2010 budget: other sections

PURPOSE: definitive adoption of the European Union’s general budget for the financial year 2010.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: 2010/117/EU, Euratom.

CONTENT: the Union’s budget for the 2010 financial year is definitively adopted in accordance with the budgetary procedure completed on 17 December 2009 (see summary of Parliament’s resolution of 17/12/2009 in the procedural file BUD/2009/2002).

The Union’s budget in brief: overall, the 2010 budget amounts to EUR 141.4 billion in commitment appropriations, which represents an increase of 3.6% over the 2009 budget, and 1.3% of EU GNI.. A margin of EUR 0.4 billion is left below the expenditure ceiling of the financial framework. Payment appropriations under the 2010 budget amount to EUR 122.9 billion, 1.04% of GNI. This amount, which represents an increase of 8.8% compared with 2009, leaves a margin of EUR 11.7 billion under the ceiling for payments.

Economic recovery is, once again, at the heart of 2010’s spending and accounts for the lion’s share of the funds by means of the European Economic Recovery Plan.

Budget of the other institutions: the “administration” heading of the budget covering the expenditures of the Union’s institutions represents some 5.6% of the total EU budget and involves practically EUR 7.9 billion (in commitments and payments).

Of these expenditures, the budget for the other institutions covers:

• European Parliament,
• Council,
• Court of Justice,
• European Economic and Social Committee,
• Committee of the Regions,
• European Ombudsman,
• European Data Protection Supervisor

representing 37.1% of the total, i.e. EUR 2 937 432 291. This amount has increased by 4.7% compared to the 2009 budget.