Brussels, 20/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - Poland is expected to reduce its excess deficit to below 3% in 2007, but the adjustment is not expected to last and will therefore not lead to a lifting of the excess budget proceedings, explained the European Commission on Tuesday 20 November 2007. In February 2007 (see EUROPE 9375), the Council recommended that Poland take advantage of its current growth spurt to correct its excess budget by the end of 2007, which was then threatening to reach 3.4% of GNP in 2007 (down from 3.8% in 2006). Poland is well on the way to reducing its deficit to 2.7% of GNP this year, with a structural improvement of 0.9%, but the European Commission's autumn forecasts (see EUROPE 9540), based on the draft 2008 budget of the outgoing Polish government, suggest that the deficit could grow again and reach 3.2% of GDP in 2008, falling to 3.1% of GDP in 2009. In a press release, Joaquin Almunia, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner, explained that he was eagerly awaiting the measures to be adopted by the new Polish government to bring public finance resolutely back on track. The Commission is therefore urging the Polish authorities to present an updated convergence programme when the new government comes to power, outlining extra budget correction measures for 2008 and following years in order to move towards the medium term target of a structural deficit of 1% of GDP. (A.B.)