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Europaudvalget 2007-08 (2. samling)
2857 - økofin Bilag 5
Offentligt

11. marts 2008

6. kontor, MIJ

Referat af rådsmødet (ECOFIN) den 4. marts 2008

Dagsordenspunkt:

Stabilitets- og konvergensprogrammer

Rådet vedtog udtalelser om stabilitetsprogrammerne for Cypern, Grækenland,

Irland, Malta, Portugal, Slovenien, Spanien og Østrig samt om konvergenspro-

grammerne for Bulgarien, Danmark, Estland, Letland, Litauen og Tjekkiet.

Rådet drøftede Kommissionens vurderinger af programmerne – særligt i relation

til landenes mellemfristede mål for de offentlige finanser og opfyldelsen heraf.

Der var enighed om, at medlemslandene fortsat bør gennemføre strukturelle for-

bedringer og sikre den langsigtede holdbarhed af de offentlige finanser samt und-

gå procyklisk finanspolitik.

For så vidt angår

Danmarks konvergensprogram

er Rådets udtalelse meget positiv og

indeholder ikke egentlige anbefalinger til regeringens økonomiske politik. Rådet

hæfter sig imidlertid ved behovet for at adressere manglen på arbejdskraft samt

det stigende omkostningspres vha. strukturpolitiske og makroøkonomiske tiltag.

Desuden bør yderligere tiltag til udvidelse af arbejdsudbuddet identificeres, lige-

som der advares om risikoen for procyklisk finanspolitik

Dagsordenspunkt:

Overordnede økonomisk-politiske retningslinier

(BEPG) og landespecifikke retningslinier

Rådet godkendte, som led i forberedelserne af Det Europæiske Råd (DER) den

13.-14. marts, rapporten med udkast til en ny 3-årig cyklus for de overordnede

økonomisk-politiske retningslinier (BEPG’er). Retningslinierne ledsages af lande-

specifikke anbefalinger.

De overordnede retningslinier og de landespecifikke anbefalinger ventes forelagt

DER den 13.-14. marts.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Foreløbig rapport vedr. finansiel stabilitet

Rådet havde en udveksling af synspunkter og godkendte en foreløbig rapport om

den aktuelle situation på de finansielle markeder. Den foreløbige rapport indehol-

der bl.a. mulige tiltag til ændringer af rammerne for de finansielle markeder med

henblik på at understøtte den finansielle stabilitet bedst muligt.

Rapporten ventes forelagt DER på mødet den 13.-14. marts 2008.

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Dagsordenspunkt:

Statsfonde

Rådet havde, på baggrund af en meddelelse fra Kommissionen, en udveksling af

synspunkter om statsfonde (statsligt kontrollerede investeringsfonde) mhp. på en

drøftelse blandt stats- og regeringscheferne på DER den 13.-14. marts.

Der var enighed om, at statsfonde spiller en vigtig og positiv rolle på de globale

kapitalmarkeder, men at de senere års vækst i nye fonde giver anledning til

spørgsmål i forhold til styringen af disse fonde samt gennemsigtigheden i fonde-

nes investeringer. Rådet nåede til enighed om at anbefale, at der udarbejdes en

international adfærdskodeks og et sæt fælles retningslinier for statsfonde.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Rådets prioriteter for EU’s budget for 2009

Rådet drøftede kort prioriteterne for EU’s budget for 2009 og vedtog rådskonklu-

sioner herom (jf.

vedlagte bilag).

I konklusionerne bekræftes bl.a. at den inter-

institutionelle aftale fra 17. maj 2006 om budgetdisciplin og forsvarlig økonomisk

forvaltning danner grundlag for fastlæggelsen af 2009-budgettet. Konklusionerne

understreger endvidere betydningen af at sikre budgettets overensstemmelse med

de finansielle perspektiver for 2007-2013.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Bekæmpelse af momssvig

Rådet havde på baggrund af en meddelelse fra Kommissionen en drøftelse af det

videre arbejde med ændringer i momssystemet som led i bekæmpelsen af moms-

svig. Rådet drøftede bl.a. muligheden for medlemslandene at kunne benytte be-

nytte sig af Generel Omvendt Betalingspligt for indenlandske B2B-leverancer.

Rådet ventes at vende tilbage til sagen på et kommende rådsmøde.

Dagsordenspunkt:

Beskatning af opsparing

Rådet blev præsenteret for status i de igangværende forhandlinger med vigtige

tredjelande om aftaler og havde en udveksling af synspunkter herom. Aftalerne

med tredjelande skal sikre beskatning af indkomst af den opsparing, som personer

i EU-lande har i pengeinstitutter m.m. i de pågældende lande.

Rådet bekræftede sin beslutning om udbredelse og forbedring af opsparingsbe-

skatningsaftalerne med tredjelande, og udtrykte støtte til Kommissionen i det

igangværende arbejde på området.

Diverse:

I marginen af mødet drøftede ministrene den senere tids stigende olie- og fødeva-

repriser og formanden for eurogruppen orienterede ministrene om gruppens mø-

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de den 3. marts. Ministrene drøftede endvidere sager i relation til Den Europæiske

Bank for Genopbygning og Udvikling (EBRD), herunder i forhold til en eventuel

udvidelse af bankens udlånsaktiviteter samt valg af ny administrerende direktør

for banken, og sager i relation til World Customs Organisation (WCO), herunder i

relation til valg af ny generalsekretær for organisationen.

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Bilag

Rådskonklusioner vedr. Rådets prioriteter for EU’s budget for 2009:

"1.

The Council considers that the budgetary procedure 2009, the third

one within the 2007-2013 Financial Framework, will play a pivotal

role in the pursuit and development of the European Union's objec-

tives and priorities, as the vast majority of programmes and actions are

likely to reach their cruising speed. The European Union is faced with

the challenge of guaranteeing the continuity and coherence of actions

while pursuing forward-looking policies to adjust to a fast changing

environment.

The Council considers that an excellent spirit of cooperation prevail-

ing in the course of the preparation of the budget is a key factor in the

smooth development of the budgetary procedure and emphasises the

importance of continuing to strengthen the good collaboration be-

tween the two arms of the budgetary authority and the Commission in

2009.

The Council reiterates that the Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) on

budgetary discipline and sound financial management of 17 May 2006

is the basis for the establishment of the 2009 budget and that it has to

be applied to the full.

In this context, it stresses the necessity of strict compliance with the

multiannual Financial Framework, as revised on 18 December 2007.

Expenditure must strictly remain within the limits fixed therein and

sufficient margins must be maintained under all the ceilings of various

headings, with the exception of sub-Heading 1b, for the purpose of

sound financial management and notably to cater for unforeseen cir-

cumstances.

The Council recalls the importance of maintaining an overall budget-

ary discipline, as well as respecting the principle of sound financial

management, and emphasises that this entails applying to the EU

budget the same degree of budgetary restraint as is exercised by the

Member States for their own national budgets. In this context, the

Council believes that the budget for 2009 should provide sufficient

and justified resources to implement and develop efficiently and effec-

tively the various policies of the Union bearing in mind their multian-

nual nature. The Council urges the Commission to deliver, together

with its Preliminary Draft Budget, the underlying assumptions on

which the figures for each Heading or sub-Heading are based.

In order to optimise its actions, it is of the utmost importance for the

European Union to achieve the best possible use of resources. Com-

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mitment and payment appropriations should be set so as to reflect real

and well defined needs, in full respect of the ceilings fixed by the Fi-

nancial Framework. In addition, past trends of implementation should

be taken into account in assessing the absorption capacity in all sec-

toral policies and in allocating resources. Monitoring the implementa-

tion and the effectiveness of new programmes and actions becomes

essential. Furthermore, the Council underlines the importance of

reprioritisation and reallocation, as a primary tool for budgetary flexi-

bility, in order to allow the budgetary authority to adapt the appropria-

tions in a realistic way.

The Council acknowledges the progress achieved by the Commission

in delivering better forecasts and encourages the Commission and the

Member States to pursue their efforts. In this context, the Council

points out that, while Member States present estimates under shared

management as accurately as possible, the Commission remains ulti-

mately responsible for ensuring that the appropriations introduced in

the Preliminary Draft Budget (PDB) reflect genuine needs and imple-

mentation capacity.

The Council stresses, once again, the great importance of keeping

payment appropriations firmly under control. The Council also notes

with great concern the volume of outstanding commitments and con-

siders that the relation between the level of commitment and payment

appropriations must be carefully weighed against the absorption ca-

pacity. The Council calls on all actors involved to do their utmost to

avoid overestimation.

The Council acknowledges the progress made by the Commission in

the establishment of the PDB estimates and exhorts it to pursue its ef-

forts to reduce to the minimum the difference between the PDB and

the outturn, as illustrated in the annex. It underlines the fact that the

PDB is the starting point of the budgetary procedure and therefore it

must set the tone for a realistic budgeting. An accurate PDB, together

with a constant monitoring and improvement of budget implementa-

tion are essential to avoid the significant under-use of funds that oc-

curred in the past, and to allow the Member States to precisely antici-

pate the level of their contribution to the EU budget. Moreover, it

would limit the recourse to corrective budgetary tools such as Amend-

ing Budgets to the strict minimum, thus avoiding their unexpected im-

pact on national budgets.

In this context, the Council notes with satisfaction the constant im-

provements in the functioning of the Commission's "Budget Forecast

Alert (BFA) system", which allows adjustments to the level of the ap-

propriations in a more realistic and rigorous way. It expects this posi-

tive trend to be enhanced during the 2009 budgetary procedure and

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encourages the Commission to continue to refine its methods of moni-

toring expenditure. The Council expects the BFA information to be

delivered sufficiently in time to allow its effective use at each stage of

the budgetary procedure.

10.

The Council, while recalling that the objective of the "Activity Based

Budgeting" is to match human and financial resources to political pri-

orities, points out that high quality Activity Statements and timely fi-

nancial information on spending proposals are crucial for the budget

authority to establish, confirm or modify budgetary priorities. While

noting its usefulness in the assessment of EU action in 2008, it expects

further improvements for 2009, in particular regarding performance

indicators and human resources, in order for them to be more useful

and to have a greater budgetary implication. Consequently, the Coun-

cil stresses its willingness to continue an enhanced examination of a

set of Activity Statements during the 2009 budgetary procedure.

As regards some sectoral issues, the Council identifies the following

elements as crucial in preparing the 2009 budget:

Concerning Competitiveness for Growth and Employment, the Coun-

cil attaches the greatest importance to a proper implementation of the

various programmes and actions within the ceiling of this sub-

Heading as revised in 2007.

The Council reiterates its encouragement to the Commission to con-

tinue its efforts together with the Member States in order to establish a

realistic and accurate level of payments for Structural Policies. The

Council requires the Commission to ensure that rules are applied in a

simplified and operational way through instructions and guidelines

which are understandable and adequate as well as in line with sectoral

regulations, enabling efficient and effective implementation of the

2007-2013 programmes. In this context, it asks the Commission to

continue to encourage and facilitate this, by providing constant advice

and guidance to Member States through all the relevant channels and

tools.

Concerning CAP expenditure, the Commission is invited to present

realistic and clearly defined forecasts already in its PDB and then in

its Letter of Amendment, taking into account not only past implemen-

tation and foreseeable market prices evolution at European and inter-

national level but also the very tight ceiling of expenditure for 2009.

Particular attention should be given to ensuring that payment appro-

priations for expenditure related to rural development are accurate.

As regards Citizenship, Freedom, Security and Justice, the Council

recalls the importance of allocating sufficient resources to the EU im-

migration policy.

11.

–

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–

As far as external actions are concerned, taking into account the pre-

sent and forthcoming challenges, both at the economic and stability

level, the Council firmly believes that the role of the European Union

as a global player must be reaffirmed and that the 2009 budget should

have adequate means to match the Union's ambitions. In this respect,

the Council stresses that sufficient margin within the ceiling of Head-

ing 4 is vital for the European Union, in order to enable it to provide

for unexpected needs and crises in the most effective, flexible and rap-

id way.

In this context, the Council draws attention to the constantly growing

role of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the need for it to

continue to be adequately funded; therefore, it points out that a level

of appropriations has to be in line with the provisions and amounts es-

tablished in the IIA bearing in mind the yearly amounts retained in the

financial programming when the IIA was agreed.

–

As for administrative expenditure, the Council recalls the common

objective of reducing bureaucracy, along the same line adopted by

Member States to optimise the use of resources and achieve gains. The

Council intends to continue to monitor and to improve EU institutions'

effectiveness with a view to improving administrative efficiency and

stresses the crucial importance of redeployment and reorganisation.

Therefore, it expects all the institutions to provide in advance all the

necessary information - including the additional information requested

in last year's exercise - for a clear consolidated picture of the adminis-

trative expenditure, thus allowing the budgetary authority to evaluate

the situation and take well-founded decision on the allocation and use

of resources.

The Council is concerned about the evolution in appropriations for

pensions and their impact on the administrative expenditure in the fu-

ture. Therefore, it invites the Commission to provide well before the

PDB an updated estimate of annual Communities' pension expenditure

at least up to 2013.

–

Regarding executive agencies, the Council refers to the joint statement

adopted by the budgetary authority on 13 July 2007, and confirms that

it intends to monitor closely their establishment and their implementa-

tion and recalls that the final decision on staffing remains a matter for

the budgetary authority.

As far as the European Union's decentralised agencies are concerned,

the Council reiterates the importance of keeping their funding under

firm control, so as to provide for the real needs and to avoid over-

budgeting. In this context, the Council recalls the budgetary authori-

ty's joint statements on Community agencies adopted during the 2008

–

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procedure and calls on the Commission and the agencies to comply

with their requirements. It expects the Commission to provide a com-

prehensive picture in due time for the PDB for 2009.

The Council recalls the need to apply a thorough cost/benefit assess-

ment before setting up new agencies and to implement the review

clauses foreseen in their specific regulations. The Council notes with

interest the Commission's intention to issue a communication on regu-

latory agencies and expects it to be issued in a timeframe consistent

with the budgetary procedure.

–

Concerning assigned revenue, the Council strongly believes that in-

creasing transparency in the budgetary field is part of a sound finan-

cial management of EU funds. It recalls the joint statement on as-

signed revenue agreed during the 2008 budgetary procedure and calls

on all the institutions as well as agencies and other bodies to provide

all the requested information on a regular basis and in time for the

PDB for 2009. It also welcomes the Commission's commitment to in-

clude assigned revenue in the BFA.

The Council reiterates the importance it attaches to the recruitment

process in the context of enlargement, especially at this point in time,

where the transitional period is coming to its end. In line with the joint

statement agreed in the 2008 budgetary procedure, it recalls that the

budgetary authority "intends to continue to monitor closely the ongo-

ing recruitment process" and exhorts all institutions to take the neces-

sary steps to finalise it without delay.

12.

The Council recalls that the budget is one of the most significant tools

to guarantee the accountability of the European Union towards its citi-

zens; likewise it is fully aware that an accurate and accountable use of

the EU resources is one of the essential means to reinforce the trust of

the European citizens. Therefore, it attaches the greatest importance to

these guidelines and expects them to be fully taken into account al-

ready in the PDB for 2009. These guidelines will be forwarded to the

European Parliament and the Commission."