Greece benefits from 2023 European budget

The agreement on the European budget 2023 reached on November 14 is considered particularly beneficial for Greece, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Finance.

This is because, as the announcement mentions, significant resources are planned to be allocated to sectors and programs of high Greek interest, such as Economic and Social Cohesion, Common Agricultural Policy, Migration and Asylum, EU4Health, HORIZON, NDICI, LIFE and ERASMUS. The influx of European funds is expected to contribute to the stimulation of investment and employment, the promotion of research and innovation, as well as the green and digital transition.

During the meeting of the ECOFIN-BUGDET Council on November 11, Greece, Spain and Italy identified the need for adequate funding to the member states for natural disasters.

The Council and the European Parliament have 14 days to approve the joint plan. On November 23, a vote will take place in the Plenary of the European Parliament, which will formally mark the end of the process of approving the 2023 budget.

On November 14, 2022, an agreement was reached in Brussels between the Council and the European Parliament on a joint plan for the EU budget for the year 2023, which includes commitments of 186.6 billion euros and payment appropriations of 168.6 billion euros. The margin below the spending ceilings of the multi-annual financial framework 2021-2027 to deal with unforeseen needs, amounts to 0.4 billion euros.

Geopolitical instability

The 2023 budget reflects the unstable geopolitical environment, the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both in the country itself and in the countries of the southern neighborhood and member states, the rapid increase in energy prices and high inflationary pressures. The agreement aims, above all, to ensure a sustainable recovery from the pandemic, create jobs, as well as mobilize further investment for a greener, digital and resilient Europe.

In particular, the allocation of EU budget appropriations for the year 2023 is as follows:

– €14.7 billion for Neighborhood and International Development and Cooperation support, with a focus on Ukraine and Moldova, migration and the Southern Neighborhood, as well as the humanitarian aid program to respond to crises.

– € 1.5 billion for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and EUR 956.8 million for the Border Management Fund, with the aim of strengthening cooperation in the field of external border management, as well as policy on Migration and Asylum, including support to Member States hosting refugees from Ukraine.

– €3 billion for the Connecting Europe Facility targeting modern transport infrastructure to facilitate cross-border connections. Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening the EU-Ukraine solidarity corridors and on the energy side, to deal with the energy crisis, in addition to the RE PowerEU plan of 20 billion euros.

– €295.2 million for military and civilian mobility.

– €3.7 billion for Erasmus+ to invest in Youth, including pupils and students leaving Ukraine, as well as EUR 332.8 million for the cultural sector through the Creative Europe programme.

– €62.9 billion in commitments to support the recovery by stimulating investments in the area of ​​”Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion”.

– €53.6 billion for the Common Agricultural Policy and €1.1 billion for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, as well as strengthening the resilience of the agri-food and fisheries sectors.

– €12.4 billion for the Horizon Europe program to support EU research in areas such as health, digital, industry, space, climate, energy and mobility.

– €602.8 million for the single market programme, to support small and medium-sized enterprises across the Union.

– €739.3 million for the EU4Health program with the aim of comprehensively responding to the needs of European citizens in the health sector.

– €1.5 billion under the Just Transition Fund to ensure that the transition to climate neutrality benefits everyone, as well as €755.5 million under the LIFE Program to support actions on the environment and climate.

– €309.9 million for the Internal Security Fund, EUR 945.7 million for the European Defense Fund to support the European Autonomy and Security Strategy and EUR 157.0 million for the Instrument to strengthen European Defense Industry through joint procurement.