“We believe this increase is necessary to partially offset the US decision to end support for civil society in the region,” Siegfried Mureschan, an MEP who signed the amendment, wrote on his Facebook page.
“Civil society plays a crucial role in strengthening democracy in our neighboring countries, especially in candidate countries such as Moldova, which face anti-democratic pressure and aggression from Russia. With American support ending, we believe that the EU has an obligation to support independent non-governmental organizations so that they can continue their activities,” he added.
Following Wednesday’s vote, the amendment became part of the European Parliament’s official position in the final negotiations with the Council and Commission on the EU budget for 2026, which will take place in the coming weeks.
The European Parliament adopted on Wednesday the draft EU budget for 2026, which envisages payment commitments of €193.9 billion, €597.8 million more than the European Commission’s proposal.
The plenary vote will kick off three weeks of negotiations with the Council, which adopted its position in September, with the aim of reaching an agreement on next year’s budget before the end of the year. According to a statement from the European Parliament, the first round of talks will take place on November 4.
