Brussels, 06/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Friday the Commission will be discussing actions to take to better defend its proposals on the next financial perspectives (2007-13). Several Member States preparing a report for the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper), which will be sent to the European Council of 17-18 June have doubts about the added value of Commission priorities. The "six misers of Europe" (Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Austria) are still demanding that budget spending for 2007-13 does not go above the 1% of Gross National Product (GNP) of the enlarged Union.
In a document addresses to his counterparts, Romano Prodi underlined that the principles of governance in the 10 February communication on the next financial framework (simplification of instruments, less direct Commission participation in the management of spending programmes, an instrument per area and a fund per programme etc) have experienced difficulties in being implemented and put into practice. According to Mr Prodi this could damage the credibility of the Commission's legislative proposals expected in July. Prodi therefore thinks that a choice has to be made: without any real progress in simplification, the budgetary growth proposed by the Commission "will become impossible to defend". Prodi is firmly against any downward revision of the College's ambitions in terms of ceilings or spending structure and is requesting, above all, the different directorates general to provide proof of the added value of the legislative proposals while respecting the principle of a single instrument per political area and fund per programme (in this context, he referred to the four initiatives on education, youth and culture which deserved to be looked at again). With regard to spending, Mr Prodi drew attention to the need to create sufficient margins within each of the budget sections. He also pointed out that the Commission had to provide Coreper with detailed figures on budgetary consequences for each EU policy.
The calendar for presenting the legislative proposals are expected to be as follows:
Agriculture: regulation on the next generation of rural development programmes on 7 July.
Regional Policy: (7 July); the horizontal regulation on structural funds; regulation on European Regional Development funds (ERDF); regulation on Cohesion Funds; regulation on the cross-border instrument (including regional governance); communication on the extremely emote regions.
External Policy: European neighbourhood strategy, 12 May; economic cooperation and development instrument (in the context of the European Development Fund budgetisation), 14 July; instrument for peace and security, 14 July; new instrument for humanitarian aid (still to be discussed).
Transport and Energy; (30 June) regulation on Community financial participation for Trans-European networks (TENS); regulation on the setting up of TENS) management structure; regulation for setting up European Coast Guard; regulation for solidarity mechanism in event of terrorist attacks in transport; regulation on security in transport and energy; Galileo satellite navigation system; next generation of "Marco Polo" programmes and "Intelligent energy".
Research: decisions on research framework programme beginning 2005; decision on rules of participation, mid 2005; decision on specific programmes mid-2005; research proposals for security mid-2005; space programme, mid-2005.
Budget: the report and draft amendment for the decision on own resources, 20 July; inter-institutional agreement on budgetary discipline, 20 July.
Education: package of proposals on life long learning, "youth", "culture" and "media" programmes, 7 July.
Employment: proposals on European Social funds, 7 July; proposals on the Social Policy Agenda, 7 July.
Enterprise: competitiveness programme, 14 July.
Environment: communication on future of "Natura 2000" initiative, 19 May; new single financial instrument for the environment (to replace the different programmes such a Life and Urban); 7 July.
Fisheries: New Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) on 7 July; programme for extremely remote areas; financial contribution in favour of Member States for expenditure on activities control, in 2005.
Information society: Financial impact of eEurope (consolidation of current programmes), on 30 June.
Justice and Home Affairs: Framework communication on financial programme for freedom, security and justice (three programmes on security; fundamental rights; freedom of movement and solidarity in the field of migration, asylum and external borders) on 14 July; detailed proposals on Tampere II, in 2005 and 2006.