Brussels, 06/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 May, European Budget Commissioner Dalia Grybauskaité presented general budget proposal amounting to €134.4 in commitment appropriations and €116.7 billion in payment appropriations in 2009. This means no increase compared with the current financial year: €130.309 billion in commitments and €120.668 billion in payments.
According to a Commission press release, long-term economic progress and employment remain firmly at the top of European Union spending, taking the biggest share - nearly 45% - of the proposed 2009 budget - a 3% rise on 2008. The proposal presented today also highlights the growing trend to gear policy spending towards energy and the environment, with a massive 10% of the budget going on environment. Money for agriculture will remain stable at €42.9 billion.
2009 will see a total of €11.7 billion channelled into areas like research, innovation and lifelong learning - a 5.5% rise from 2008. Investment in the 7th research framework programme will increase by 10%, helping, in particular, to stimulate research cooperation in Europe. Funding for the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) will grow by 17% and money for employment incentives and improving social inclusion through the PROGRESS programme will rise by 8%. Lifelong learning programmes will grow by 7%, including funding for the new European Institute of Technology.
Programmes to support cohesion across Europe will receive a total of €48.4 billion - up 2.5% on last year - strengthening regions' competitiveness and improving cross-border cooperation. Of this, almost €40 billion will go to the structural funds and over €9 billion for the Cohesion Fund - 14% up on 2008. An important development is that spending on structural actions for the EU-12 will grow, hitting the 50% mark - double the share for new members in 2006 and up from 47% in 2008. The 'phasing-in' of new members to regular levels of aid in agriculture will also see an overall spending rise, growing by 5%, with the new members receiving 18% of funds - up from 10% in 2006 and up from 16% in 2008.
Investment in environment is on the rise and in 2009 the total funds for environmental targets will take more than 10% of the budget - €14 billion. Efforts to raise green investment will cut across different areas with an increase of 17,3% outside the areas of cohesion and rural development. Support for the EU's main environmental protection programme, Life+, will rise by 8%, reaching €288 million.
Total funding for energy objectives including energy security, renewable energy and research is set at around €2.3 billion.
EU efforts to help maintain stability and security worldwide will be worth more than €7.4 billion in 2009, a 1.8% increase on 2008. The Instrument for Stability to manage better crises in third world countries levels up to €258 million, an increase of 43%, while programmes to foster democracy and human rights, development cooperation and humanitarian aid continue to rise steadily at around 3.5%. Funding to fight crime, terrorism and manage migration flows will see another major boost of 15%, €839 million.
Some of the most significant increases concern security and safeguarding liberties which will rise by 32% with €90 million going on combating crime. Solidarity and the management of migration will grow by 17%.
Finally, European culture will be the focus of the citizens' programmes throughout 2009, with an 11% increase - €52 million. Other growth areas are public and health and consumer protection programmes, rising by 5%. (O.J.)