MEP's of the EP Committee on Budgets voted on the measures concerning the implementation and financing of the general budget of the Union in 2020 in relation to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union. Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR,BE), Rapporteur and Chair of the EP Committee on Budgets explained the main points of the budget and the Brexit consequences.

Brussels

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

Committee on Budgets

VAN OVERTVELDT, Johan (ECR, BE)

EU budget 2021 (T)

Implementation and financing of the EU general budget in 2020 in relation to the UK's withdrawal from the EU: extracts from the vote and statement by Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE), Rapporteur

SOUNDBITE (English), Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE), A warm welcome to you all for this Budget Committee meeting. Then we go to vote first of all the budget 2020.

SOUNDBITE (English), Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE), We go to the final vote, which we do by roll-call. I declare the vote open.

SOUNDBITE (English), Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE), The tricky point with respect to Brexit is of course what kind of Brexit we will finally have and that it has important implications for the Budget development and so we have to wait and see what comes out of the process and we have of course to be prepared for every kind of Brexit that we may get. Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 are very important programmes and are also programmes who have proven their value and so we should do everything to keep them going as foreseen.

SOUNDBITE (English), Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE), The position of the Parliament has been very clear, we want these programmes to be continued and we want in terms of the budget see important changes to what the Council has been proposing now. We have a plenary vote on that next week and then we have a little bit of time left to try to come to a conciliation between what the Council is proposing and what the Parliament is proposing. But we cannot run await from the fact that there is a substantial difference between the two positions. I will regret that very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE), It's in everybody's interest, certainly in the interest of British people, but also in the interest of the European people. So the message is: put pressure on everybody to come to a good deal.