2018 EU budget: Council cannot accept EP amendments

PRESS

Council of the European Union      25/10/2017 |

2018 EU budget: Council cannot accept EP amendments

The Council has told the European Parliament that it cannot accept all of its amendments for the EU's general budget for 2018, voted on 25 October 2017. This triggers a three-week conciliation process, starting on 31 October. Council and Parliament will have until 20 November to bridge their differences.  Märt Kivine, deputy finance minister of Estonia, which currently holds the Council presidency, and chief negotiator for the 2018 budget said: "The presidency is looking for structured and constructive discussions while edging towards a reasonable and sustainable budget decision for 2018".  The two institutions share the same priorities for 2018, namely to boost growth and job creation, strengthen security and address migration. In the Council's view, the main task will be to find an agreement on an adequate level of funding for these priorities.

Background 

In its draft budget for 2018, the Commission proposed setting the total level of commitments at €160.6 billion and payments at €145.4 billion.  The Council's position, adopted on 4 September, sets total commitments at €158.9 billion and total payments at €144.4 billion.  The Parliament is asking for total commitments to be increased to €162.6 billion and total payments to €146.7 billion. This is €1.8 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 6 and 17 November. On the latter date, the Council will meet to provide guidance to the presidency for its talks with the Parliament. If no deal is reached by the end of the conciliation period on 20 November, the Commission will have to present a new draft budget.

Council wants the 2018 EU budget to focus on growth, jobs, security and handling migration
04/09/2017
15:45 488/17 Budget

The Council is clear that the 2018 EU budget should be mainly about growth, jobs, security and handling migration, but it also wants to keep enough financial leeway to respond to unforeseen needs. The details are set out in the Council's position which it adopted on 4 September 2017. 

The Council wants more than €122.5 billion (almost 85% of total payments) to be used to help stimulate growth and create jobs. Other important priorities are ensuring the security of European citizens and handling the migration crisis. 

In total, the Council foresees €158.9 billion in commitments and €144.4 billion in payments. This is an increase of 0.6% and 7.4% respectively compared to the 2017 EU budget. The significant increase in payments reflects the fact that the 2014-2020 programmes will be at an advanced stage of implementation. 

The Council also approved two proposals to draw on the 2017 EU budget to provide assistance to young unemployed persons as well as to the Italian regions affected by a series of earthquakes in 2016.

"The Council views its next year's budget position as providing adequate means in support of executing the Union's policy priorities, as well as considerably solidifying the EU's fiscal position by increasing flexibility buffers in the budget"

Märt Kivine, the Estonian Deputy Finance Minister and Chief Negotiator for the 2018 budget

The Council's decisions confirm the outcome of the meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee on 12 July. For details, see press release.

Next steps

If the European Parliament adopts amendments to the Council's position by 26 October, a three-week conciliation period will begin on 31 October 2017. The aim of conciliation is to reach a joint position of both institutions on next year's budget by 20 November 2017.

• Draft EU budget for 2018
• Council position on the 2018 draft EU budget
• Draft amending budget 3/2017
• Draft amending budget 4/2017
• Draft decision to mobilise the EU's solidarity fund for Italy

25/10/2017

	First e-signing of an EU legislative act
	The first electronic signing of an EU legislative act took place on Wednesday 25 October in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. EP President Antonio Tajani  and Matti Maasikas, of the Estonian Presidency of the Council, signed electronically the legally-binding texts of the revised regulation on "Security of gas supply", paving the way for its entry into force.  This ceremony marks the first public step at the EU level of the e-signing process. It shows that the EU institutions are working together to make digital transformation a reality and to offer efficient and secure digital solutions in the public sphere. It demonstrates the EU's commitment to implementing "eIDAS", the EU-wide regulation which provides for a predictable regulatory environment to enable secure and seamless electronic interactions between businesses, citizens and public authorities. “I am happy that today we can sign such an important Regulation electronically. Estonia is at the forefront of the digitalization process. We should use the momentum of the Estonian Presidency to promote more digital solutions. The European Parliament in its report on e-government in May this year asked the EU institutions to set an example in the area of e-government. Today we are acting on our own call. This signature is a demonstration on how digital solutions can work in practice.”  EP President Antonio Tajani "I am convinced that this is the way we will soon sign all our legal acts, simply because it makes sense. E-signature saves paper, time and money." Matti Maasikas, Estonian Presidency of the Council The Estonian presidency of the Council, the General Secretariat of the Council and the European Parliament worked together to prepare the pilot solution for the electronic signature of this legislative act. Parliament and the Council Secretariat will continue work on developing the process. In Europe, a qualified e-signature has the same legal validity as a handwritten signature in conducting business, executing procedures or expressing a commitment.