For next year’s budget, MEPs obtained better support for key EU programmes that create jobs, tackle the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and boost climate action. Commitment appropriations for 2021 total €164.3 billion; payment appropriations total €166.1 billion.

Creating jobs and investing in the EU’s future

MEPs succeeded in bolstering, on top of the Commission’s budget proposal, programmes they considered key to boosting growth and jobs, reflecting widely agreed European Union priorities, namely Digital Europe (+€25.7 million) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for transport infrastructure (+€60.3 million).

Strengthening respect for Europe’s values and boosting climate action

As a supplementary effort to fight climate change, the additions obtained by the EP for the LIFE programme (+€42 million) aim, from the outset, at contributing to reaching the target of 30% of climate-relevant spending in the EU budget for the 2021-2027 period.

The Rights and Values programme will receive an additional €6.6 million, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), an independent EU body that fights crimes against the Union budget will benefit from an extra €7.3 million.


MFF top-ups: supporting the young, EU research and healthcare

Other reinforcements for 2021 reflect the top-ups to selected key EU programmes that Parliament obtained in the deal with Council on the next long-term EU budget (MFF) 2021-2027, approved on 16 December.

This is the case for Erasmus+ (+€175.1 million), Horizon Europe (research programme, +€20 million) and the EU4Health programme, the EU’s response to COVID-19, by a further €74.3 million. EU4Health will support medical and healthcare staff, patients and health systems. Similarly, the commitment appropriations for humanitarian aid have been increased by €25 million and for supporting the EU’s southern neighbourhood by €10.2 million.