#MFF: EU needs more funds for jobs and youth in 2017 to honour its pledges say MEPs

The Budgets Committee demanded more funds, in a vote on Tuesday (11 October) to help young people into jobs, to boost economic growth and assist third countries with a view to mitigating the migration crisis. MEPs had earlier reversed all the cuts proposed by the Council to the draft 2017 EU budget. Part of the additional funds are expected to be financed via new appropriations to be obtained through the ongoing mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

For details on the budget figures and more info, please check the overview table, the draft resolution and the press release on the votes on the figures (28/09/2016).

The draft resolution on the EP’s position on the EU Budget 2017 was approved by 29 votes to 7, with 1 abstention.

Youth, growth and jobs

MEPs added €1.5 billion in commitment appropriations for the Youth Employment Initiative,  to help youngsters desperately seeking a job.

They also decided to reinstate in full the original budgets of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which funds infrastructure projects, and the Horizon 2020 program, which backs research projects. Both programs had faced cuts to help fund the EU contribution to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). The corresponding additional commitments amount to €1.24bn above the proposed draft budget.

These additional funds should be obtained through the mid-term revision of the EU’s long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF), they said.

MEPs also increased budgets for other programs, including COSME, Progress, Marie Curie, European Research Council, Eures and Erasmus+.

Refugee and migration crisis

Funding for the EU refugee deal with Turkey and other ad-hoc funds or instruments should not come at the expense of the Union’s existing external action, including its development policy, MEPs said. They “strongly question” whether the funds for projects in third countries are sufficient, especially in view of the current refugee and migration crisis.

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