European Parliament backs EU budget proposal co-led by Cyprus MEP Hadjipantela

Nicosia, Cyprus. MEPs on Wednesday endorsed a proposal for next year’s EU budget prepared jointly by Disy’s Cypriot MEP Michalis Hadjipantela and Latvian co-rapporteur Nils Usakovs. The vote was 400 in favour, 189 against and 84 abstentions.

Commitments and payments

The proposal provides for commitments totalling €194 billion and actual payments of €203.3 billion during the year. Hadjipantela and Usakovs restored every reduction adopted by the Council of the EU in its July position.

The committee’s position exceeded both the Council’s spending plan and the European Commission’s June proposal, which the Council had used as the basis for its cuts. The committee approved an additional €1.17 billion compared with the Commission’s proposed spending for next year.

Infrastructure, farming and neighbourhood funding

The additional allocations include €260.5 million for the Connecting Europe facility, an EU instrument supporting infrastructure investment. It is also the mechanism used by the EU to offer grants for the Great Sea Interconnector.

The proposal adds €85 million to the European agriculture guarantee fund, which provides direct payments to farmers, alongside a further €20 million in assistance for young farmers.

Funding for the EU’s neighbourhood policy would rise by €140 million. That policy provides financing and partnerships for countries across eastern Europe and north Africa.

How Cyprus’s MEPs voted

Hadjipantela supported the proposal, joined by Disy colleague Loucas Fourlas, Diko MEP Costas Mavrides and Fidias Panayiotou, who leads Direct Democracy Cyprus.

Giorgos Georgiou of Akel opposed it, while Elam MEP Geadis Geadi abstained.

Resources for EU institutions

Discussing his plans on Tuesday, Hadjipantela argued that efficiency should not be reduced to spending cuts.

He said: “at a time when the European Union faces growing security challenges, we must ensure that our institutions possess the necessary means to carry out their mission effectively and independently.”