The 2009 European “crisis management” budget on the increase?
(B2) The Council of Ministers of the European Union adopted - on October 2 - some adjustments to the 2009 draft budget - which has not yet been voted on definitively -.
- A specific budget line will be created for the "consular cooperation" (line 19 06 06). In particular, during a crisis in a third country, it is a matter of being able to act, within the framework of consular cooperation, to protect EU citizens who are not represented in these countries by their Member State The Commission delegations have in fact received a mandate to act (Articles 20 of the EU and EC Treaties) in liaison with the Member States present in the country (in particular for the sheltering of nationals, their evacuation , etc.).
- Financial aid for Palestine, the peace process and UNRWA will be almost doubled: from 161 to 300 million euros.
- An additional allocation of 40 million euros in commitment appropriations will be planned to "support the stability and development of Kosovo".
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A sham increase
These last two lines had been anticipated in the draft budget discussed in July (100 million for Palestine, 60 million for Kosovo). In this draft budget, there is also a "reserve for contingencies" of 130 million euros.
On the other hand, in July, the Council had abolished the emergency aid reserve of 244 million euros (proposed by the Commission) and reduced by 10 million euros the line "crisis preparation and response - instrument for stability " which thus amounts to 140 million euros (line 19 06 01 01), in view of the "budget execution" in progress and the "forecasts". The budget for this line amounted to 139 million euros in 2007 and 179 million euros in 2008
The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) - crisis management - was endowed with commitment appropriations of 159 million euros in 2007 and 285 million in 2008. An amount of 243 million is planned for 2009. In appropriations payments, this gives: 179 million in 2008 and 234 million planned for 2009.
(NGV)
(updated Monday, October 6)
