The cash will be used to cover unpaid bills for EU-funded infrastructure projects, and was a precondition for the European Parliament to begin talks with governments to finalize the 2014-2020 budget, worth nearly €1 trillion.
"With a view to securing the multi-annual budget, we agreed the spending increase for 2013," said Michael Noonan, Ireland's finance minister who chaired the talks.
It represents a rise of 5.5% on the original budget of €133 billion for this year, bringing overall spending to €140.3 billion.
But that figure could increase by a further €4 billion, after governments agreed to address the European Commission's request for an overall rise of €11.2 billion in two stages, with a second increase scheduled after the EU summer break.
The conclusions of the ministerial meeting say that the second payment for topping-up the 2013 budget would be made “at a later stage in parallel with the conclusion of the talks on the EU's multi-annual financial framework”, jargon for the 2014-2020 budget.
Parliament sticks to its guns
On Monday, government and Parliament negotiators held their first formal talks on 2014-2020 budget.
The Parliament is not expected to demand changes to the overall spending limit of €960 billion agreed by EU leaders in February.
But lawmakers want more power to move unspent money from one budget line to another, and a legal review of the spending levels after EU elections in 2014 which could increase spending if Europe's economy improves.
EU officials hope to reach a deal on the budget well before the end of this year to allow enough time to adapt EU funding programmes to the new rules before they enter force in 2014.
