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Measures necessary for the implementation of the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel

2017/0213(APP)

PURPOSE: to review the rules on the cancellation of commitments under the research programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) and the rules on amounts recovered under the research programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2018/599 amending Decision 2003/76/EC establishing the measures necessary for the implementation of the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.

CONTENT: the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), established following the expiry of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), is dedicated to financing research activities in these sectors.

In view of the decrease in revenue generated by the assets of the ECSC in liquidation due to the low interest rates on the capital markets in recent years and devoted to research in the sectors related to the coal and steel industry, this Decision amending Council Decision 2003/76/EC authorises the recycling of unused appropriations made available to the research programme of the RFCS.

This shall allow an acceptable level of funding for coal and steel research projects to be maintained for a certain period pending a change in monetary policy and an increase in asset returns on public bond markets.

In concrete terms, the amending decision provides that:

  • unused revenue and appropriations deriving from this revenue still available on 31 December in any given year, as well as amounts recovered, shall be carried over automatically to the following year. Those appropriations may not be transferred to other budget items;
  • budgetary appropriations corresponding to cancellations of commitments shall automatically lapse at the end of each financial year. Provisions for commitments released as a result of the cancellations shall be made available to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.

Under the Decision, the amount corresponding to cancellations of commitments made since 24 July 2002 shall be made available to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel on 10 May 2018.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 10.5.2018.