The European Parliament and the EU Council have reached an agreement on the bloc’s 2024 budget, urging member states to agree on a revision of the Union’s long-term budget as soon as possible, Euractiv informs.
The €189.4 billion budget for 2024 was agreed after a meeting between the institutions on Saturday, November 11. The Parliament managed to avoid reductions and secured additional funding, including €60 million for Erasmus+, €85 million for the Horizon Europe research programme and €150 million in support for the neighbourhood.
The deal also provided additional funding to meet the growing humanitarian needs caused by the conflict in the Gaza Strip, as announced by the parliament’s lead negotiator Siegfried Mureşan.
More people in our immediate neighbourhood will need support and this is why we are increasing the European Union support for humanitarian aid by €250 million.
However, the Parliament’s original aim was to link the 2024 budget agreement to the agreement on the mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s seven-year budget for the period between 2021 and 2027. The revision includes a €66 billion top-up for priorities including migration management, technology and crisis response, as well as €50 billion in aid for Ukraine. MEP Valérie Hayer stated:
“Without a revision of the multiannual financial framework […], the European Union will be unable to cope with the next crisis impacting our continent, including a migratory crisis arising from the catastrophic situation in the Middle East.”
The call for a quick agreement on the MFF revision also came from EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
I am counting on a swift adoption of the MFF mid-term revision to make sure we have a fully equipped budget for the upcoming years.
The 2024 budget deal is now due to be formally adopted by the Council and the plenary of the European Parliament. The vote is scheduled for the plenary session in Strasbourg on November 22, with member states expected to approve the agreement on November 20.
