Amending budget 4/2012: own resources; risk-sharing instruments; EuroGlobe

PURPOSE: presentation of draft amending budget (DAB) n° 4 for the year 2012.

CONTENT: this draft amending budget (DAB) n° 4 for the year 2012 concerns the following:

·        a revision of the forecast of Traditional Own Resources (TOR, i.e. customs duties and sugar sector levies), VAT and GNI bases,  the budgeting of the relevant UK  corrections as well as their financing and revision of financing of GNI reductions in favour of the Netherlands and Sweden in 2012, resulting in a change in the distribution between Member States of their own resources contributions to the EU budget;

·        the creation of 4 new budget lines for the implementation of risk-sharing instruments financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund, all with a token entry (p.m.);

·        modification of the budget line 16 03 05 01 – Preparatory action – EuroGlobe to replace the "dash" for payments on the line with a token entry (p.m.), in order to allow the final payments to be made.

With regard to the preparatory action EuroGlobe, this was created in 2009. It concerns public debates on EU policies and activities, culture and studies. In accordance with article 49 of the Financial Regulation, the relevant commitment appropriations for a preparatory action may be entered in the budget for not more than three successive financial years. However, the finalisation of payments can continue thereafter. A contract, covering the organisation of a communication campaign and public debates on EU policies and activities of direct relevance to citizens using cinema events, was signed on 28 December 2009, and provides for actions to be carried out during the Hungarian and Polish presidencies in 2011, ending not later than 31 December 2011. The pre-financing and two interim payments were made in 2010 and 2011. In November 2011, the Commission was informed that the final payment request, together with the final report, would be presented only in 2012. The request for a final payment was received on 12 March 2012. In order to cover this final payment the Commission will make an internal transfer. However, in accordance with article 25 of the Financial Regulation, a transfer can only be made to a budget line for which there are authorised appropriations, or which carries a token entry (p.m.). In the 2012 budget, the line in question, 16 03 05 01 – Preparatory action – EuroGlobe only contains a "dash" in payment appropriations. Therefore, it is proposed to replace this with a token entry (p.m.) to make the required transfer possible.