Goedkeuring Raad over dichten gat in EU-begroting 2013 (en)

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 30 October 2013 (OR. en) PRESSE 447

Additional funds for 2013 budget formally approved by the

Council

The Council today approved a further increase of the 2013 EU budget, by formally adopting¹ its position on draft amending budgets no 8² and 9³ ( + ).

This follows the agreement reached by the Committee of the Permanent Representatives⁴ on 14 October ().

Draft amending budget no 8 is aimed at covering outstanding payment needs. It increases the 2013 EU budget by EUR 3.9 billion, complementing the EUR 7.3 billion of draft amending budget no 2 approved by the Council on 9 July. The Council herewith lived up to its commitment "to take all necessary additional steps to ensure that the Union's obligations for 2013 are fully honoured" and "to avoid any shortfall in justified payment appropriations"', in line with the political agreement reached with the European Parliament on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020

The decision was taken by written procedure

The Danish, Finnish, Netherlands, Swedish and United Kingdom delegations voted against

The United Kingdom delegation voted against

The Permanent Representatives Committee is composed of the ambassadors of the 28 EU member states. Its role is to prepare decisions of the Council

Draft amending budget no 8 as accepted by the Council exhausts this year's payment ceiling of the multiannual financial framework 2007-2013 set at EUR 144.29 billion. Since the beginning of 2013 the Council has approved an overall increase of this year's payment level by EUR 11.59 billion.⁵

Draft amending budget no 9 is about showing solidarity with countries hit by natural disasters. It provides for the mobilisation of EUR 400.5 million in commitments and payments out of the EU solidarity fund to the benefit of Germany (EUR 360.5 million), Austria (EUR 21.7 million), the Czech Republic (EUR 15.9 million) and Romania (EUR 2.5 million). Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic were hit by extreme flooding in May and June this year, and Romania suffered from drought and forest fires in summer 2012. The payments are covered by appropriations which the Commission expects not to be spent by the end of this year (as identified in the so-called global transfer; ).

In order that the funds become available the two draft amending budgets still need the approval of the European Parliament. If the Council's and the Parliament's positions diverge, a three-week conciliation period will have to be launched

On 21 October, the Council already adopted its position on draft amending budget no 6, approving a revision of the forecast of own resources⁶. As compared to the previous forecast, the financing from net customs duties and from the own resources based on the VAT decreases, while the financing from the own resources based on the Gross National Income and from fines increases. Draft amending budget no 6 increases the member states' net budgetary burden by further EUR 2.7 billion

The EUR 11.59 billion include:

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  EUR 374 million for the accession of Croatia to the EU (draft amending budget no 1)

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  EUR 7.3 billion to cover outstanding payment needs (draft amending budget no 2)

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  EUR 14.6 million from the solidarity fund for Slovenia, Croatia and Austria hit by flooding disasters (draft amending budget no 5)

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  EUR 3.9 billion (draft amending budget no 8). The Finnish delegation voted against