EP President expects revision of EU budget to provide financing for Ukraine at Oct summit
President of the European Parliament (EP) Roberta Metsola has said there is an urgent need to revise the long-term budget of the European Union at the summit in October, otherwise there will be no funds in the budget, including for Ukraine.
She said this at a press conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday, following the EP's vote for talks on the mid-term revision of the EU's long-term budget. The interim report on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 was approved by 393 votes against 136 and 92 abstentions.
Metsola said it is necessary to finish the full revision at the European Council in October in order to approve the revised framework of the long-term budget before January 1 and ensure that the 2024 budget is adopted on the same framework. The next formal summit of the EU is scheduled for October 26-27.
She also said that the revision of the budget is also necessary to continue supporting Ukraine.
"We must continue our support to Ukraine on a long-term and sustainable path. This is as much about Ukraine's security as it is about Europe's security and our future," the EP President said.
One of the co-rapporteurs, MEP Jan Olbrycht said that the macro-financial assistance to Ukraine stops at the end of December.
"From January 1, there is no money in the macro-financial assistance (MFA). The question is what we will do to help Ukraine for January 1. Si, the Commission came with a very clear commission that we need money for Ukrainian Facility, we need money for the innovation competitiveness," he said.
The MEP also said that by today's vote the European Parliament outlined its position on the revision of the budget.
"To be very clear, what we made today is to present the political position of the Parliament. It means that formally we have only the Council procedure. So, we can say only 'yes' or 'no' after the unanimous decision of the Council. This is the formal situation. The political situation is that we are not waiting," Olbrycht said.
With this vote, the negotiators of the European Parliament received a mandate to participate in discussions with the Council, which has not yet finalized its position on the facility.
