EU cuts diplomatic staff due to budget overruns - Financial Times
Kyiv • UNN
The EU's European External Action Service is forced to cut spending by €43 million due to budget overruns. Diplomats are advised to avoid traveling, parties, and to increase security at their residences.
European Union diplomats are being asked to cancel planned trips, cancel parties and postpone work to strengthen the security of their residences due to the overrun of the budget of the European External Action Service, the EU's foreign policy agency. This became known from its own sources Financial Times, reports UNN.
Details
In particular, five of the publication's interlocutors said that the European External Action Service has been forced to cut 43 million euros in spending, or almost 5% of the planned budget, due to this year's budget overrun.
According to the rules of the EU's current seven-year budget, all its agencies must keep the annual growth of non-salary expenses within 2%.
The EU External Action Service's overspending was the largest in absolute terms. The service is currently looking for steps to close the budget deficit.
A spokesperson for the department said that it had cut "all possible costs" and halved the budgets of 145 foreign offices, "despite the devastating impact on our global operations.
Addendum
Speaking to the FT, officials acknowledged that cuts have already led to the cancellation of some events - including the annual reception at the UN General Assembly.
EU diplomats also point to problems due to budget cuts. For example, about 50 out of 145 diplomatic missions have critical security problems, but there is no money to upgrade locks, barred windows, or install cameras.
In addition, some residences of the EU ambassadors are not suitable for living, so the ambassadors rent housing at their own expense.
The FT reminds us that the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Stefano Sannino, warned back in March that the agency was "severely underfunded" and its budget of more than 880 million euros a year did not keep pace with inflation.
Recall
A report by the European Travel Commission confirms a significant increase in international travel demand for Europe.
International tourism spending in the region is expected to reach a record high of 800 billion euros this year, up 37% from before the pandemic.
