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Europaudvalget 2005-06, Finansudvalget 2005-06
2716 - Økofin Bilag 5, FIU Alm.del Bilag 105
Offentligt

20. marts 2006

6.kt.

Referat fra EU finans- og økonomiministermøde (ECOFIN) den

14. marts 2006

Dagsordenspunkt:

“Key Issues” papiret vedr. de overordnede

økonomisk-politiske retningslinier (BEPG) og de

nationale reformprogrammer

Rådet nåede til enighed om et revideret Key Issues papir. Papiret følger op på

Kommissionens årlige fremskridtsrapport om Lissabonstrategien. Det primære

budskab er, at implementering af reformtiltagene angivet i de nationale reform-

programmer er hovedprioriteten for medlemslandene i 2006.

En række lande udtrykte skepsis overfor indførelsen af nye udgiftsmålsætninger.

De 25 medlemslande har forskellige udfordringer og behov, og der skal således

være plads til at prioritere forskelligt.

Key Issues papiret vil blive sendt som grundlag for Det Europæiske Råds (DER)

møde den 23.-24. marts 2006.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Den Europæiske Investeringsbanks (EIB) bidrag til

vækst og beskæftigelsesinitiativer

Rådet godkendte en rapport om EIB’s forslag til en styrkelse af bankens bidrag til

vækst og beskæftigelse i EU. I rapporten fokuseres på nye investeringer inden for

især forskning og udvikling, innovation, små og mellemstore virksomheder,

infrastruktur, energisikkerhed og vedvarende energi.

Der var enighed om at hilse EIB’s forslag velkommen under hensyn til den

fællesbesluttede ramme vedrørende EIB’s kapitalforøgelse (dvs. ingen stigning før

2010). EIB blev opfordret til at implementere de finansielle instrumenter og øge

kvaliteten af sine operationer på basis af egne ressourcer. Samtidig blev

medlemsstaterne opfordret til at undersøge de specifikke dele af initiativet, som

bliver medfinansieret gennem EU-budgettet. Udmøntningen af initiativet er under

forbehold for de finansielle perspektiver 2007-2013 og den interinstitutionelle

aftale.

Rapporten vil blive viderebragt til DER den 23.-24. marts 2006.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Bedre regulering – måling og reduktion af

administrative byrder i EU

Rådet havde en drøftelse af fremdriften i EU’s arbejde med bedre regulering og

noterede sig Kommissionens fremskridtsrapport samt et formandskabspapir om

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initiativer til reduktion af administrative omkostninger ved fællesskabs-

programmer og om erfaringer hermed på nationalt niveau.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Fælles rapport mellem Rådet og Kommissionen om

social beskyttelse og social inklusion

Rådet hilste den fælles rapport mellem Rådet og Kommissionen om social

beskyttelse og social inklusion velkommen. Rapporten blev godkendt på

rådsmødet (beskæftigelse og sociale anliggender) den 10. marts 2006. Den vil blive

sendt til Det Europæiske Råds møde den 23.-24. marts 2006.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Vurdering af opdaterede konvergens- og

stabilitetsprogrammer for Portugal, Irland,

Storbritannien, Litauen, Polen, Tyskland,

Nederlandene, Frankrig, Grækenland, Cypern, Malta

og Spanien og Italien

Rådet vedtog på basis af redegørelser fra Kommissionen og formanden for Den

Økonomiske og Finansielle Komité (EFC) udtalelser vedrørende de opdaterede

stabilitetsprogrammer for Tyskland, Grækenland, Spanien, Frankrig, Italien,

Irland, Nederlandene og Portugal og de opdaterede konvergensprogrammer for

Cypern, Litauen, Malta, Polen og Storbritannien.

Der har nu været behandlet stabilitets- og konvergensprogrammer for alle 25 EU-

lande. De to første runder fandt sted på rådsmøderne hhv. den 24. januar og den

14. februar 2006 (det er første årgang af programmer efter reformen af Stabilitets-

og Vækstpagten). Der var enighed om, at erfaringerne med det nye koncept er

positive.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Proceduren for uforholdsmæssigt store underskud

vedr. Italien

Rådet havde en drøftelse af Kommissionens vurdering af proceduren for

uforholdsmæssigt store underskud for Italien. Der var generelt opbakning til en

vurdering af, at Italiens tiltag i opfølgning på henstillingen af 28. juli 2005 synes at

sikre tilstrækkelige fremskridt i 2006 hen imod en endelig korrektion af

underskuddet i 2007, men at korrektionen kritisk afhænger af gennemførelsen af

2006-budgettet og af specificering og implementering af væsentlige nye tiltag i

2007.

Rådet bekræftede sine intentioner om fortsat i fællesskab med Kommissionen tæt

at følge den budgetmæssige udvikling i Italien med henblik på at sikre, at der også

fremover iværksættes tilstrækkelige tiltag.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Proceduren for uforholdsmæssigt store underskud

vedr. Tyskland

Der blev på rådsmødet opnået enighed om en beslutning under Traktatens artikel

104.9, der retter pålæg til Tyskland om at korrigere det uforholdsmæssigt store

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underskud senest i 2007 og at gennemføre strukturelle budgetforbedringer på mindst

en procent af BNP samlet i 2006-2007 for at nå dette mål.

Pålægget indebærer endvidere, at Tyskland skal fremlægge en rapport den 14. juli

2006, der angiver tiltagene rettet mod efterlevelse af beslutningen om pålæg.

Kommissionen vurderer fremskridtene mod korrektionen af det uforholdsmæssigt

store underskud. Tyskland skal endvidere løbende fremlægge yderligere rapporter

1. oktober 2006, 1. april 2007, 1. oktober 2007 og 1. april 2008 vedrørende

fremskridtene mod efterlevelse af beslutningen om pålæg.

Endelig skal Tyskland ifølge pålægget gennemføre de nødvendige tiltag for at sikre

fastholdelse af budgetkonsolideringen i retning af den mellemfristede målsætning

om strukturel budgetbalance gennem strukturelle budgetforbedringer på mindst

0,5 pct. af BNP årligt efter korrektionen af det uforholdsmæssigt store underskud.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Revisionsrettens årsberetning for 2004

Rådet drøftede sin henstilling til Europa-Parlamentet om meddelelse af decharge

til Kommissionen for gennemførelsen af budgettet for 2004. Henstillingen er

udarbejdet med udgangspunkt i Revisionsrettens årsberetning for 2004.

Nogle lande – herunder Danmark – påpegede, at det er kritisabelt, at Revisions-

retten endnu ikke har kunnet afgive en positiv revisionserklæring og efterlyste

større åbenhed i forhold til forvaltningen af EU’s budget, herunder en afdækning

af arten og omfanget af forbeholdene for budgetgennemførelsen. Også

nødvendigheden af en større national forankring blev fremhævet.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Rådets prioriteter for EU’s budget for 2007

Rådet godkendte uden drøftelse rådskonklusioner om Rådets prioriteter for EU’s

budget for 2007,

jf. vedlagte bilag.

Diverse

På grundlag af et papir udarbejdet af tænketanken BRUEGEL havde ministrene

en morgenmadsdrøftelse af Lissabon-strategien. Ministrene drøftede bl.a.

strategiens resultater efter relanceringen sidste år.

Formandskabet orienterede under frokosten kort om status for fornyelsen af

EIB’s eksterne lånemandat i perioden 2007-2013, som omfatter rammen af udlån

til lande uden for EU (3. lande). Derudover havde ministrene en drøftelse af

energirelaterede emner på baggrund af Kommissionens grønbog

”En europæisk

energistrategi: Bæredygtighed, konkurrenceevne og forsyningssikkerhed”

offentliggjort den 8.

marts 2006 (SEK(2006) 317).

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Bilag

Rådskonklusioner om prioriteterne for EU’s budget for 2007

“The Council adopted the following conclusions:

1. The Council underlines the fact that the budgetary procedure for 2007 will be

marked by two important elements, on the one hand the new Financial

Perspective for 2007-2013 to be agreed, and on the other hand the

forthcoming accession of two countries to the EU to be confirmed. This

should clearly be reflected in the Preliminary Draft Budget (PDB) for 2007.

2. The Council reaffirms the importance of maintaining a framework of overall

budget discipline. It reiterates its wish that the EU budget for 2007 should

provide sufficient resources to implement the various policies of the EU

effectively and efficiently. It emphasises that it should apply the same degree

of budgetary constraint as exercised by the Member States of the EU for their

own national budgets.

3. The Council is convinced of the importance of good collaboration between

the two arms of the Budgetary Authority and the Commission, and looks

forward to establishing a good spirit of cooperation for the 2007 budget

procedure.

4. The Council confirms that the forthcoming Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA)

on budgetary discipline and improvement of budgetary procedure covering

the period 2007-2013 will constitute the basis for establishing the budget for

2007. It recalls its constant willingness to apply the IIA to the full. It lays great

emphasis on compliance with the Financial Perspective, which requires that

Community expenditure remains within the annual limits to be set therein.

5. For the purpose of sound financial management and to deal with unforeseen

circumstances it is important that sufficient margins must be maintained

under all the ceilings of the various Headings, with the exception of Heading

1b, especially in the first year of the new financial period.

6. The Council emphasises that the appropriations for 2007 should reflect real

and welldefined needs and be compatible with the ceilings set in the Financial

Perspective.Absorption capacity and past implementation should also be

taken into account when establishing appropriations. It considers that all

appropriations need to be reviewed in detail for each policy sector and in this

context it reaffirms the importance of reallocation in order to allow the

Budgetary Authority to make the necessary financial adaptations to meet

present and future needs. For this purpose it points to the necessity of having

high quality Activity Statements and financial information on spending

proposals in good time.

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7. The Council considers it important that the implementation of the EU budget

is improved in 2007 so that the significant under-implementation of funds

that occurred in the first years of the Financial Perspective 2000-2006 should

be avoided. Therefore the Council stresses the importance of the adoption of

implementing rules and guidelines where applicable by the Commission on

the basis of the adopted regulations in due time in 2006 in order to enable

implementation to start in an efficient way by 1 January 2007. In this context,

the Council underlines the need for explicit and simple rules.

8. The Council stresses once again the importance of keeping a tight grip on

payment appropriations. The level of payment appropriations entered into the

budget should be sufficient but not overestimated, taking into account past

implementation and the genuine requirements for 2007.

9. The efforts made by the Commission and the Member States to deliver better

forecasts should continue. The Council considers that the Member States

should present structural funds estimates that are as accurate as possible, while

assessing the actual need for appropriations to be put into the Preliminary

Draft Budget is the responsibility of the Commission.

10.

The Council looks forward to continued improvement of the “Activity Based

Budgeting” in 2007 assisted by the introduction of specific, measurable,

achievable, relevant and timely objectives, appropriate performance indicators

and full evaluation procedures into all Community programmes with

implications for the EU budget, as specified in the Financial Regulation.

The Council calls on the Commission to take full account of Council

delegations' comments following detailed examinations of various activity

statements in the two previous years. It intends to continue an enhanced

examination of a set of Activity Statements during the 2007 budget procedure

and places particular emphasis on Activity Statements covering legal bases and

financial envelopes that are being renewed and/or adopted.

The Council is also committed to improving the impact of the “Activity Based

Budgeting” information during the discussion on the annual budget, in

particular in terms of the justification for Community actions and

explanations for the proposed variations of appropriations.

The Council calls on the Commission to improve the implementation of the

ABB approach to its administrative expenditure so as to reflect the real

administrative costs related to each policy area.

10. In order to facilitate the transition between the Financial Perspective 2000-

2006 and the one for 2007-2013, the Council invites the Commission to

present the appropriate information which allows the comparison between the

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implementation of the 2005 budget, the 2006 budget and the 2007 PDB, at

the start of the budget procedure for 2007.

11. As regards certain specific issues of the budget, the Council identifies the

following elements as important in preparing the 2007 budget:

– The Council invites the Commission to continue its efforts together with

Member States towards establishing an accurate level of payment

appropriations for structural funds. Furthermore, the Council recalls the

importance of simplification of procedures aimed at facilitating

implementation.

– The Commission is invited, as in previous years, to present realistic

forecasts regarding CAP expenditure in its Preliminary Draft Budget.

Particular attention should be given to ensuring that the payment

appropriations for expenditure related to rural development are accurate.

– In relation to external actions the Council believes that sufficient margins

within the ceiling are crucial in order to be able to respond to unforeseen

actions and crises and emphasises the current principle that the

institutions will ensure as far as possible that sufficient margins are left

available. It considers that account should be taken of its priorities and

recalls, in this connection, the importance that it has always attached to

CFSP funding.

– The Council considers it important that institutional effectiveness is an

increasingly important factor when allocating administrative resources.

Savings and rationalisation benefits due to yearly growth in productivity

and economies of scale should also be taken into account when setting the

level of administrative spending. The objective should be to achieve a

substantial efficiency gain mainly by further development of

interinstitutional cooperation and targeted measures. It should also be

achieved by redeployment and reorganisation of administrative structures

of EU institutions. This would give a signal of improved efficiency to the

EU citizens.

It invites the Institutions to present during the budget procedure for 2007

their plans for assessing and realising gains on administrative costs for the

period 2007-2013 including all administrative expenditure.

It recalls the importance that the institutions should ensure that the

recruitment process in the context of the enlargement is carried forward

without delay.

–

The Council underlines the need to ensure that pilot projects and

preparatory actions are feasible and consistent with the EU's new priority

actions and to examine their practical application. In this context it

considers it appropriate that the Commission takes the relevant initiatives

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in the annual budget process to develop the various pilot projects and

preparatory actions within the financial limits set in the IIA, in a

comprehensive and co-ordinated manner.

12. The Council underlines the great importance that it attaches to these

guidelines in the forthcoming budgetary procedure and expects them to be

fully taken into account already in the Preliminary Draft Budget for 2007.

These guidelines will be forwarded to the European Parliament and the

Commission.”