Non-Obligatory Expenditure

Non-Obligatory Expenditure

A government outlay that the European Parliament is not required to make in order to fulfill its responsibilities as a body of the European Union. For example, payroll for EU employees is non-obligatory because it is not mentioned in any of the treaties. However, agricultural subsidies are considered an obligatory expenditure. Changes to non-obligatory expenditures require a majority vote of the members of Parliament in attendance. However, the difference between obligatory and non-obligatory expenditures is sometimes difficult to determine.