European Parliament ‘interrupts’ negotiations on EU budget

MEPs temporarily walk away over governments’ refusal to raise allocations, including for Horizon Europe

Talks between the European Parliament and EU member state governments on the bloc’s 2021-27 budget briefly stalled on 8 October. MEPs walked out in the middle of a session over governments’ unwillingness to raise their allocations for areas the Parliament considers a priority, including the Horizon Europe R&D programme and the Erasmus+ mobility programme.

“We had no other choice but to interrupt the meeting,” the negotiating MEPs said in a press release. “We are waiting for the Council [which brings together governments] to update its negotiating mandate and finally come back with a proposal that takes into account Parliament’s key demand to improve 15 flagship EU programmes, with genuine reinforcements, for the benefit of the citizens.”