Negotiators in the EU parliament and the EU countries have agreed on the EU budget for 2023. Shortly before midnight, negotiators agreed on Monday that some €186 billion can be planned for next year, the Czech Republic made Deputy Finance Minister Jiri Georgiev known. The EU wants to spend more money on the energy transition and on coping with the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
“The new budget is a solid result,” said Finance Minister Florian Tursky (ÖVP). “It accommodates the unpredictable challenges of 2023 and represents the most important issues of the future.”
Joint protection in the field of cybersecurity
According to Tursky, an additional 500 million euros will be invested in the Digital.Europe, Erasmus+ and Horizon programs in the coming year. During the negotiations, he felt it was important that bureaucracy should not increase further in the future. “Also of great importance is a joint statement by all EU institutions on joint protection in the field of cybersecurity.”
“Time to boost our economy”
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, welcomed the agreement. “Now is the time to boost our economy. To stay united,” Metsola wrote on Twitter shortly after the agreement.
A billion euros to deal with crises
According to the Committee on Budgets in parliament, more than a billion euros from the Community budget will also be spent on the current crises, including the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the further recovery from the Corona crisis.
Essentially, the negotiations were about how much money can be budgeted. The EU Parliament had called for €187.3 billion to be made available next year. The EU countries wanted to give a little less – 183.95 billion. That was just below the proposal of EU budget commissioner Johannes Hahn for 185.6 billion euros.
To implement the 2023 budget, the agreement still needs to be ratified in a plenary session of parliament and by a council of ministers. However, this is considered a formal act.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
