“Today’s Budgets Committee vote on the 2020 EU Budget shows the EPP Group’s commitment to tackling climate change”, said Monika Hohlmeier MEP, the European Parliament’s Spokeswoman for the 2020 EU Budget.

“We want to invest 2 billion Euros more in green technologies, innovation, and digitalisation programmes on top of the draft budget to ensure that Europe is keeping its promises on fighting climate change”, she pointed out.

In early June this year, the European Commission proposed a draft budget for 2020 consisting of €168.3 billion in commitments and €153.7 billion in payments. The Council only foresees €166.8 billion in commitments and €153.1 billion in payments for next year’s budget.

“The Council irresponsibly wants to cut topics which urgently require more financial support. For the 2020 budget, the EPP Group wishes to combine the creation of jobs, competitiveness of European enterprises, and tackling environmental challenges”, Hohlmeier explained, adding: “Two other priorities are in our focus: first, more opportunities for young people with the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and Erasmus+ (educational exchange programme, Interrail tickets for young people aged 18 years-old) and second, better support for developing countries to protect their land and sea habitats against plastics and enabling the increasing use of renewables.”

Reacting to the Council’s cuts to the seventh and last budget under the current 2014-2020 long-term EU Budget, the EPP Group Spokesman in the Budgets Committee, José Manuel Fernandes MEP, concluded: “The EPP Group wants to help Member States meet their own commitments. Therefore, the EP does not accept the cuts proposed by the Council, especially those concerning the fight against climate change, research and innovation, SMEs and the promotion of employment. How can Member States cut back on climate change and research and innovation when their targets for 2014-2020 are far from being met? The 2020 budget is the last chance!”

The European Parliament will adopt its position later this month at the plenary session in Strasbourg.