Visitors select education and cultural heritage as priority for EU budget
During the Open Doors Day of the EU institutions in Brussels, a light-hearted poll on the priorities for the EU budget was conducted, revealing that two out of ten respondents would choose to invest most of the EU resources in education and cultural heritage. The second and third highest-voted EU budget priorities were job opportunities as well as peace and stability in the world.
On 4 May the Open Doors Day team of the Directorate-General for Budget asked more than one thousand visitors to the Commission’s Berlaymont building to indicate 3 out of 12 policy areas funded by the EU budget as the ones they considered most important. Students, parents with children, seniors, visitors from abroad all actively voiced their opinion. Based on their selections the figures below show how these policy areas were prioritised by them.
The results of this improvised public consultation seem to echo the words of Janusz Lewandowski, EU Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, who said that "pooling our resources together through a more focused EU budget for investment in growth and jobs will deliver bigger impacts at a time when Europe needs it most"1.
It is worth noting that the Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2014-2020 contains an allocation of €15.2 billion towards the area of education (two-thirds more than for the years 2007-2013). This funding is to be complemented by important support for education and training in the Structural Funds.
Total
1
Education and cultural heritage
674
2
Job opportunities
564
3
Peace and stability in the world
327
4
Research and innovation
316
5
Environment and climate change
310
6
Development and humanitarian aid
309
7
Agriculture and fishing
265
8
Consumer rights and health protection
206
9
Transport and infrastructure
151
10
Security and fight against organised crime
149
11
Energy and digital networks
146
12
Response to natural disasters or effects of globalisation
86
Source: Directorate-General for Budget public opinion poll
This interactive chart offers you detailed data on the EU's expenditure and revenue between 2007 and 2011 by heading, by programme and/or by Member State.
With the publication of the proposed multiannual financial framework for 2014-20, the Commission is reviewing and simplifying the rules governing EU funding.
