Brussels, 28/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - Following its discussions last week, the European Commission is expected to unveil a Communication on Wednesday by Romano Prodi and Michaele Schreyer on the timetable and organisation of work to prepare the post-2006 Financial Perspectives. The Commission will work on the basis of "Peace, Freedom and Solidarity" in preparing the EU's new policies and the financial framework for its expenditure and income, slogans adopted for the enlarged European Union. At the end of March, five working groups will be set up (one each on peace, freedom and solidarity, one on administration and another on exclusively budget issues). A coordination group will be created, chaired by Prodi and Schreyer (assisted by their Cabinets, the Secretariat General and DG Budget). The groups will report back on their work in the summer.
In the light of the work of these working groups, the Commission is expected to publish a Communication in November 2003 giving the broad outlines of Community policies (including new policies, policies to be revised and planned expansion of the EU in the future) and EU budgetary expenditure. The Communication should address basic financing issues like the British refund, changes to the own resource system and the potential levying of a European tax, the duration of the post-2006 Financial Perspectives, ceilings and the acceptable level of flexibility under in the financial framework. The Commission hopes the Communication will be discussed by the December 2003 European Council, taking account of any guidelines issued by the European Convention.
The Commission has put forward three timetable options for the presentation of legislative proposals - by May 2004, by November 2004 (to allow the Commissioners of the new Member States to be involved in the discussions) or after the next Commission has adopted legislative proposals at the beginning of its term of office (1 November 2004). In its Communication, the Commission suggests organising a seminar in July on the post-2006 Financial Perspectives, and publishing legislative proposals in the next three months. the Commission will also present a draft Interinstitutional Agreement. It will be the next Commission that will be responsible for negotiating with the extended Council and the new European Parliament.