WIREDGOV

The Council yesterday informed the European Parliament that it cannot accept all the amendments for the 2019 EU budget adopted by the Parliament. 

This triggers a three-week conciliation period starting on 30 October. The two institutions will have until 19 November to find an agreement on next year’s budget.

Hartwig Löger, Austrian Federal Minister for Finance yesterday said:

The presidency stands ready to engage constructively with the Parliament to reconcile our differences and agree on a budget that is both ambitious and realistic.

The Council and the Parliament share the same priorities for the 2019 EU budget. These include growth, employment and innovation, fighting climate change, tackling security and migration, and a focus on young people. 

At the same time, the Council is concerned by the increases proposed by the European Parliament, which exceed the level of funding proposed by the Commission in its draft budget, as well as the ceilings of the multiannual financial framework. It insists on taking into account the actual needs and absorption capacities under the different programmes to ensure adequate levels of funding and good value for EU taxpayers’ money. 

Background 

In its draft budget for 2019 the Commission proposed setting the total level of commitments at €165.6 billion and payments at €148.7 billion. 

The Council's position, adopted on 4 September, sets total commitments at €164.1 billion and total payments at €148.2 billion.  

The Parliament is asking for total commitments to be increased to €166.3 billion and total payments to €149.3 billion. This is €1.1 billion in commitments above the ceilings set by the EU's multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020.  

Next steps 

The conciliation committee will meet on 7 November and 16 November. On 16 November, an Ecofin/Budget Council will meet to provide the presidency guidance in its talks with the Parliament. If no deal is found by the end of the conciliation period the Commission has to present a new draft budget for 2019.

• Draft EU budget for 2019 
• Council position 
• 2019 EU budget: Council adopts its position (press release, 4 September 2018)

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