Some 20% of the EU’s overall budget for 2020 will go towards measures to address climate change, as the three law-making institutions have struck an agreement.

The European Commission, Council and Parliament have agreed an overall budget of €168.7bn in commitments (spending over multiple years) and €153.6bn in payment credits (annual spending).

Climate spending will be made up across several programmes, with the LIFE programme and the Horizon 2020 research programme securing considerable increases to their budgets.

Agriculture

For agriculture, spending under the Common Agricultural Policy’s (CAP) first pillar, is estimated at €44.48bn. The vast bulk of this will be distributed in the form of direct payments totalling €43.4bn.

For rural development programmes, there will be a budget of €14.7bn for longer-term spending and €13.1bn in payments. These figures will be supplemented by member state co-funding as rural development schemes near their conclusion.

Long-term

Jan Van Overtveldt, chair of the European Parliament’s committee on budgets, said: “In total, between 2019 and 2020 climate-related spending on innovation, research and infrastructure is increased by almost €900m and the Horizon 2020 research programme by €1.1bn.”

European Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger said focus must now turn to the long-term budget for 2021 to 2027.

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The budget for spending across all areas of the EU, including agriculture, in 2020 has been provisionally agreed.