€1,3 billion approved by MEPs for the ITER nuclear fusion research project
The additional funding needed for the ITER project has been approved by Parliament's Budgets Committee. The approval includes to revise the multi-annual financial framework for 2007-2013 and raise the annual budget ceilings for 2012 and 2013. In order to apply this new funding for ITER project, it is still needed the approval by the Parliament as a whole and the Council.
Parliament's Budgets Committee approved the additional funding of €1.3 billion needed for the ITER nuclear fusion research project in France. MEPs gave its consent to the agreement reached by Parliament's negotiating team and the Council of Ministers on 1 December to revise the multi-annual financial framework for 2007-2013 and raise the annual budget ceilings for 2012 and 2013.
In particular, €840 million will be covered via a revision of the current multiannual financial framework. The ceiling on heading 1 (Competitiveness for growth and employment) will be increased by €650 million in 2012 and €190 million in 2013 (in commitments). To compensate for this, the commitment ceilings for Preservation and Management of Natural Resources (Heading 2) and Administration (Heading 5) will be decreased in 2011 and 2012.
On the other hand,€100 million are already foreseen in the 2012 budget from the remaining €460 million (in commitments). The other €360 million will be financed during the budgetary procedure for 2013. The annual ceilings for payment appropriations will be adjusted to keep an appropriate relationship between commitments and payments. The ceiling for total payments will be increased by €580 million for 2013, offset by a corresponding decrease in the 2011 ceiling.