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EU budget 2019
SUMMARY OF:
Definitive adoption (EU, Euratom) 2019/333 of the EU's general budget for 2019
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS ACT?
It is the text agreed by the European Parliament and the Council adopting the EU's budget for 2019.
The budget:
- helps turn the EU's political priorities into reality;
- sets out and authorises the total annual revenue and expenditure for the EU and the European Atomic Energy Authority;
- identifies specific priority expenditure areas in line with the Juncker Commission's programme.
For 2019, these include:
- economic growth and jobs;
- research and innovation;
- students and young people;
- effective management of migration and the EU's external borders.
KEY POINTS
The 2019 EU budget provides for €165.795 billion in spending commitments* and €148.199 billion in payment* credits. The main areas of expenditure (in € million) are:
Commitments (€ million) |
Payments (€ million) |
|
Competitiveness for growth and jobs (research, innovation, education, small and medium-sized enterprises, etc.) |
23,335 |
20,522 |
Economic, social and territorial cohesion (regional, social and investment funds, etc.) |
57,192 |
47,035 |
Sustainable growth, natural resources (agriculture, fisheries, rural and environment policies, etc.) |
59,642 |
57,400 |
|
43,192 |
43,116 |
Security and citizenship (border protection, asylum policy, anti-terrorism activities, etc.) |
3,787 |
3,527 |
Global Europe (development aid outside EU, humanitarian aid, etc.) |
11,319 |
9,358 |
Administration (staff salaries, pensions and running costs) |
9,943 |
9,945 |
Special instruments |
577 |
412 |
FROM WHEN DOES THE BUDGET APPLY?
It has applied since 1 January 2019.
BACKGROUND
The annual budget finances the whole range of EU policies, activities, institutions and agencies. It represents about 1% of the gross national income of the 28 EU countries (1).
Every year, usually in late spring, the European Commission proposes the draft EU budget for the following year. For 2019, the initial draft EU budget was proposed on 23 May 2018. This proposal comprised €166 billion in commitments and €149 billion in payments (approximately 3% higher than 2018 figures in both cases). On this basis, the European Parliament and the Council each took a position.
Following negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council, an agreement was finally secured on 3 December 2018. The EU budget 2019 was formally endorsed by the Council on 11 December 2018 and definitively adopted by the European Parliament on 12 December 2018.
The 2019 budget is the sixth under the current 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework.
For more information, see:
- Budget (European Commission).
KEY TERMS
MAIN DOCUMENT
Definitive adoption (EU, Euratom) 2019/333 of the European Union's general budget for the financial year 2019 (OJ L 67, 7.3.2019, pp. 1-2350)
last update 04.03.2019
(1) The United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union and becomes a third country (non-EU country) as of 1 February 2020.