This section provides information on the financing of initiatives relating to climate, biodiversity, gender equality and sustainable development goals (SDGs) objectives, as provided for in point 16(d–g) of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020. Information on the contribution of the EU budget to the European Commission’s priority of promoting the digital transition is also provided.
These are horizontal priorities in the EU budget. This means that they are systematically considered in the design, preparation, implementation and evaluation of each spending programme. Instead of having a single dedicated programme, these priorities are horizontally integrated into the design of the spending policies.
Often, the Commission is required to provide an answer to the question of how much money it is spending on specific policy objectives. While that question is easy to answer for dedicated programmes, it is more complex for horizontal policy priorities or for priorities to which more than one programme contributes. Identifying and quantifying the relevant spending is referred to as ‘expenditure tracking’.
Climate and environment policies are at the core of EU policymaking in line with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Paris Agreement, formally ratified by the EU in 2016, sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It also aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impact of climate change and support them in their efforts. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also drives and informs EU policy, through the integration of the sustainable development goals.
The Commission is also fully committed to promoting gender equality. Gender equality is a core value of the EU, a fundamental right and key principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights. To underpin our commitment, the Commission has published the 2020-2025 Gender Equality Strategy in early 2020.
The digital transition is a top priority of the Commission, as underscored for example in the Communication on Europe’s digital decade.