European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
EU Financing / Budgetary Affairs
European political parties and political foundations – Statute and funding [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 13 September 2017, the European Commission adopted a proposal to amend the rules on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations. The proposal aims to revise the existing, 2014, regulation ahead of the 2019 European elections, to address specific loopholes. The proposed amendments focus on providing more transparency, improving democratic legitimacy and strengthening enforcement. Continue reading
Performance budgeting: A means to improve EU spending
In 2015, the European Commission launched an initiative entitled, ‘The EU budget focused on results’. The initiative is aimed at changing spending culture and making results a horizontal priority for the EU budget, by paying as much attention to funds’ performance, efficiency and effectiveness as to their absorption and compliance with financial rules. Continue reading
The long-term EU budget [What Think Tanks are thinking]
European Union leaders agreed at their informal meeting on 23 February that the EU should spend more after 2020 on curbing illegal migration, on defence and security, and on the Erasmus+ student-exchange programme. Continue reading
Guarantee Fund for External Action and EIB external lending mandate [EU Legislation in Progress]
In response to a sharp increase in the number of people trying to migrate to Europe illegally, and as part of the mid-term review of the European Investment Bank’s external lending mandate (ELM), the Commission has proposed an external investment plan to tackle the root causes of migration from countries neighbouring the European Union, consisting of a European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) and quantitative and qualitative changes to the ELM. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Galileo and EGNOS [Policy podcast]
The current EU multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the 2014 to 2020 period allocates €7 071.73 million to deliver and to ensure the security and interoperability of two EU satellite navigation systems: the European geostationary navigation overlay service (EGNOS), and Galileo. The rules for both systems are set out in Regulation (EU) No 1285/2013 (the ‘GNSS Regulation’). Continue reading
The EU’s next long-term budget [What Think Tanks are thinking]
European Union Member States and institutions are preparing to embark on negotiations on the EU’s next long-term budget, or Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), that will cover five or seven years, starting in January 2021. Continue reading
Economic and Budgetary Outlook for the European Union 2018
In 2017, the EU and euro-area economies continued their moderate growth (slightly over 2 %) in a context of global improvement (3.5 %) underpinned by a strong rebound in world trade, continuing growth in China and a return to growth in countries such as Brazil and Russia. Continue reading
Future financing of the Union [Ten issues to watch in 2018]
The EU has a modest fiscal capacity in the form of an annual budget, whose size and structure are largely predetermined by a Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The current MFF covers the 2014-2020 period and amounts to €1.09 trillion, or roughly 1 % of EU GDP. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Development Cooperation Instrument
The Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) is the main financial instrument in the EU budget for funding aid to developing countries. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Copernicus – The EU’s Earth observation and monitoring programme
Copernicus is the European Union’s earth observation and monitoring programme. It has a space component and a ground-based component, and provides users with data services. Continue reading
How the Budget is spent: Horizon 2020
Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) – is the successor to seven previous framework programmes. With a budget of over €70 billion, it is unique in the world, not only in terms of budget, but also duration and scope. Continue reading
How the Budget is spent: Youth Employment Initiative
The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), with an initial financial envelope of €3.2 billion for 2014-2015, is the main EU funding programme of this political commitment. Its objective is the fight against youth unemployment in the worst-affected EU regions by supporting young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in regions with a youth unemployment rate above 25 %. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation
With a 2014-2020 budget of €225.3 million (0.02 % of the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework), the current INSC promotes a high level of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and safeguards for nuclear material outside the EU, from Argentina to Mongolia. Continue reading
Structural funds – Investing in people [What is Europe doing for its citizens?]
Written by Christiaan van Lierop, Accounting for over one third of the EU’s budget, structural funds (ESIF) have helped to transform Europe. From motorways to wind farms, airports to urban regeneration schemes, structural fund investments are a tangible expression of the EU’s promise to develop infrastructure and generate economic growth. Yet beyond these very visible … Continue reading
2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF): Mid-term revision [EU Legislation in Progress]
Written by Alessandro D’Alfonso (3rd edition), The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) sets the maximum level of resources (‘ceiling’) for each major category of EU spending for the years 2014-2020. Based on the compulsory mid-term review of the MFF, the European Commission proposes to modify the flexibility provisions and special instruments of the MFF Regulation. The … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
Written by Magdalena Sapala, Jean Weissenberger, The €6 396.6 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) may be the smallest of the European Structural and Investment Funds for the 2014-2020 period, but it is the principal financial tool supporting the EU common fisheries policy (CFP). Governed by Regulation 508/2014, (the EMFF Regulation), the Fund aims at providing the … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Macro-financial assistance
Written by Ana Claudia Alfieri, One important European Union (EU) objective is to achieve macroeconomic and political stability in its neighbourhood by ‘developing a zone of shared stability, security, and prosperity’ through a set of policies that help to bring candidate, potential candidate, and neighbourhood countries closer to the EU. One of these policies is … Continue reading
The Brexit negotiations: Issues for the first phase
Written by Alessandro D’Alfonso, Eva-Maria Poptcheva, James McEldowney and Laura Tilindyte, Negotiations on the arrangements for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union started on 19 June 2017. The European Commission is negotiating on behalf of the EU, on the basis of the European Council’s guidelines and the subsequent mandate from the Council. The … Continue reading
Smart Borders: EU Entry/Exit System [EU Legislation in Progress]
In anticipation of increased traveller flows and in response to security concerns regarding the control of EU external borders, on 6 April 2016, the Commission presented revised proposals for establishing an Entry/Exit System for recording the border-crossings of all non-EU nationals. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II)
Written by Martin Svasek, The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) supports countries that are candidates or potential candidates for EU membership. The support goes towards measures aiming at adopting and implementing the political, institutional, legal, administrative, social and economic reforms required to comply with the Union’s values and to align progressively with the Union’s rules, … Continue reading
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