Brussels, 12/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - "We can clearly see that enlargement will by financed under excellent conditions", declared Commissioner Michaele Schreyer on Wednesday when presenting to the press her proposal on the adjustment of the 2004-2006 financial framework (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.7). Ms. Schreyer announced that she would present a quantified proposal in the coming months on the increase in pre-accession aid for Turkey.
Ms. Schreyer recalled that "from the very first day of accession, on 1 May 2004, the new Member States will be able to participate in all EU aid programmes" and that, before that, the financial perspectives for 2004, 2005 and 2006 needed adjusting. She stipulated that the proposed adjustment of the financial framework had to be approved by a qualified majority in Council and Parliament, in compliance with the provisions of the inter-institutional agreement of May 1999 (on improving the budgetary procedure). Ms. Schreyer said that the ceiling for agriculture, structural funds, internal policies and administrative expenditure had been increased in compliance with the European Council of Copenhagen, and that, at the same time, the Commission had adapted the financial perspectives in relation to the new prices (of 2004). She recalled in the context that in Copenhagen negotiations had been conducted taking account of 1999 prices, thus the budgetary plan provided for in 1999. "The decisions taken by the European Council of Copenhagen comprise a spending chapter for the ten new Member states, and for Cyprus the proposals only refer to appropriations for the Island's southern part", Ms. Schreyer stressed, recalling that the Commission foresaw a scenario for the hypothesis of a political settlement on the island "so that new figures may be directly enter into force". She went on that the amount earmarked for an agreement over Cyprus was of the region of "300 million euro for the period 2004-2006". The Commission proposes not lowering the ceiling of Heading 7 of pre-accession aid as they had to provide for higher amounts from 2004 in favour of Bulgaria and Romania (in compliance with the updated "roadmap" of November 2002), Schreyer explained. Furthermore, from 2004, pre-accession aid for Turkey would no longer be financed from the "External Policy" Heading (Heading 4), but using the budget provided for under Heading 7 for pre-accession aid, as decided in December in Copenhagen. The Commission will soon (in the coming weeks) present a proposal with concrete figures for Turkey, Ms Schreyer confirmed, recalling the undertaking made in Copenhagen to at least double appropriations for this country as from 2006 in relation to the 2003, budget providing for 149 million euro for Ankara. In answer to questions on aid under the "Schengen Facility", Ms. Schreyer said that these programmes would be the subject of co-funding (part of the expenditure would come from the Community budget, the other from national budgets) and that the essential criteria for the distribution of this aid (depending on the country) was the length of borders. She added that the accession treaties would set out how much the new Member states would benefit in terms of the Schengen Facility. Regarding the procedure for adopting this proposal and the room for manoeuvre for negotiations between the Council and Parliament, Ms. Schreyer declared that it was "obvious that the figures agreed in Copenhagen must be applied unreservedly" to ensure that the new Member States have a certain stability in planning their budgets. She said she expected discussions between the institutions, especially on whether or not to conserve Heading 7 of pre-accession aid.