Select Committee on European Union Minutes of Evidence


Explanatory memorandum by HM Treasury SEC (2007) 500

PRELIMINARY DRAFT BUDGET (PDB) OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 2008

SUBJECT MATTER

Commission Proposals, the Budget Structure and the Annual Procedure

  The Preliminary Draft Budget (PDB) sets out the Commission's proposals for European Community expenditure in 2008. It represents the first stage in the annual budget procedure[1], and provides the basis for subsequent negotiations between the two arms of the Budgetary Authority (the Council and the European Parliament), which will result in the adoption of the 2008 General Budget in December.

5 JULY 2007

  The context for each year's PDB is determined by the multi-annual Financial Perspective (FP), which sets out annual ceilings for six broad expenditure categories—Heading 1 Sustainable Growth; 2 Preservation and Management of Natural Resources; 3 Citizenship, Freedom, Security and Justice; 4 The European Union as a Global Partner; 5 Administration; and 6 Compensation (which only applies to Bulgaria and Romania until 2009). The PDB for 2008 will be the second of the FP for 2007-13.

  The 2008 PDB is presented in Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB) format whereby the Commission provides Activity Statements on its proposed spending plans. ABB seeks to tie budgetary resources to clear policy objectives, together with appropriate performance indicators and evaluation measures. Negotiations on the 2008 budget will be conducted on the basis of ABB documentation.

  We expect the PDB to be published in 10 volumes, covering a General Introduction, a General Statement of Revenue, and expenditure proposals for nine separate EU institutions (European Parliament, Council, Commission, Court of Justice, Court of Auditors, Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Ombudsman, European Data Protection Supervisor). In addition, we expect the Commission to publish two sets of Working Documents, known as Activity Statements and Financial Statements. These present specific objectives, planned outputs, and performance measures at the level of individual budget lines as well as higher-level activity areas, in line with ABB.

PDB 2008—Overview

  As European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, Dr. Dalia Grybauskaite, pointed out in her presentation to the European Parliament in early May, the key message from the Commission on the 2008 PDB is that for the first time spending on growth and employment will represent the highest share of the budget, ahead of agriculture and natural resources.

  For commitment appropriations, the PDB proposes a total of €129,166 million2[2]. This represents an increase of €2,591 million, or 2%, over 2007. The margin remaining under the global FP ceiling for commitments is €3,137 million.

  For payment appropriations, the PDB proposes a total of €121,581 million. This represents an increase of €6,084 million or 5.3% over 2007 levels. The margin remaining under the global FP ceiling is €8,216 million. The proposed level of payments is equivalent to 0.97% of EU Gross National Income (GNI), just higher than for the agreed 2007 Budget when it was 0.96% of EU GNI and significantly below the ceiling of 1.24% set by the Own Resources Decision.

  Compulsory expenditure accounts for €44,053 million of total commitment appropriations and €44,057 million of total payment appropriations. For Non-Compulsory expenditure, commitment appropriations total €85,113 million and payment appropriations total €77,524 million. There is a global decrease in Compulsory expenditure of 1.2% for commitments and 1% for payments. There is a global increase in Non-Compulsory expenditure of 3.8% for commitments and 9.2% for payments.

  Tables summarising the key figures of the 2008 PDB are provided in Annex 1 (in both Euros and Sterling).

PDB 2008—Detail of Proposed Expenditure by Heading

  Overall proposed expenditure on Heading 1 (Sustainable Growth) is €57,148 million for commitment appropriations and €50,161 million for payment appropriations, leaving a margin of €87.6 million under the FP ceiling for commitments. Heading 1 is divided into two further headings.

  For Heading 1a (Competitiveness for Growth and Employment). the PDB proposes €10,270 million for commitments and €9,539 million for payments. This represents an increase of €903 million, or 9.6%, for commitments and an increase of €2,492 million, or 35.4%, for payments over 2007 levels. The change in commitment appropriation levels is largely accounted for by increases for programmes the Commission considers crucial to the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. These include:

    —  Seventh Research framework programme (increased by €589 million, or 11%, against 2007 levels);

    —  Trans-European Networks (increased by €119 million or 14%);

    —  Lifelong Learning (increased by £81 million or 9%); and

    —  Galileo (increased by £51 million or 51%).

  The change in payment appropriations is largely accounted for by increases for:

    —  Seventh Research framework programme (increased by €2,183 million or 54.5%);

    —  Trans-European Networks (increased by €334 million or 88.8%);

    —  Lifelong Learning (increased by €165 million or 19.7%);

    —  Competitiveness and innovation framework programme (increased by €92 million or 25.7%); and

    —  Decentralised agencies (increased by €54 million or 24.9%).

  For Heading lb (Cohesion for Growth and Employment), the PDB proposes commitment appropriations of €46,878 million and payment appropriations of €40,623 million. These represent increases to commitments of €1,391 million or 3.1%, and to payments of €2,832 million or 7.5% against 2007 levels. These commitment and payment increases result particularly from proposed expenditure devoted to the Cohesion Fund, which is set to rise by more than 14% in 2008.

  For Heading 2 (Preservation and Management of Natural Resources), the PDB proposes commitments of €56,276 million and payments of €54,770 million. These represent increases of €25.6 million or 0.05%, and €51.9 million or 0.1% respectively compared to 2007. This leaves a margin of €2,524 million under the ceiling for commitments.

  Although overall expenditure under Heading 2 is set to remain relatively stable compared to 2007, there are gradual percentage shifts within this policy area which amount to fairly large sums. With regard to commitments, market-related expenditure and direct aids to farmers decrease as a whole by €212.6 million, whilst rural development programmes are set to grow by €199.2 million (or 1.6%) to reach €12.5 billion—continuing along the lines of the 2003 CAP reform and the associated modulation of payments. Another noteworthy commitments increase is that of €26.3 million (or 10.9%) for Life+, the environmental protection programme.

  With regard to payments, there is an effective shift within market-related expenditure and direct aids from agricultural markets to proposed spending on animal and plant health (health and consumer protection), which increases by €182.4 million (an increase of 516.6% on 2007). There is a proposed payment appropriations increase for rural development programmes of €485 million (4.5%) whilst payments for the European Fisheries Fund decrease by €387.4 million (a decrease of 46.2% on 2007).

  Overall, the proposed expenditure on Heading 3 (Citizenship Freedom, Security and Justice) is €1,288 million for commitments and €1,190 million for payments. This represents an increase in commitments of €17 million, or 1.3%, and a decrease in payments of €12 million or 1%, against 2007 levels. This leaves a margin of €74 million under the FP ceiling for commitments. Heading 3 is divided into two further headings.

  For Heading 3a (Freedom, Security and Justice), the PDB proposes commitment appropriations of €691 million and payment appropriations of €496 million. These represent an increase to commitments of €67 million or 10.8%, and a decrease to payments of €22.5 million or 4.8% against 2007 levels. This leaves a margin below the FP ceiling of €56 million.

  The largest increase in commitments on 2007 concerns Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows (€76 million or 24%), which is set to reach €392.5 million in commitment appropriations. With regard to payments, questions will once again remain on absorption capacity in this area and also for programmes under Fundamental rights and justice (where an increase of €13.8 million or 28.3% is foreseen) and Decentralised agencies (with an increase of €8.2 million or 9.5%).

  For Heading 3b (Citizenship), the PDB proposes, commitments of €597 million and payments of €693 million. These represent overall decreases of €50 million or 7.8% for commitments, and of €35 million or 4.8% for payments, against 2007 levels. This leaves a margin below the ceiling for commitments of €17.7 million. The decrease in commitments is largely due to a decrease in funding of €85 million (or 81.8%) for Other actions and programmes relating to enlargement (the transition facility for Romania and Bulgaria)—while commitments for Public health and consumer protection and Media 2007 programmes within the sub-heading receive increases of €9 million and €18 million respectively. Similarly, in respect of payments, the large decrease for enlargement associated programmes of €37 million (or 24%) is offset by increases for Culture 2007-13 of €11.5 million (or 27.6%) and for Decentralised agencies of €19 million (or 22.9%).

  For Heading 4 (The EU as a Global Partner), the PDB proposes commitments of €6,911 million and payments of €7,917 million. These represent an increase in commitments of €99 million or 1.5% and an increase in payments of €564 million or 7.7%, against 2007 levels. This leaves a margin of €329 million below the Financial Perspective ceiling.

  Some noteworthy increases to commitments include:

    —  Instrument for Pre-Accession (€119 million or 9.4%);

    —  Development Cooperation Instrument (€41 million or 1.9%);

    —  Instrument for Stability (€40 million or 28.7%);

    —  Macroeconomic assistance (€34 million or 58.1%); and

    —  Common and Foreign Security Policy (€41 million or 25.8%).

  Development Cooperation continues to represent the largest budgetary item at €2.2 billion.

  Some noteworthy changes to payments include:

    —  Instrument for Pre-Accession (increase of €368 million or 14.3% largely for regional policy and agriculture and rural development);

    —  European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (increase of €43 million or 4%);

    —  Development Cooperation Instrument (decrease of €30 million or 1.5%);

    —  Instrument for Stability (increase of €38 million or 51.3%); and

    —  Common and Foreign Security Policy (increase of €35 million or 29.5%).

  For Heading 5 (Administration), the PDB proposes commitments of €7,335.7 million and payments of €7,336 million. These represent increases of €393 million and €394 million or 5.7%, against 2007 levels. This leaves a margin for commitments of €121 million below the ceiling. The increase in resources is intended to provide for an extra 860 posts in the EU institutions and bodies, for which enlargement remains the main reason given, and for pensions provision for all institutions which is set to increase by 10.2%.

  For Heading 6 (Compensation), which now only applies to Bulgaria and Romania, the PDB proposes commitments and payments of €206 million. These represent decreases of €238 million or 53.5%, against 2007 levels, leaving a margin for commitments of €0.36 million below the ceiling. The heading covers temporary measures foreseen in accession treaties such as the Cash-Flow and Schengen Facilities agreed in those accession negotiations.

MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  Treasury Ministers are responsible for the Government's policy on the budget of the European Communities. Other Ministers have interests in those parts of the budget that are of relevance to their departments.

LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL ISSUES

  Legal basis: The PDB is presented under Article 272 of the EC Treaty.

  European Parliament procedure: The European Parliament (EP) participates fully in the budgetary process and formally adopts the budget. The EP votes by a majority of its members, or a three-fifths majority of the votes cast, depending on the circumstances, and has the final say in setting non-compulsory expenditure.

  Voting procedure: The Council votes by qualified majority and has the final say in setting the level of compulsory expenditure.

  Impact on United Kingdom Law: None.

  Application to Gibraltar: Not applicable.

APPLICATION TO THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

  Not applicable.

SUBSIDIARITY

  The EC Budget is a matter of exclusive Community competence and the Commission's presentation of the PDB is required by the Treaty.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

  The Community budget has significant financial and policy implications. Since the UK is a net contributor to the EC budget, it is in the UK's interest to control growth in the budget, while working to achieve a more efficient use of resources. The Government will work with like-minded Member States to maintain budget discipline and subject all areas of EC spending to rigorous scrutiny. However, it must be borne in mind that most EC spending (including agriculture, structural funds and multi-annual programmes) is largely pre-determined by previous decisions on the Financial Perspective, and that in the annual budget process, the final decision on much of the expenditure is taken by the European Parliament.

  The Government's primary aim will be to respect agreed and established budgetary principles. In particular, to ensure that: spending delivers genuine value for money; global appropriations for payments are based on realistic implementation forecasts (to prevent the emergence of a large budget surplus); Financial Perspective ceilings are respected, with full accordance being given to the rules governing use of the Flexibility Instrument, and; Activity-Based Budgeting is fully factored into the budgeting process.

  Key spending areas in the 2008 budget, which the Government intends to examine in detail, include Heading 1a (Competitiveness for growth and employment) where a high payments increase of 35.4% has been proposed. Although the Commission has presented these large increases as a reflection and acknowledgement of new challenges in this spending area, the issue remains as to whether such absorption capacity exists for such large increases to be spent, and the Government will be seeking full justifications. for this extra expenditure. On Heading 1b (Structural and Cohesion Funds), where an increase of 7.5% is put forward for payments and where there have been significant levels of under-spend in previous years, the Government will also seek to achieve realistic levels of payments that take into account genuine implementation capacity.

  Within Heading 4 (The European Union as a Global Partner) it will be a Government priority to ensure that key spending on development co-operation and external relations in certain areas (including Afghanistan, assistance to sugar protocol countries and the CFSP) is maintained at sufficient levels. Finally, Heading 5 (Administration), as last year, will be an area that the Government will scrutinise particularly closely, once again questioning what efforts have been made to find efficiency gains and economies of scale. Working with other like-minded Member States, the Government will also examine the level of vacancies, the redeployment of staff and the reprioritisation of work in the administrations of the EU institutions, agencies and bodies.

REGULATORY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

  Not applicable.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

  The UK financing share of the 2008 PDB is estimated as 17.1% before the abatement, or 12.3% after abatement. The actual net financial cost to the UK of the 2008 EC Budget will depend not only on the size of the budget that is finally adopted, but also on the balance between different spending programmes within the budget. This determines the level of UK receipts and subsequently affects the size of the UK's abatement in the following year.

CONSULTATION

  Not applicable.

TIMETABLE

  Discussion of the PDB began in Council's budget committee on 3 May. On 13 July the Council will establish the Draft Budget on the basis of these discussions, which will then be forwarded to the European Parliament (EP). It is expected that the Draft Budget will be debated by the EP in a plenary session in October. The EP's amendments and modifications will be considered at the Council's second reading in November. A revised Draft Budget will then be submitted to the EP for its second reading, and formal adoption of the budget is expected by mid-December.

Ed Balls

Economic Secretary

HM Treasury

6 June 2007

Annex 1

Table 1

SUMMARY OF 2008 PDB PROPOSALS—EUR MILLION
Heading2007 Budget 2008 PDB Change 2008-07 Change 2008-07 %

CA (2)PA (3) CA (2)PA (3)CA (2) PA (3)CA (2)PA (3)
1. Sustainable Growth54,854 44,83757,148 50,1612,294 5,3244.2% 11.9%

  1a. Competitiveness for Growth and Employment
9,3687,04710,270 9,5399032,492 9.6%35.4%
  1b. Cohesion for Growth and Employment 45,48737,79046,878 40,6231,3912,832 3.1%7.5%

2. Preservation and Management of Natural Resources
56,25054,719 56,27654,770 26520.0% 0.1%

  Of which: Market related expenditure and direct payments
42,71242,43642,499 42,447-21311 -0.5%0.0%

3. Citizenship, Freedom, Security and Justice
1,2711,202 1,2881,19017 -121.3% -1.0%

  3a. Freedom, Security and Justice
624474691 4966723 10.8%4.8%
  3b. Citizenship648 728597693 -50-35-7.8% -4.8%

4. European Union as a Global Partner
6,8127,353 6,9117,91799 5641.5% 7.7%
5. Administration6,942 6,9427,336 7,336393394 5.7%5.7%
6. Compensation445 445207 207-238-238 -53.5%-53.5%
TOTAL (4)126,575 115,497129,166 121,5812,591 6,0842.0% 5.3%

  Margin
3,137
  Compulsory expenditure44,597 44,48744,053 44,057-544 -430-1.2%-1.0%
  Non-compulsory expenditure81,979 71,01085,113 77,5243,135 6,5143.8% 9.2%

Appropriations for payment as % of GNI
0.96% 0.97%


  Notes

  (2)  CA = commitment appropriations

  (3)  PA = payment appropriations

  (4)  Due to rounding, the sum of the lines may not equal the total.

Table 2

SUMMARY OF 2008 PDB PROPOSALS—GBP MILLION

Heading
2007 Budget 2008 PDB Change 2008-07 Change 2008-07 %
CA (2)PA (3) CA (2)PA (3)CA (2) PA (3)CA (2)PA (3)
1. Sustainable Growth37,306 30,49438,866 34,1151,560 3,6214.2% 11.9%

  1a. Competitiveness for Growth and Employment
6,3714,7936,985 6,4876141,695 9.6%35.4%
  1b. Cohesion for Growth and Management 30,93625,70131,882 27,6289461926 3.1%7.5%
2. Preservation and Management of Natural Resources 38,25637,214 38,27337,249 18350.0% 0.1%

  Of which: Market related expenditure and direct payments
29,04828,86128,904 28,868-1457 -0.5%0.0%

3. Citizenship, Freedom, Security and Justice
864817 87680912 -81.3% -1.0%

  3a. Freedom, Security and Justice
424322470 3374615 10.8% .4.8%
  3b. Citizenship441 495406471 -34-24-7.8% -4.8%

4. European Union as a Global Partner
4,6335,001 4,7005,38467 3841.5% 7.7%
5. Administration4,721 4,7214,989 4,989267268 5.7%5.7%
6. Compensation303 301141 140-161-162 -53.5%-53.5%

TOTAL (4)
86,084 78,55087,846 82,6871,762 4,1382.0% 5.3%
  Margin 2,133
  Compulsory expenditure30,330 30,25629,96029,963 -370-292-1.2% -1.0%
  Non-compulsory expenditure55,754 48,29457,88552,724 2,1324,4303.8% 9.2%

Appropriations for payment as % of GNI
0.96% 0.97%


  Notes

  (2)  CA = commitment appropriations

  (3)  PA = payment appropriations

  (4)  Due to rounding, the sum of the lines may not equal the total.

  Sterling figures converted at the exchange rate on 31 May 2007

  £1= €1.4705

  €1= £0.6801

Annex 2

GLOSSARY

ABATEMENT

  The UK's VAT-based contributions are abated according to a formula set out in the Own Resources Decision. Broadly this is equivalent to 66% of the difference between what the UK contributes to the EC Budget and the receipts which it gets, subject to the following points:

    —  the abatement applies only in respect of spending within the EU. Expenditure outside the EU (mainly aid) is excluded;

    —  the UK's contribution is calculated as if the budget were entirely financed by VAT;

    —  the abatement is deducted from the UK's VAT contribution a year in arrears.

ACTIVITY-BASED BUDGETING (ABB)

  ABB was introduced in 2002 to improve decision-making by ensuring budget allocations more closely reflect pre-defined political priorities and objectives. Similar to Public Service Agreements in the UK, ABB requires the EC Budget to be based on a clear justification for intervention and an evaluation of past performance. It also requires SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) objectives and future performance targets that focus on delivering value for money for the EU taxpayer.

THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCEDURE

  The Community's financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December. The rules governing decisions on the EC Budget are set out in Article 272 of the EC Treaty and in the Inter-Institutional Agreement. The timetable is s follows:

    —  establishment of the preliminary draft Budget by the Commission, normally in May;

    —  establishment of the draft Budget by the Council in late July;

    —  first reading by the Parliament in late October;

    —  second reading by the Council in mid-November; and

    —  second reading by the Parliament and adoption of the Budget in mid-December.

COMMITMENT AND PAYMENT APPROPRIATIONS

  The budget distinguishes between appropriations for commitments and appropriations for payments. Commitment appropriations are the total cost of legal obligations that can be entered into during the current financial year, for activities that, in turn, will lead to payments in the current and future years. Payment appropriations are the amounts of money that are available to be spent during the year arising from commitments in the budget for the current or preceding years. Unused payment appropriations may, in exceptional circumstances, be carried forward into the following year.

COMPULSORY AND NON-COMPULSORY EXPENDITURE

  EC expenditure is regarded as either "compulsory" or "non-compulsory". Compulsory expenditure is expenditure necessarily resulting from the Treaty or from acts adopted in accordance with the Treaty. It mainly includes agricultural guarantee expenditure, including stock depreciation. The Council has the final say in fixing its total.

  The European Parliament has the final say in determining the amount and pattern of non-compulsory expenditure. The growth of this expenditure is governed by the "maximum rate of increase". Article 272(9) of the EC Treaty provides a formula for determining this rate, unless the budgetary authority agrees an alternative figure. Under the Inter-Institutional Agreement the Council and Parliament agree to accept maximum rates implied by the Financial Perspective ceilings.

FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE

  The Financial Perspective (FP) forms the framework for Community expenditure over a period of several years. The FP for 2007-13 sets expenditure ceilings for six distinct expenditure headings (Sustainable Growth, Preservation and Management of Natural Resources, Citizenship, Freedom, Security and Justice, The European Union as a Global Partner, Administration, and Compensation), as well as global ceilings for commitments and payments. The Budgetary Authority (Council and European Parliament) is bound by these ceilings in the annual budget negotiations.

FLEXIBILITY INSTRUMENT

  The Flexibility Instrument was established under paragraph 24 of the 1999 Inter-Institutional Agreement, which allows for expenditure in any given budget year of up to €200 million above the FP ceilings established for one or more budget headings. Any portion of the Flexibility Instrument unused at the end of one year may be carried over for up to two subsequent years, but the Flexibility Instrument should not as a rule be used to cover the same needs two years running. The Flexibility Instrument is intended for extraordinary expenditure and may only be used after all possibilities for reallocating existing appropriations have been exhausted. Both arms of the Budgetary Authority must agree to a mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument following a proposal from the Commission.

INTER-INSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENT

  The Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) is a politically and legally binding agreement that clarifies the EC's budgetary procedure. Under the Treaty, the Council and the European Parliament have joint responsibility for deciding the EC Budget on the basis of proposals from the Comission. The IIA sets out the way in which the three institutions will exercise their responsibilities in accordance with the Treaty, and their respect for the revenue ceilings laid down in the Own Resources Decision.

OWN RESOURCES DECISION

  The existing arrangements for financing the EC Budget are set out in the Communities' Own Resources Decision (ORD). The current ORD was agreed in September 2000, entered into UK law in 2001 and took effect in 2002. It sets an own resources ceiling on the amount the Communities can raise from Member States in any one year. The ceiling is currently fixed at 1.24% of EU GNI for payments and 1.31% for commitments. As the Communities are not allowed to save, or borrow, revenue must equal expenditure. Budget payments are therefore limited by the amount of Own Resources that can be called up from Member States.

  The ORD lays down four sources of Community revenue, or "own resources":

    —  Customs duties including those on agricultural products;

    —  Sugar levies;

    —  Contributions based on VAT; and

    —  GNI-based contributions.


1   Terms in italics are explained in the glossary (Annex 2) Back

2   For Sterling equivalents of key figures quoted, please refer to the tables in Annex 1 Back


 
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