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Europaudvalget 2004-05 (2. samling), Finansudvalget 2004-05 (2. samling), Det Politisk-Økonomiske Udvalg 2004-05 (2. samling)
2646 - økofin Bilag 4, FIU Alm.del Bilag 31, PØU Alm.del Bilag 16
Offentligt

Medlemmerne af Folketingets Europaudvalg

og deres stedfortrædere

Bilag

Journalnummer

400.C.2-0

Kontor

EUK

16. marts 2005

Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges Finansministeriets

redegørelse for rådsmøde (ECOFIN) den 8. marts 2005.

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14. marts 2

12 CHM

Referat af rådsmødet (ECOFIN) den 8. marts 2005

Dagsordenspunkt: Stabilitets- og Vækstpagten – vurdering af opdate-

rede konvergens- og stabilitetsprogrammer for

Cypern, Letland, Litauen, Slovenien, Spanien,

Storbritannien og Ungarn

Rådet vedtog udtalelser vedrørende konvergensprogrammerne for Cypern, Letland,

Litauen, Slovenien, Storbritannien og Ungarn samt stabilitetsprogrammet for Spa-

nien.

Dagsordenspunkt: Stabilitets- og Vækstpagten – Proceduren for

uforholdsmæssigt store underskud vedr. Ungarn

Rådet vedtog under Traktatens artikel 104.7 en ny henstilling til Ungarn i opfølg-

ning på Rådets beslutning af 18. januar 2005 under artikel 104.8 om manglende

efterlevelse af rådshenstillingen fra 5. juli 2005. Den nye henstilling anbefaler Un-

garn at bringe situationen med et uforholdsmæssigt stort budgetunderskud til ophør

hurtigst muligt og senest i 2008. De ungarske myndigheder bør senest den 8. juli

2005 iværksætte korrigerende tiltag af strukturel karakter med henblik på at opnå

konvergensprogrammets målsætning for 2005.

Forberedelse af Det Europæiske Råd den 22.-23.

marts 2005 – ’Key Issues’ papir vedr. de overord-

nede økonomisk-politiske retningslinier og Kom-

missionens rapport vedr. Lissabon-strategien.

Rådet godkendte ’Key Issues’ papiret om de overordnede økonomisk-politiske ret-

ningslinier (BEPG), som ligeledes indeholder et afsnit om Lissabon-strategien.

Papiret lægger vægt på en fremtidig fokusering af Lissabon-strategien og

BEPG’erne på vækst og beskæftigelse indenfor rammerne af social samhørighed og

miljømæssig bæredygtighed. Papiret fremhæver flg. to prioriteter: 1) øge Europas

muligheder for at skabe jobs og 2) forbedre betingelserne for øget produktivitet

gennem investeringer i først og fremmest viden og innovation. Papiret påpeger, at

der skal sikres konsistens mellem prioriteringerne vedrørende den overordnede

makroøkonomiske ramme og strukturpolitikken. Desuden pointeres det, at en sund

og konsistent makroøkonomisk situation er en forudsætning for vedvarende vækst

og prisstabilitet. Endelig fremhæver papiret nødvendigheden af at effektivisere og

rationalisere de årlige strukturpolitiske afrapporteringer således, at medlemsstaterne

udarbejder ét nationalt handlingsprogram, der både inkluderer de strukturpolitiske

initiativer, landet

har

taget, og dem det påtænker at tage i fremtiden.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Udtalelserne offentliggøres på Rådets hjemmeside.

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’Key issues’ papiret vil sammen med rådskonklusionerne fra rådsmødet (ECOFIN)

den 17. februar 2005 vedrørende Kommissions implementeringsrapport om de

overordnede økonomisk-politiske retningslinier indgå som en del af Rådet (ECO-

FIN)’s bidrag til Det Europæiske Råd den 22.-23. marts 2005.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Forberedelse af Det Europæiske Råd den 22.-23.

marts 2005: Styrkelse og bedre implementering af Sta-

bilitets- og Vækstpagten

På møderne i eurogruppen den 7. marts og ECOFIN den 8. marts 2005 var der en

drøftelse af formandskabets kompromisforslag til en styrket implementering af Sta-

bilitets- og Vækstpagten. Det var imidlertid ikke mulig at opnå enighed om for-

mandskabets forslag, hvorfor sagen blev udskudt. Formanden annoncerede et mø-

de om sagen i ’den udvidede eurogruppe’ med deltagelse af alle 25 medlemsstater

den 20. marts 2005.

Dagsordenspunkt: Forberedelse af Det Europæiske Råd den 22.-23.

marts 2005: Implementering af det europæiske

vækstinitiativ

Rådet vedtog konklusioner (vedlagt) vedrørende Kommissionens statusrapport om

nationale tiltag som led i gennemførelsen af det europæiske vækstinitiativ med hen-

blik på forelæggelse for Det Europæiske Råd den 22.-23. marts 2005.

Rådskonklusionerne hilser Kommissionens rapport velkommen, og noterer, at flere

medlemslande har gennemført nationale tiltag. Medlemslandene opfordres bl.a. til

fortsat at forfølge tiltag, gennem budgetplanlægning og forbedring af ikke-

finansielle betingelser for investeringer. Rådet understreger behovet for at disse

bestræbelser sker med hensyntagen til sund finanspolitik samt stabilitets- og vækst-

orienteret makropolitik. Tiltagene skal ske i overensstemmelse med ECOFIN-

konklusionerne af november 2003, således at kun økonomisk og finansielt levedyg-

tige projekter prioriteres.

Dagsordenspunkt: Bedre regulering

Formandskabet orienterede kort om status for arbejdet med bedre regulering, her-

under udviklingen af metode til måling af administrative bryder. Kommissionens

meddelelse om en fælles europæisk målemetode ventes at blive fremlagt og drøftet

på rådsmødet (ECOFIN) den 12. april 2005.

EU’s budget – Decharge-procedure vedr. gennemfø-

relse af budgettet for 2003.

Rådet vedtog henstilling til Europa-Parlamentet om meddelelse af decharge til

Kommissionen for gennemførelsen af regnskabsåret 2003.

Henstillingen udtrykker bl.a. skuffelse over, at Revisionsretten heller ikke vedrøren-

de årsberetningen for 2003 har kunnet afgive en positiv revisionserklæring for bud-

getgennemførelsen som helhed. Endvidere henstilles det til Kommissionen, at den

som ansvarlig institution for gennemførelse af budgettet, øger sine bestræbelser på

Dagsordenspunkt:

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at anvende kontrol- og overvågningssystemerne på en effektiv måde i nært samar-

bejde med medlemsstaterne.

Kommissionen erkendte problemet og tilkendegav, at den vil fremlægge en hand-

lingsplan med konkrete forslag til, hvordan der indenfor en overskuelig årrække kan

opnås en positiv revisionserklæring. Fra dansk side hilste man en sådan handlings-

plan velkommen.

Dagsordenspunkt:

EU’s budget – Rådets prioriteter for budgettet 2006

Rådet vedtog konklusioner (vedlagt) vedrørende Rådets prioriteter for budgettet for

2006.

I rådskonklusionerne understreges en række grundlæggende principper for EU's

budgetlægningsproces, bl.a. at der i overensstemmelse med den inter-institutionelle

aftale af 6. maj 1999 skal sikres budgetdisciplin, herunder at der afsættes tilstrække-

lig margen i hver udgiftskategori til uforudsete udgifter. Der skal endvidere foreta-

ges en retvisende og realistisk budgettering inden for rammerne af de finansielle

perspektiver.

Kommissionen ventes at fremlægge sit budgetforslag for 2006 i maj 2005. Rådet

(ECOFIN)’s første læsning af Kommissionens budgetforslag ventes at finde sted i

juli 2005.

Diverse

Ministrene havde under frokosten en drøftelse af Kommissionens repræsentation i

G20. Der var støtte til, at EU skal repræsenteres af formandskabet, ECB og Kom-

missionen i G20-sammenhæng.

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Bilag

Rådskonklusioner vedrørende implementering af det europæiske vækstiniti-

ativ

"In March 2004, the Council invited the Commission to report to the European

Council (through Ecofin), on the implementation of initiatives at national level, to

increase growth and growth potential and which could enhance the positive impact

of the European Initiative for Growth.

The (Ecofin) Council welcomes the second reports by Member States on their con-

tributions to the European Initiative for Growth and notes that a number of Mem-

ber States have taken steps to reinforce the Initiative by national actions, some of

them with the financial support of the EIB. The

Council welcomes these contributions.

The Council would like to draw the attention of the European Council to the issues

below, and in this context, notes that the expected impact of the Initiative on public

investment differs according to transport infrastructure, telecommunications, and

R&D and innovation investment:

The improvement of transport infrastructure is part of current na-

tional economic strategies in a majority of Member States. Some

countries have redirected public expenditures to accelerate invest-

ment in key transport infrastructure projects. In other cou ntries the

Initiative did not significantly affect investment plans for 2004 and

2005.

While investments in telecommunications infrastructure are princ i-

pally market-driven, a number of countries provide direct or indirect

support to the development of high-capacity networks, notably in

sparsely populated and remote areas.

With regard to R&D and innovation investment, a number of Me m-

ber States have taken steps to promote private sector partic ipation or

associate public aid and private capital in innovative programmes. In

several key technological areas identified in the Quick-start Pro-

gramme, strategic research agendas have been or are being defined by

public and private stakeholders, and are expected to lead to the

launch of projects and the development of research infrastructures.

Many countries have made efforts to develop the mobilisation of pri-

vate resources in infrastructure financing, notably through improving

the framework conditions for PPPs.

In line with the request by the European Council, the Co mmission and the

European Investment Bank will provide a mid-term evaluation of the Initia-

tive by the end of 2007. To this effect, the Commission and the Member

States will have to ensure that the relevant information on the

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national measures taken in support of the Initiative, will be made available.

The Council invites the Member States to pursue efforts, through budgetary plan-

ning and the improvement of the non-financial conditions to investment, to ensure

the implementation of the Quick-start cross-border infrastructure projects as well

as innovation and R&D projects, thereby

enhancing the overall impact of the Initiative.

Moreover, in the context of the Mid-Term Review of the Lisbon Strategy, the

Council points out the role of the initiative as an instrument for enhancing potential

growth, in particular, by expanding and improving European infrastructures within

the internal market, as well as by increasing and improving investment in Research

and Development, according to the Commission's identified priority areas.

The Council underlines the need to pursue these efforts in a context of sound

budgetary policies as well as stability and growth oriented macro policies, and, in

accordance with the ECOFIN conclusions of November 2003, to only prioritise

projects that are assessed to be economically and

financially viable."

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Rådskonklusioner vedr. prioriteter for EU’s budget 2006

The Council reaffirms that the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999

(IIA) constitutes its basis for work and that it will apply it to the full in 2006.

It notes with satisfaction that the 2000-2006 Financial Perspective has proved

to be a useful instrument for the yearly budgetary procedure. It expects that it

will be the same for the budgetary procedure for 2006 which will be the last

one included in the current Financial Perspective.

In this context, the Council reiterates the importance of compliance with the

existing Financial Perspective which requires that the Community expendi-

ture remains within the limits set therein. Sufficient margins must be main-

tained below all the ceilings of the various Headings with the exception of

Heading 2, for the purpose of sound financial management and to deal with

unforeseen circumstances.

The Council recalls the excellent spirit of co-operation, in the framework of

the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999, that governed work on the

preparation of the budgets of the previous financial years and is convinced of

the importance of continuing the good collaboration between the two arms

of the budgetary authority and the Commission. The Council looks forward

to continuing such an effective spirit of co-operation for the 2006 budgetary

procedure.

The Council considers that the Community budget should provide, within

the framework of the Financial Perspective, sufficient resources to implement

the various policies of the Union effectively. It stresses the need to maintain

overall budgetary discipline. It emphasises that this includes applying the

same degree of budgetary constraint as exercised by the Member States of the

Union for their own national budgets.

The Council recalls the great importance of keeping a tight grip on payment

appropriations. The level of payment appropriations entered into the budget

should be sufficient to fulfill the different commitments undertaken by the

EU, taking into account past implementation and the genuine requirements

for 2006.

The Council considers that improvements of forecasts established by the

Commission and Member states together should be continued.

The Council emphasises that the commitment appropriations should reflect

real and well-defined needs taking into account absorption capacities, and be

compatible with the Financial Perspective.

Consequently, in order to better identify the commitment appropriations and

to allow the Council to establish and confirm priorities, it wishes to highlight

the importance of having sufficient activity and financial information on

spending proposals in good time.

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The Council reiterates its support for the presentation of the budget on the

basis of the "Activity Based Budgeting" method, in particular the implemen-

tation of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely objectives, ap-

propriate performance indicators and full evaluation procedures in all Com-

munity programmes with implications for the Community budget, as speci-

fied in the Financial Regulation.

In this respect, the Council, while recognising the substantial progress

achieved in previous years, calls on the Commission to take full account of its

comments following its detailed examination of a set of activities statements

in 2005, in order to improve them on the basis of this experience.

The Council intends to make due use of the "Activity Based Budgeting" in-

formation provided together with the Preliminary Draft Budget during the

discussions of the whole budgetary procedure for 2006.

The Council stresses the importance of taking into account in an appropriate

way, at the stage of the 2006 Preliminary Draft Budget, the financial conclu-

sions drawn by the European Council of Copenhagen in December 2002.

As regards certain specific Headings of the Financial Perspective, the Council

identifies the following elements as important in preparing the 2006 budget:

8.1

concerning Heading 1, the Commission is invited to present realistic

forecasts regarding CAP expenditure in its Preliminary Draft Budget.

Particular attention should be given to ensure that the payment appro-

priations for expenditure related to rural development are accurate.

As far as Heading 2 on structural actions is concerned, the Council

considers that while fully respecting the commitments undertaken by

the European Councils of Copenhagen and Berlin, an accurate level of

payment appropriations for structural funds should be established. It

invites the Commission to provide for updated estimates in due time.

Furthermore, the Council stresses the importance of further simplifica-

tion of procedures aimed at facilitating implementation.

8.2

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8.3

As regards Heading 3 on internal policies, the Council highlights the

importance of an adequate financing of the measures relating to the

conclusions of the Lisbon European Council while preserving a suffi-

cient margin under the ceiling of this Heading.

In relation to Heading 4 on external actions, the Council is of the opin-

ion that all the programmes and actions should be financed within the

ceiling of the existing Financial Perspective. It recalls that allocations

for the CFSP budget should be sufficient tot meet present and future

needs. In view of the fact that some expenditure has been transferred

to other relevant Headings, the Council believes that, after reprioritisa-

tion and reallocation of appropriations, there is room to finance the

new additional needs within the ceiling of this Heading. The Council

recalls that the IIA requires that the institutions will ensure as far as

possible that sufficient margins are left available for unforeseen circum-

stances.

As regards Heading 5 on administrative expenditure, the Council calls

on all institutions to establish rigorous draft estimates reflecting genu-

ine needs and ensuring an adequate margin under this Heading. More-

over, it encourages savings resulting from development of interinstitu-

tional co-operation.

8.4

8.5

The Council underlines the great importance that it attaches to these guide-

lines in the forthcoming budget procedure and invites the Commission to du-

ly take them into account in its Preliminary Draft Budget for 2006.