MEPs reverse innovation, jobs and humanitarian spending cuts in the EU’s 2014 budget, but it’s still not the growth booster they wanted.

Budget squeeze

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A gigantic task with mountains of paperwork  faced MEPs managing Europe’s annual budget.

2,300 amendments to be voted on,  covering the spectrum of EU spending.

Energy to innovation.  Unemployment to ecology.

But one unifying thought emerged  at the EP's Budgets Committee.

It’s just not enough,  especially for an election year.

There is nothing in this budget  that will mobilise EU citizens.

I think today we must convince them  of a vision for Europe, of a project.

We have to try to convince them with a real  post-austerity vision, not an austerity one.

The lion’s share of the budget  usually goes to farming and support

for the EU’s least wealthy  members in the East.

The committee voted to restore funding  axed earlier by Member States.

Details are still being worked out,  but roughly it's just shy of 135 billion euros.

This year however,  circumstances are different.

One: the budget is 6% less than last year.

Two: there is a huge rollover  of unpaid bills from last year’s budget.

Time, says the Committee Chairman,  for a fundamental change in thinking.

We are launching a process  to reform the financing of the EU budget,

to get out of the straight jacket  we are trapped in today,

The EU budget needs to have its own funds,  its own financial resources.

Some MEPs saw the glass half full though,

particularly as key priorities like innovation  and youth unemployment have been restored.

The big difference from last year  is a huge emphasis

on more money being invested into  research and development,

to tackle youth unemployment and  the huge problems we have across Europe.

The other big difference from 2013 is that  the budget is some 6% less than last year,

so in terms of austerity  Europe is showing the way.

Next steps:  a vote in plenary later this month,

then, just maybe, another round  of hefty wrangling with Member States.