Agenda highlights

The Council will prepare the negotiations with the European Parliament on the 2016 EU budget which will take place in a Conciliation Committee meeting the same day.

On 29 October 2015, a three-week conciliation period started, with the aim of reaching a deal between the Council and the European Parliament on the EU budget for 2016. This follows the adoption by the Parliament on 28 October 2015 of amendments that were not acceptable to the Council.

In its position adopted on 4 September by unanimity the Council accepted without change the resources for migration-related measures proposed by the Commission in its 2016 draft budget. The Council believes that €153.27 billion in commitments and €142.12 billion in payments would enable the EU to reach its policy objectives in 2016. The European Parliament wishes to increase total commitments to €157.43 billion and total payments to €146.46 billion. Both institutions should arrive at a joint position on the budget by 18 November 2015 at the latest.