EU budget for growth, jobs and competitiveness
On the 14th of November, Members of the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement with the European Council regarding the EU budget for 2016.
The preliminary figures are €155 billion in commitment appropriations and €143,8 billion in payment appropriations.
Gérard Deprez, a liberal Belgian MEP, stressed that this budget “has been increased to stimulate growth, innovation, employment, helping small and medium sized enterprises in particular”. José Manuel Fernandes, a conservative Portuguese MEP, welcomed a deal “[reinforcing] the EU research and development tool Horizon 2020, [winning] extra funding for small and medium sized enterprises and the Erasmus+ student exchange programme and [securing] a commitment that the youth employment intitiative will continue”.
This deal now has to be approved by the Members of the Budget Committee in the European Parliament, then by the Council, and then by the European Parliament during a plenary session.
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