Brussels, 26/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the European Commission is expected to adopt the preliminary draft budget for 2006, which is counting on an increase of 5.9% in payment appropriations compared to the 2005 budget. It is calling for a mobilisation of the flexibility instrument for funding part of the external aid of the EU for Asian countries' whose coasts were submerged in the tidal wave on 26 December 2004.
The Commissioner has therefore given the green-light to procedures for setting out the most recent budget for current financial perspectives (2000-2006). In its last report analysing the Commission's annual strategic policy, the European Parliament warned the Council to take advantage of the discussions on the 2006 budget for strengthening its hand in the negotiations in the next stage of the financial perspectives (EUROPE 8929). The Council defined its budgetary priorities in March for 2006 and called for discipline and good financial housekeeping in the EU budget (EUROPE 8904).
According to Dalia Grybauskaite, the Commissioner for the Budget and Financial Programming, the 2006 budget is expected to rise to EUR 121.3 bn in commitment appropriations (+4%) and EUR 112.6 bn in payment appropriations (+5.9%). In payment appropriations, the preliminary draft budget presented by the Commission represents 1.02% of Gross National Production (GNP) of the enlarged EU.
The Commission is proposing: EUR 51.4 bn (in payment appropriations and commitments) for agriculture and rural development, 44.6 bn in payment commitments for structural actions (35.7 bn in payment appropriations), 9.2 bn in payment commitments for internal policies (8.8 bn in payment appropriations), 5.4 bn in payment commitments for external policies (as much as the payment commitments) and 2.5 bn in payment commitments for pre-accession aid (3.2 bn in payment appropriations).
To fund part to EU aid for reconstruction of Asian countries devastated by the tsunami, the Commission is calling for the mobilisation in 2006 of the flexibility instrument to the tune of EUR 123.5. This budgetary mechanism allows fort he release of up to EUR 200 million in one or several sections whose margin has been exhausted due to other actions requiring funding. The Commission is planning on EUR 180 million for reconstruction aid in these countries in 2006 and the current budget (2005) and on Wednesday will be presenting a draft budget for EUR 98 million for aid.