The S&D Group voted on the Parliament's draft EU budget for 2018, which calls for more funding to boost growth, enhance cohesion and tackle the many challenges the EU is facing.
The draft report constitutes the first formal response of the European Parliament to the Commission's draft budget for 2018 and serves as a mandate for the discussions with the Council and the Commission, which begin on July 13.
Daniele Viotti, S&D negotiator on 2018 budget, said:
"The Commission's draft budget moved in the right direction, but there is still a great deal of room for improvement. I am pleased to see there is an increased commitment compared to the 2017 EU budget. However, the Commission’s proposal clearly falls short of the priorities expressed by the EP and the Council, namely sustainable growth, decent and quality jobs, socio-economic cohesion, migration and climate change.
"If we want to be serious about our promises and respond effectively to the many challenges the Union is facing, we need to dedicate appropriate funds. The EU needs to further invest if it is to achieve its sustainable growth and help support decent and quality jobs, especially in order to counterbalance cuts for projects under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). In the coming days and weeks, we will put pressure on the Commission to deliver on the political commitments it has already made."
Eider Gardiazabal Rubial, S&D spokesperson for the budget committee, added:
"I would like to remind the Council that its position on the 2018 budget must be consistent with the Union's political priorities. It should therefore contain a genuine political position and not be a mere accounting adjustment in which the budget is cut without taking account of the needs."
Note to editors
The draft budget 2018 presented by the European Commission on 30 May 2017 amounts to 161 billion euro in commitment appropriations (+1.4% compared to EU budget 2017) and 145 billion euro in payment appropriations (+8.1 % compared to EU budget 2017).
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