8/7/2019 Lettre du commissaire au Budget sur les rductions de dpenses des instances europennes

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J A N U S Z L E W A N D O W S K IM E M B E R O F T H E E U R O P E A N C O M M I S S I O N B-1049 B R U S S E L S

Brussels, . 3 F E V 2011D(2010)

Mr BUZEKPresident of the European ParliamentMrMARTONYIPresident of the CouncilM r SKOURIS

President of the European Court of JusticeM r DA SILVA C ALDEIRAPresident of the Court of AuditorsM s ASHTONHigh R epresentative for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyMr NILSSONPresident of the European Economic and Social CommitteeMs BRESSOPresident of the Committee of the RegionsMr DIAMANDOUROSEuropean OmbudsmanMrHUSTINXEuropean Data Protection Supervisor

Sub ject: Esta blish me nt of estimates of admmistrative expenditure ofInstitutions for the 2012 Draft Budget

Dears,The economic and financial crisis has hit hard the European economy and national publicfinances. As part of the efforts towards budget consolidation, several Member States haveand/or are cutting the administrative expenditure in their national budgets. While theyneed the means necessary for properly accomplishing their tasks, the EuropeanInstitutions cannot ignore the broader economic and budgetary context and mustunde rtake all possible efforts to make the best use of their administrative resources.Although Heading 5 represents a relatively small percentage of the overall budget of theEuropean Union (5,7%), in the current economic context the evolution of administrativeexpenditure calls for even stronger scrutiny than usual.

8/7/2019 Lettre du commissaire au Budget sur les rductions de dpenses des instances europennes

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Article 3141 of the TFEU states that: "...each Institution shall...draw up estimates of itsexpenditure for the following financial year. The Com mission shall consolidate theseestimates in a draft budget, which may contain different estimates."The Commission will pay particular attention in the preparation of its budget request for2012, with the objective of limiting the nominal increase (as compared to 2011) in itsadministrative appropriations under Heading 5 (excluding pensions and Europeanschools) to a percentage below 1%. Reaching this aim will require significant cuts inexpenditure for IT, meetings, conferences and missions as well as studies andpublications. As with the 2010 and 2011 budgets, the Commission will not request anynew posts in the 2012 draft budget. That means that new needs will continue to becovered first and foremost through internal redeployment.The Commission's share of total administrative expenditure under Heading 5 is 40,6%,com pared to 42% for the other Institutions (pensions and European schoo ls account forthe rest). Therefore the overall evolution of administrative expenditure depends onbudgetary demands from other Institutions as much as on the Commission.That is why the Commission would like to call on all Institutions to take a similarapproach and make all possible efforts towards limiting expenditure in preparing theirown estimates of expenditure for the Draft Budget 2012. That would send a positivesignal to the European public opinion, demonstrating that the European Institutions areacting responsibly in the light of the difficult economic and budgetary conditions inMember States.In the same context, we have to agree on a coordinated approach on how to proceedconcerning any additional administrative needs stemming from any possible futureenlargement, since that would have a significant impact on the level of administrativeexpenditure to be requested in the estimates of expenditure of each Institution. Thus far,each Institution appears to have followed its own way: the European Parliament and theCouncil already requested and obtained additional new posts and appropriations linked toenlargement in the 2011 budget; the Court of Justice request for new posts andappropriations in the 2011 Draft Budget was not authorised by the Budgetary Authority;the Commission and the remaining institutions have not requested any new posts forenlargement yet.Based on the experience of the latest enlargement of more or less comparable size, part ofthe additional human resources related to any new enlargement - essentially linguisticrequirements linked to the revision of the translation of the acquis communautaire andpublication thereof, as well as to preparation of future participation to majorprogrammes/activities - have to be available some 12 to 18 months before the date ofaccession.Given the general budgetary environment and the as yet unknown date of futureaccessions, the Commission proposes that any request related to a future enlargement beincluded in the estimates of expend iture of Institutions only once a formal decision on thedate of accession is taken.

1 Based on expenditure levels authorised in the 2011Budget; the figure for the other Institutions includesthe EEAS.

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Following such a decision, enlargement-related needs of Institutions would be integratedeither in an amending letter or in an amending budget.I hope you share my concerns and count on your support for submitting estimates ofexpenditure that the Commission would be able to easily integrate in the 2012 DraftBudget.Yours faithfully,

Ifv

Janusz Ldwandowski

Copies: M r W E L L E , Secretary General of the European Parliament;Mr DE BOISSIEU, Secretary General of the Cou ncil;M r CA LO T ES CO BA R, Registrar of the European Court of Justice;M r R U IZ GA RC IA, A cting Secretary General of the Court of Aud itors;M r V IM O N T, Executive Secretary General of the European External ActionService;M r W ES TL A K E, Secretary General of the European Economic and SocialCommittee;M r ST AH L, Secretary G eneral of the Committee of the Regions;Mr, LA M AS SO UR E, President of the Committee on Budgets, EuropeanParliament;Ms KROLL, President of the Budget Committee, Council.