Brussels, 09/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - At its meeting on Tuesday 8 December, the EU Council of Ministers adopted without debate a decision revising the 2007-2013 Financial Framework (EU budget) to provide the remaining funding for the European Economic Recovery Programme in 2010 (€2.4 billion, in addition to the €2.6 billion earmarked in 2009).
At the budget talks between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on 18 November, the institutions agreed on the funding options for the 2010 section of the European Economic Recovery Programme, namely energy projects, broadband and measures to tackle what are described as “new farm challenges”. This tranche of funding will require changes to the EU's Financial Framework to increase the upper limits on commitment appropriations under Heading 1a (Competitiveness) by €1.779 billion (at current prices) for the 2010 tax year. This increase will be matched by a reduction in the upper commitment appropriation limits for Headings 1a, 1b (Cohesion), 2 (Management of Natural Resources - including agriculture), 3a (Justice and Freedom) and 5 (Administrative Expenditure) for the 2009 tax year (a €1.480 billion cut in total); and reducing the upper commitment appropriation limits for Headings 1b, 2 and 5 for the 2010 tax year (€290.5 million in total).
The ministers also endorsed a decision to make use of the Flexibility Instrument to provide €195 million, of which €120 million will be used for energy projects as part of the European Economic Recovery Programme and €75 million for decommissioning the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria. (L.C./transl.fl)