EU budget 2014: we vote for growth, jobs, competitiveness, and real savings

“Real budgetary savings? Efforts towards growth, jobs, and competitiveness? All of this is done at European level!”, said Dominique Riquet MEP, EPP Group Rapporteur on the European Commission’s budget for 2014, today following a long vote during which Members of the European Parliament’s Budgets Committee voted on the 2300 amendments which had been tabled on the European Commission’s draft budget for 2014.

Regarding the situation of national public finances, Dominique Riquet said: “MEPs have agreed to an unprecedented effort. Very few Member States can say the same”. The budget which was voted today has decreased by 6% compared to last year’s budget.

MEPs have concentrated on the fight against youth unemployment, research, innovation, SMEs and transport. Riquet continued: “These are new bricks in the wall of growth, employment and competitiveness, which Europe has been building for a few years.”

“The cuts made in the Council by national governments, which mainly targeted future expenses, show once more the gap between great declarations and concrete decisions.”

“The budget which we approved today takes account of all the progress in terms of banking and financial regulation, political crises at Europe’s doors, or the upcoming European elections, with a helping hand given to initiatives aimed at strengthening European citizenship”, concluded Riquet.

Background: The EU budget for 2014, adopted today in Committee, amounts to €142 billion, i.e. only 1% of the Union’s GDP. 94% of it will go to the Member States. This vote still needs to be confirmed by the plenary in Strasbourg on 23 October. The plenary vote will constitute the Parliament’s mandate for the negotiations with the Council which will start on 4 November.