Press Release: Council cuts are unacceptable and inconsistent, say MEPs

Members of the European Parliament considered cuts proposed by the Council of the European Union to the EU budget 2016 to be unacceptable, during a debate on 8 September 2015.

The proposal, which was presented by the Luxembourg presidency of the Council, was seen to reduce funding for migration, jeopardise research and undermine the EU’s role in the world.

The Council formally approved its position on the 2016 budget on 4 September after informally adopting it in July. The EP should state its position on the Council's proposal before the 21-day conciliation talks start on 29 October, so as to deliver a final budget for 2016 before the end of 2015.

The EU budget amounts to one per cent of EU gross national income (GNI).

The Council cuts in EU 2016 budget funding for refugees and agencies dealing with migrants were reversed by Budgets Committee MEPs in votes on 28-29 September 2015. MEPs also added funding for youth employment programmes, the Erasmus + student mobility programme and for research, transport and energy networks.

The committee proposed a budget of €157.4bn in commitments and €146.5bn in payments. It voted to reverse all the Council cuts in the European Commission's initial proposal. The Council had reduced the €153.8bn commitments proposal by €564m, and the €143.5bn payments proposal by 1.42bn.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: EU budget 2016: Council ready to negotiate with EP http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eu-budget-2016-council-ready-to-negotiate-with-ep/

European Parliament: Press Release, 29.09.15: Parliament reverses Council cuts to draft 2016 budget, adds funds for migration, jobs, youth http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150929IPR94907/

EUObserver, 29.09.15: MEPs beef up 2016 EU budget for migration and farmers https://euobserver.com/institutional/130478

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