BRUSSELS, 17 NOVEMBER 2016.  Finance ministers and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2017. External funding commitments have been set at €10.162 million and payments at €9.483 million, an increase of some €730 million beyond the ceiling agreed back in 2013 in the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). These are new additional funds, which will for the most part be used to address the recently arisen needs of the refugee crisis.

 

Valentina Barbagallo, Policy and Advocacy Manager at  The ONE Campaign said:

“Today, the EU agreed to increase its aid budget for next year. By mobilising additional funding beyond the limits agreed back in 2013, EU leaders recognise that the ongoing global refugee crisis requires substantial new resources.

However, these extra funds do not come close to covering the EU’s full response to the refugee crisis. Much of the cost is still borne by the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. For example, humanitarian aid was cut by 14,7%. With half of humanitarian needs worldwide still unmet, this shows a lack of long-term vision for preventing future crises.

 In the ongoing review of the EU’s 7-year budget framework, EU leaders should significantly increase funding for external action so that the EU can support both refugees and the world’s poorest without pitting one against the other.”

 

***ENDS***

Notes to editors:
Contact, information & interviews – Andrea Ghianda // [email protected] // +32 (0)2 300 89 42 // +32 (0)471 89 64 22

 

• EU Budget 2017 – Read more
• Development assistance will receive some €3.2 billion in commitments in 2017, an increase of around 20% compared to 2016 but more than €40 million short of the Commission’s proposal. The increases will be spent mostly on migration and asylum. Humanitarian aid will see €163m less in commitments, a 14,7% cut from 2016.
• ONE’s #EUBudget campaign: “Yesterday’s solutions no longer work today”. ONE is urging European leaders to increase the aid budget beyond the old ceilings, so that the EU can both respond to the refugee crisis and fulfil the EU’s commitment to end extreme poverty by 2030. Read more

 

ABOUT ONE: ONE is an international campaigning and advocacy organization of more than 7 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Co-founded by Bono, ONE raises public awareness and works with political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency, so governments are accountable to their citizens. Read more at www.one.org.