Brussels, 29/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 May (and not Wednesday 30 April as initially programmed), the European Commission is expected to adopt the preliminary budget for 2009. Similarly to the 2008 budget, the services of Dalia Grybauskaite, the European commissioner for financial programming, will suggest that the biggest amount of commitment appropriations will be reserved for growth and job creation in the EU. The preliminary budget for 2009 is expected to consist of 44.6% of total EU spending on policies linked to the Lisbon strategy and cohesion, as opposed to 42.9% on spending on the protection of natural resources, including the common agricultural policy (CAP). The Commission therefore is testifying to the policies it intends to retain before presenting at the end of 2008 or beginning of 2009, its mid term review proposals for the whole of the EU budget.
The Commission's presentation of the preliminary budget for 2009 provides a boost to budgetary procedure for 2009. The first reading by the Council of Ministers of the EU (those responsible for the budget at the ministries for economy and finance) will take place in mid-July, and the first reading by the European Parliament in mid October. The Council's second reading is planned for the end of November and adoption by the EP is expected at the end of December.
According to initial estimates that are likely to be adjusted by the time of the proposal's adoption, the European Commission is planning on a 2009 Community budget of a little less than €134.4bn in commitment appropriations (legal pledges to provide the budgetary resources, as long as certain conditions are met) or 3.14% more than in the 2008 budget (€130.3bn, including amending budgets 1, 2 and 3). The budget on competitiveness (research, Trans-European networks, learning etc) and cohesion (structural action) in 2009 will consist of around €60bn in commitment appropriations. This will be greater than funding for natural resources management (agriculture, environment, fisheries etc) and is estimated to be around €57.7bn.
Competitiveness (Section 1a). The preliminary draft is planning on increasing commitment appropriations for these programmes by 5.3% compared to the 2008 level to a rate of €11.7bn (7th Framework Research Programme, Trans-European networks, Galileo and Erasmus). Proposed funds for research are €5.5 (as opposed to €4bn in 2008).
Cohesion (Section Ib). The Commission is counting on €48.4bn (commitments) for structural and cohesion funds (2.4% up on last year).
Natural Resources (Section 2). This section will have a total of €57.5bn (commitments), €42.5bn of which will go to agricultural market spending and direct support to farmers (€1.9bn more than in the 2008 budget). The total 2009 budget for fisheries (commitments) will be €1bn, €630.8m of which will be covered by the European Fisheries Fund (3.1% more than the fund provided in 2008).
Freedom, security and justice (Section 3a). According to the preliminary budget, the Commission is planning on granting €839 million (commitments) for these actions (€728 million in 2008) by concentrating on external borders, visa policy and free movement of people (15% more than in 2008 for this kind of action) and management of migration flows - immigration and asylum - (+19%).
Citizenship (Section 3b). The Commission is counting on a total envelope of around €628 million (commitments)
The EU as a global player (Section 4). The Commission is planning on granting €7.4bn in commitment appropriations for EU action in the world (€7.3bn in 2008).
Administration (Section 5). The preliminary budget allocated €7.6bn in commitment appropriations for administrative spending (€7.3bn in 2008).
€1 million is planned in payments to new EU member states in 2009. (L.C.)