EU budget 2013: Parlement stemt in met fonds voor Kroatië (en)

Additional funding from the EU's 2013 budget to cover costs relating to Croatia's EU accession was approved by Parliament on Thursday.

The amounts involved are € 655.1 million in commitments and € 374 million in payments. These sums were agreed at the Accession Conference of 30 June 2011. The additional funding will not be used for administrative expenditure, which was already provided for in the 2013 budget.

Some member states contested the Commission proposal, even though financial arrangements for the accession of a new member state are spelled out in detail in the EU's current multi-annual financial framework (MFF). However, the Council finally approved the necessary amending budget last week.

"This is an important step forwards", said the MEP in charge of the 2013 budget, Giovanni La Via i (EPP, IT). "I regret that this came through so late, but am glad that our firmness paid off so that Croatia will have fresh resources to implement EU policies", he added.

The amending budget, approved by 559 votes to 25 with 16 abstentions, was voted in parallel with a revision of ceilings in the current MFF.