A budget that meets our challenges 

 

The European institutions must obtain an increase in the Community budget to face the many current challenges.

 

At the beginning of its mandate, the Commission sacrificed EUR 2.5 billion from the institutions' operating budget, having been unable or unable to withstand pressure from the Member States.

 

As a result, the Institutions found themselves without room for manoeuvre to deal with the imperative urgency of unforeseeable events.

 

Thus, with a reduced operating budget, we have had to deal with the management of the recovery plan, the health crisis, the management of group purchasing of vaccines and the energy crisis - by confronting it through solutions that can only be relevant at European level - . Finally, the war on Europe's doorstep requires significant funding to, for example, welcome refugees, help Ukraine and one day rebuild its economy.

 

To these "multi-crises" was added the resumption of inflation and its consequences on the management of the 'method'. Planned to initiate, given inflation projections, increases in our wages of 2%, it had to allow increases of 2.4% before that of 4.5% of December 2022. As inflation was maintained in 2023 and probably in 2024, the implementation of the method will be difficult (with an increase in June and another in December), the Institutions would not have room for manoeuvre to face the challenges. Further savings in the operating budget will be proposed making the situation of staff even more difficult than now, or even precluding any improvement.

 

Taking into account both the sacrifices already made by the staff and the pressing demands of the European company, it will be preferable to obtain an additional budget to better take on our new obligations and to implement measures that will increase staff cohesion.

 

To do this, the European Parliament and public opinion must be informed of the real issues at stake in order to obtain this additional budget.

 

There is an urgent need to act quickly