On the 14th of November, the Council and the European Parliament today reached an agreement on an EU budget for 2023. The budget will strongly focus on the EU’s main policy priorities. Total commitments are set at €186.6 billion. This is an increase of 1.1% compared to the 2022 budget as amended. €0.4 billion have been kept available under the expenditure ceilings of the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, allowing the EU to react to unforeseeable needs. Total payments amount to €168.6 billion, rising 1% from 2022.

In accordance with the priorities it set forth in its guidelines for 2023, the Parliament was successful in increasing funding for programs and policies that it views as essential for addressing the effects of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, contributing to the post-pandemic recovery, and strengthening efforts toward the green and digital transitions.

Consequences of the war in Ukraine, MEPs obtained additional funding for programmes including:

  • Erasmus+ with €120 million to support students and teachers from Ukraine,
  • humanitarian aid by €150 million,
  • the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund with a €36.5 million top-up,
  • the Border Management and Visa Instrument with €10 million,
  • the “Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument” (NDICI – Global Europe) for the EU’s southern and eastern neighbourhood with €280 million, and Military Mobility with €58,8

Energy and climate, programmes with additional support include:

  • the Horizon Europe research programme,
  • the Connecting Europe Facility, which funds the construction of high-quality and sustainable trans-European transport and energy networks,
  • the environment and climate action LIFE programme.

MEPs restored the €200 million cut by the Council to the EU4Health programme and obtained another €7.5 million, as the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over, resulting in a need to support national health systems to become more resilient.

You can find more details on the Parliament’s website.

To learn more about current calls for proposals or Eurodiaconia’s funding events, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Projects and EU Funding Officer Giorgia Signoretto at giorgia.signoretto@eurodiaconia.org.