Brussels, 18/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Commission adopted a draft supplementary and amending budget (SAB) on the 2004 surplus estimated at EUR 2.737 billion, the smallest budgetary surplus since 1997. The total surplus (unused funding plus surplus receipts) represents 2.6% of the 2004 budget, compared to 5.9% for the 2003 budget (EUR 5.483 billion) or 7.8% in 2002 (EUR 7.421 billion). Member States' contributions will be reduced by as much for the 2005 budget. According to Dalia Grybauskaité, the Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget, “better management of the budget and the Financial Regulation, in force since 2003, is now showing results”.
Only 1% of the budget had remained unused at the end of 2004, which represents an “exceptional level of implementation”, the Commission is pleased to announce. Unspent funding accounts for EUR 1.190 billion of the surplus (including EUR 331 million in agricultural spending and EUR 231 in funding in the external actions field). Revenue to the budget exceeded the estimates of EUR 1.597 billion. By far the highest share (EUR 1 166 million) of the extra funds came from contributions from third parties (such as the European Economic Area states) for participation in EU programmes.
Money not spent in 2004 will be rolled-over to 2005, reducing the sums payable by Member States this year. Member States that will benefit significantly from reduced budget contributions as a result of the surplus include Germany (EUR 576 million), the UK (EUR 485 million), France (EUR 433 million) and Italy (EUR 359 million). Then come Spain (-216 million) and the Netherlands (-122 million). Further large downward adjustments are due for Germany and the UK in the next amending budget, to be proposed by the Commission at the end of the month.