Committee on Budgets Extraordinary meeting

Name: Committee on Budgets Extraordinary meeting
Uploaded: 2026-10-05T17:07:07+00:00
Duration: 3748 s

00:04 - 00:59

Orador 1

Good evening to everybody to this Budg Committee meeting. If there are no objections to the agenda, I deem the agenda adopted. Interpretation is available in 11 languages. We are meeting tonight, as you probably all know, in order to adopt our amendments to the Council position on the draft budget for 2025. At 7:15, we will proceed to this important vote.

But first, let me give the floor to the general rapporteur, Mr. Nils Ušakovs, for the presentation of the compromise proposal on section 3 for seven minutes, and then Ms. Isabelle Boemeke, replacing Mr. Michalis Hadjipantela, the rapporteur for other sections, for three minutes. Please.

00:59 - 04:02

Orador 2

Thank you, Chair. Indeed, I'm pleased to inform you that a provisional deal has been reached on the figures part of the annual budget. It was a slightly longer and probably a little bit more difficult procedure than in previous years, but nevertheless, we are on a firm track in delivering Europeans the budget. So, and I will present, if you allow me, the agreed budget lines for reinforcements. Heading one: Horizon, 63 million, notably on health, digital, climate, energy, agriculture, and environment; CEF, 260 million; Digital Europe, 14 million, including on the AI office; Single Market Programme, 31.5 million; and Space, 3 million.

Now, heading 2b: another 96 million on Erasmus+ to compensate the limited mobilities during COVID-19 lockdown; 80 million on UCPM following last summer's wildfires; 50 million on EU4Health; 10 million to serve to enhance citizens' engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union; 50 million on EASI; 5 million on the media strand of Creative Europe; another 5 million to Daphne; 3.5 million for economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community; and 2 million increase to the line supporting training measures for workers' organisations. Heading three: 85 million in addition for agriculture, notably for young farmers, promotion of agricultural products, affected sectors, POI, and school schemes; LIFE, 85 million, mainly for nature and biodiversity and for clean energy transition. Heading four: 20 million for AMIF; 40 million for BMVI. Heading five: Internal Security Fund, plus 10; military mobility, additional 20 million; European Defence Fund's capability development, plus 5 million; and European Defence Industry Programme, another 6.8 million euro. Heading six: Southern Neighbourhood, plus 60 million; Eastern Neighbourhood, 30; civil society organisations, 5; Moldova facility, 4; reserves on the Commission in the Southern Neighbourhood and on Serbia in the Western Balkans facility.

Decentralised agents reinforced, I will mention the main part: EASA, BEREC, ACER, IJB, Eurojust, EPPO, Frontex, EUAA, Europol, and CEPOL. And the total financial impact of the EP position is to stand at 1.17 billion euro above the draft budget.

I would like to thank the shadows and their teams and express hope that the votes on the compromises will show that the Budget Committee is ready for the big decisions ahead, including on the next MFF. Thank you, Chair.

04:02 - 04:04

Orador 1

Thank you. Ms. Benjumea.

04:04 - 06:20

Orador 6

Thank you, Chair. Mr. Handi-Pandela cannot be here today, so I'll be taking the floor on his behalf. Dear colleagues, before we proceed to the vote, I would like to briefly present the compromise we have reached on the budgetary amendments for the 2027 budget. First of all, I would once again like to thank all the shadows for their excellent cooperation and constructive engagement throughout this process. We have worked in a very positive and collegial spirit, and I believe that we have succeeded in finding a balanced compromise between the different needs and priorities.

Our approach has been guided by budgetary discipline, sound financial management, and clearly demonstrated needs. Security and resilience have been a particular, a particularly important priority, including physical security, cybersecurity, and the operational capacity required to respond to new challenges. Let me briefly go through the compromise by section. For Section 1, the European Parliament, the compromise amounts to 10,028 million euros. This includes technical adjustments, which are budget-neutral, and the targeted increase in the Parliament's budget.

We also included a correction in the remarks to safeguard the contribution to cost of lunches of trainees in the Parliament canteens. For Section 4, the Court of Justice, we have agreed on an increase of 350,000 euros. This provides support for additional staffing capacity, including resources linked to the Court's operational needs. For Section 5, the European Court of Auditors, the compromise provides support for the transformation of 15 temporary posts into permanent posts of the 29 posts requested by the Court. This provides targeted support for the Court's staffing needs.

06:20 - 08:55

Isabel Benjumea Benjumea

For Section 6, the European Economic and Social Committee, the compromise amounts to 475,000 euros. This includes targeted support for areas such as IT and cybersecurity and surveillance and staffing needs. For Section 7, the Committee of the Regions, we have agreed on 600,000 euros. This targets supports for cybersecurity, digital capacity, including dedicated staff. For Section 8, the European Ombudsman, the compromise amounts to 146,704, 146,704 euros.

This is linked to the additional staffing needs identified by the office. For Section 9, the European Data Protection Supervisor, we have agreed on 1,210 million. This responds to a number of clearly identified needs, including additional capacity linked to the Artificial Intelligence Act, cybersecurity, and IT systems, as well as the increased cost of translation and other operational requirements.

The EDPS is a small institution with constantly increasing tasks. Finally, for section 10, the European External Action Service, the compromise amounts to 14 million euros. This reflects the particularly significant operational and security needs of the EEAS. The compromise addresses, among other things, security and surveillance, secure communications and cybersecurity, ICT, buildings and security-related infrastructure and the operational needs of the delegations. Taken together, these compromises amount to approximately 26.8 million in increases.

The package consists mainly of targeted restorations of cuts by the Commission, rather than a general restoration of all cuts. I believe that this demonstrates that we have kept a clear focus on a demonstrated needs and operational requirements. Once again, I would like to thank all the shadows for the constructive and collegial way in which we have worked together. I believe that the compromise before us reflects the common ground we have been able to build despite the different priorities among the groups. Thank you.

08:55 - 09:11

Johan Van Overtveldt

Thank you for both rapporteurs for this introduction, so we can now pass to the vote. First on section 3, by show of hands, we first vote on the...

09:11 - 09:12

Mr. Lösler.

09:12 - 09:23

Karlo Ressler

Yes, Mr. Chair, if it would be possible to wait two minutes because I see that not all members are still present.

09:23 - 17:16

Johan Van Overtveldt

Okay, we can wait for two minutes. Thank you for patience.

Okay, let's resume. Let's resume. Maybe first we do a check of the electronic system. So I open the vote to check the electronic system. I close the vote.

And apparently it's working. Okay, so now... You have to push the button hard. So please sit down. Okay, now we can do the vote for real.

Like I said, first on section three, the compromise on revenue. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading one. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading 2A. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading 2B and the Yuri instrument. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading three. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading four. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading five. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on heading six and the Ukraine support loan instrument. Who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Let's check this one.

The vote is open. The vote is close. And it is adopted, 26 in favor, 10 against and four abstentions. The compromise on heading seven. Who's in favor?

Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. And then the pilot projects and preparatory actions compromise. Who's in favor?

Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The vote on other sections. Section one, the EP, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on the Council, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. The compromise on the CJEU, who's in favor?

Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. The compromise on ECA, who's in favor? Who's against?

Who abstains? Adopted. The compromise on the EESC, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains?

Adopted. The compromise on the COR, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted.

The compromise on the European Ombudsman, who's in favor? Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. The compromise on the EDPS-EDPB, who's in favor?

Who's against? Who abstains? Adopted. And the compromise on the EEAS, who's in favor? Who's against?

Who abstains? Adopted. This closes the voting session. Thank you all. These are the amendments that we will send to the plenary.

We have a coordinators' meeting after this meeting. So for the coordinators, please stay here.