Today the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) endorsed the Council's draft position on the 2013 EU budget, confirming herewith the technical agreement reached last week in the Budget Committee on the basis of a compromise text by the Cyprus Presidency.

The Council is expected to formally adopt its position on July 24. The Council wants to limit the payments' increase to 2.79% compared to 2012 and the increase of commitments to 1.27% (the Commission proposed + 6.85% in payments and +2.05% in commitments).

"The agreement on the Council's position for next year's budget is the first tangible success of the Cyprus Presidency and is the first indispensable step for concluding the negotiations with the European Parliament later this year", said Vassos Shiarly, the Cyprus Finance Minister.

"As many member states, the Council had to make some difficult choices and revisit all its priorities. The Council's position strongly focuses on growth enhancing measures, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs, while limiting the burden on national public finances in times of fiscal consolidation by decreasing appropriately other headings," said Mr Shiarly.

"Budget negotiations within the Council have been a particularly challenging task this year due to the budgetary constraints of the member states, the economic situation and the fact that 2013 is the last year of the current multiannual financial framework," Mr Shiarly concluded.

Procedure to follow

If the European Parliament adopts amendments to the Council's position by the end of October, which are not acceptable to the Council, a twenty-one-day-conciliation-period starts on October 24, leading to a decisive Conciliation meeting on November 9, between Council and European Parliament.

More details:

In absolute figures, the Council's position amounts to EUR 132.70 bn in payments (corresponding to 0.99% of the EU's GNI) and EUR 149.78 bn in commitments (leaving a margin of EUR 3.58 bn under the overall ceiling of the current MFF).