Council adopts EU draft budget for 2011

In August, the Council has adopted its position on the EU draft budget for the financial year 2011, approving targeted cuts in the Commission’s proposal whilst ensuring appropriate funding for the priorities of the European Union, in particular economic recovery.

The Council’s position takes into account the current budgetary constraints of the EU member states and is in line with the budget guidelines for 2011 adopted by the Council on 16 March this year. It also leaves sufficient margins under the different headings of the financial framework in order to cope with unforeseen budgetary needs.

The Council position for the budget 2011 amounts to:
• €141.777bn in commitment appropriations, leaving a margin of €2.02bn under the total ceiling of the financial framework, and
• €26.527bn in payment appropriations, corresponding to 1.02% of the Gross
National Income (GNI) of the EU.

The reductions in the appropriations compared to the amounts proposed in the draft budget of the Commission (-€787.83mn in commitments and -€3.609bn in payments) were agreed by the Council on the basis of a thorough examination of budget implementation in past years and in the current year, by taking into account the 2010 budget forecast and realistic absorption capacities.

Compared with the 2010 budget, the Council’s position for the 2011 budget ensures a limited and controlled increase of 0.22% in commitment appropriations and of 2.91% in payment appropriations.

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