The budget agreement still needs the official support of the Council of Europe and the Parliament.
The European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers have reached an agreement on the EU budget for next year. The European Parliament informs about the creation of the agreement in a press release.
Tentatively, the budget has 186.6 billion euros in commitments and 168.7 billion euros in payments. More detailed figures will be published later.
This time, the annual budget negotiations stretched over the weekend due to disagreements. Additional time was given until midnight on Monday and it was finally enough.
– There were still a princely 15 minutes left before the midnight deadline, says ‘s EU correspondent Rikhard Husu from Brussels.
If it hadn’t been ready, the commission would have had to prepare a new budget proposal for next year, Husu adds.
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola rate on Twitter (you will go to another service)that the agreement reached on the budget is vital for, among other things, responding to the energy crisis and helping Ukraine.
The EU’s annual budgets are regulated by the multiannual financial framework, which is decided every seven years.
– So this annual reserve is not that big in these budget negotiations, Husu points out.
Salary increases evaporated
At the time of the weekend negotiations, turmoil arose especially over the increases in EU administrative expenses included in the proposal, which Finland also opposed.
During the budget negotiations, it became clear that MEPs and thousands of civil servants will receive a seven percent salary increase, offset by an inflation check.
EU countries were also affected by the parliament’s desire to hire more clerks and assistants.
What was the outcome of the salary increases?
– Salary increases are still part of the whole, Husu says.
We still have to wait for details on the contents of the budget, as only a short press conference was held at night, according to Husu.
– But the starting point is that the commission’s basic proposal is valid. That is, administrative expenses and salary increases are included in the budget proposal.
The budget agreement still needs the official support of the Council of Europe and the Parliament.
Finland was represented at the budget tables by the Minister of Finance Annika Saarikon (central) Secretary of State Katri Makkonen.
Read more: The member states got angry because the EU Parliament wants more money – the Finnish MEP even talks about a “scandal”