Calendar of the review

In May 2006 the European Parliament, the EU Council and the European Commission agreed that the Commission should undertake a fundamental review of the EU budget. The Commission was invited to undertake "the full and wide-ranging review of all areas of EU expenditure, including the CAP and all ressources, including the British rebate with a view to reporting in 2008 / 2009".

Therefore, in September 2007 the Commission published a paper - Reforming the budget, changing Europe - the 2008/2009 budget review (a so called Consultation paper). The aim of this paper is to launch a broad consultation with interested parties at a local, regional and national level, as well as at the European level, to stimulate an open debate on EU finances.

In late May 2008 the Commission will organise a conference summarizing the consultation process. The ideas collected during the consultations, including the submitted contributions will serve the Commission to prepare an official proposal on the future of the European budget. This proposal published in late 2008 or at the beginning of 2009 will be a basis for a discussion in the EU Council or in the European Parliament.


Summing-up of the consultation process

The end of the consultation period first scheduled for 15 April 2008 was postponed until 15 June 2008. Up until then all the interested citizens, including the representatives of academic, local self-government, entrepreneur circles or non government organisations could place their reflexions on the future of the Europen budget on the Internet European Commission site .

According to the Commission 279 entities from 23 member states representing national governments and public sector, non government organisations, private sector, citizens, academic centers and other took part in the consultations. The most active were Germans (35 answers) and British (31 answers).

From Poland there were 7 answers (2.5% of all the contributions). These were:

· Poland’s answer to the European Commission Consultation Paper on the EU budget review – a stance of the government of the RP;
· A citizen of the RP answer suggesting to stop financing road construction in Poland from the European funds after 2013;
· VAT as a source of revenue of the European budget – an expertise by Prof. E. Kawecka-Wyrzykowska (Warsaw School of Economics);
· In search of coherence of objectives, policies and finances of the Union – a report by the demosEuropa foundation;
· Deepening of the internal market of the EU: liberalization effects in the services sector. Potential meaning of the EU budget as an instrument for
smoothening structural change connected with the services sector liberalization – an expertise by Prof. J.J. Michałek (Warsaw University), J.
Hegemajer (NBP) and T. Michałek (NBP);
· Political economy of the direct support schemes in the framework of Common Agricultural Policy taking into a special consideration a situation in the
new EU Member States – an expertise by Prof. Jerzy Wilkin;
· Stance of the PKPP Lewiatan on propositions of a reform of the European Union budget policy

The review stake

Conversation about the future of the budget is a discussion not only about the money but first of all about the objectives of the the EU budget and the principles governing the spending of the common ressources. It will be in fact a conversation about the common vision of Europe.
The result of the EU review is for our country of great importance. Being the biggest beneficiary of the funds from the common budget we have to take an active part in the debate on its future.

According to the Polish government the Union should support the cohesion policy, which approaches the achievement of social and economic cohesion thanks to which all the Member States could realize global priorities, e.g. tackling climate change or realizing the internal reforms, e.g. establishment of a free market of services.

It is worth to be mentioned that parallel to he review of the budget public consultation on the future of EU cohesion policy began. You will find more information on the site of the European Commission.



A series of conferences on the budget

Poland has actively joined the debate on the review of the European Union budget. In the framework of the debate a series of meetings is organized during which the authorities representatives and experts wonder how the future EU budget should look like, what should be done and what reforms introduced in order to make it more efficient and contributory to the realisation of key policies of the Community.

Subject	Date	Organizers	Materials (conclusions)
What budget for the EU?	4 February 2008, Warsaw	UKIE, demosEUROPA	Communication from the UKIE demosEuropa commentary Photogallery
The future EU budget. Perspectives for Poland	21 February 2008, Warsaw	demosEuropa and BNP Paribas	demosEuropa commentary
Review of the EU budget: are priorities of Poland and EU coincident?	5 March 2008 at 16.30 o' clock, Warsaw Krucza 5 Street	European Information Centre, UKIE
Challenges of the EU budget review - priorities of Poland	17 March 2008, Poznań	UKIE, Adam Mickiewicz University Invitation and programme	Communication from the UKIE Photogallery
international conference Review of the EU budget - discussion on a vision of the future of the Union	17 March 2008, Warsaw	UKIE, European Centre Natolin Map of the route to Natolin Invitation and programme	Photogallery
The future of the European Union budget - the most essential questions from the common agricultural policy point of view	19 March 2008, Zielna Centre, Exhibition Room, Zielna Street 37, Warsaw	UKIE, Invitation and programme	Communication from the UKIE Photogallery
How to finance the European Union budget?	28 March 2008, Nowy Świat 58 (the first floor) Conference Room of the Melchior Wankowicz Warsaw School of Journalism, Warsaw	UKIE, "Poland in Europe" Foundation, European Policy Club Invitation and programme	Photogallery
closing conference Challeges of the European Union in the 21st century – summary of the public debate on the EU budget review	8 April 2008, The Stock Exchange, Quotations Room, Książęca Street 4, Warsaw	UKIE Invitation and programme	The EU budget: Some questins - Jean Pisani-Ferry presentation Reforming the budget, Changing Europe - Stefan Lehner presentation

Social consultations - vision of a future budget:

Communication from the Commission - Reforming the budget, changing europe - A public consultation paper in view of the 2008/2009 budget review The announcement on the position of the government formulated in the document Poland towards the review of the European Union budget in 2008-2009 adopted by the Council of Ministers on 8 April 2008 Contributions from participants in the consultation on the review of the European budget EU budget review: social research results in Poland Worth to be seen: The European Budget at a glance Multiannual framework 2007-2013