the same commitment and arm the EU’s hand with the appropriate financial tools to tackle the current and the future challenges.”
S&D coordinator on budget, Eider Gardiazabal Rubial, added:
“We have fought to have the EU investing in the priorities of the present to ensure a brighter and fairer future for our citizens. We did it. Today’s approval of the Parliament position on the General Budget 2019 in Plenary goes in the right direction.
“In the Budget 2019 we ensured our priorities to be highly reinforced and adequately financed: youth and climate change. These are the issues at the very heart of our citizens that can have a huge impact on their daily life.
"That being said, we fiercely want to express all our disappointment for the scandalous attitude of the EPP Group that has tried to impose a hidden cut to the financial support to the Palestinian Authority based on false allegations according to which the EU Budget is financing Palestinian school books promoting hate and violence. It is regretful that the largest Group in the European Parliament run these kind of cheap and shameful tricks just for political speculation, on such a sensitive issue."