European Commission proposes draft EU budget 2016: focus on jobs, growth, migration and global action

27 May 2015

The EC proposed a 2016 EU budget of €143.5 billion in payment credits to support the recovery of the European economy and help improve lives in Europe and beyond.

The money will be invested to boost innovation, create jobs, help convergence among Member States and among regions, deal more effectively with migration and further strengthen the role of the EU as a global player. The proposal also includes contributions to the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), which is at the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe. Today’s draft will be sent to the European Parliament and EU Member States who will jointly decide on the final budget.

European Commission Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva, in charge of budget and human resources, said: "In today's economy it is more important than ever to use taxpayers' money wisely. Our 2016 budget supports the economic recovery through investment for growth and jobs, as well as helping manage external challenges such as migration. We are responding to the most pressing needs in Europe and aiming for the best possible results."

Boosting jobs, growth and investment

Main features of the draft 2016 EU budget include:

• Nearly half of it (€66.58 billion) used to stimulate growth, employment and competitiveness.
• Supporting the political priorities of the European Commission, for example the Energy Union and the Digital Single Market, via programmes like the Connecting Europe Facility (€1.67 billion in 2016).
• €1.8 billion (30% more than 2015) to Erasmus+, the European programme for education, training, youth and sport, which will help over 4 million people to work and study across the EU in 2014-2020.
• Increasing competitiveness through research and innovation with programmes like Horizon 2020 (€10 billion in 2016, up 11.6% from 2015).
• €2 billion in commitments and €500 million in payments for the guarantee fund of the EFSI, to unlock €315 billion in investment for Europe. The EFSI-Regulation, including the budgetary aspects of the new investment structure, is subject to ongoing negotiations between the European Parliament and the Member States.
• A total of €42.86 billion for farmers.

Tackling new challenges - in Europe and beyond

More money will be available to tackle today's migration challenges. The budget supports the European Agenda for Migration presented earlier this month, with additional funding for the Triton and Poseidon Operations, strengthened emergency assistance to frontline Member States, the funding for an EU-wide resettlement scheme, and reinforcing agencies such as FRONTEX and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). There is €833 million for 2016 for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF), the two main sources of funding for the measures under the EU policy on migration and security.

The EU budget also responds to new developments in Europe's neighbourhood and beyond. There is €9.5 billion (+28.5%) to support the EU's capacity to respond to external crises, such as those in Ukraine and Syria, and to provide humanitarian help to those in need. The European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) and the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) will be reinforced to €2.1 billion (+34%) and €2.7 billion (+27%), respectively.

© European Commission