Proposition 52K1740

Projet de loi portant assentiment à la Décision du Conseil de l'Union européenne du 7 juin 2007 relative au système des ressources propres des Communautés européennes.

General information ¶

Submitted by

The Senate

Submission date

Jan. 7, 2009

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

European Union Community budget own resources financing of the EU budget

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

CD&V Vooruit LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA LDD MR

Abstained from voting

Groen Ecolo FN VB

Contact form ¶

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Discussion ¶

Jan. 29, 2009 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

However, the Commission has spent some time discussing the approval of the Council decision of the European Union of 7 June. First and foremost, this happened without report, that is, with an oral explanation in the Senate. So we had no texts or a report from the Senate.

A number of colleagues from our committee, including Mr Dallemagne, De Vriendt and me, had questions on a number of issues mentioned in the report. It is a decision of the Council of 7 June 2007 which was only submitted to the Senate on 7 January 2009, with a brief consultation of the State Council. However, this is an important issue that the Commission has not ignored.

We are the last country in the European Union to approve this decision. It also has no small impact. This was briefly explained by the staff of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs who, thanks to the request of the committee, had to communicate a number of tables present in the report.

Mrs Muylle, who also spoke, thought that this should go to the Committee on Finance. In principle, however, it is for Foreign Affairs.

Mr Dallemagne, as I have already raised, had questions about the delay in submitting the approval of this decision because it relates to a programme of financial outlook for the period 2007-2013. It is now approved in the House, after the Senate, in January 2009.

Mr De Vriendt also had some comments. He argued that the European Union’s resources are insufficient for the program it is supposed to implement, including the environment program. He wanted to make a better contribution directly to Europe itself.

I would like to inform the Chamber that a number of countries, such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, have received certain benefits in the form of discounts while Belgium – this must be cited – that as national wealth 2.77% of the Union contributes a contribution of 3.74%. That is a very important amount by which our country contributes 2.43 billion euros to the EU budget for 2009. It is also seen in the opinion of the State Council – I encourage you to read it – that this will have an impact on the budgets for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, our committee has approved the bill with nine votes in favor and one abstinence.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to intervene in regret that once again Belgium is the last EU country to ratify this Council decision. I would like to remind you that it cannot be implemented without ratification by all Member States. I repeat, this is not the first time that our country is the last to ratify directives of the European Council. The same applies to other decisions and other international treaties. I think, among other things, of those related to NATO enlargement, which are included in points 10 and 11 of our agenda. I also regret that our Secretary of State for European Affairs is not present at this meeting today.

It is time for us to have a plan to overcome Belgium’s delay in ratification of international and European decisions and treaties.

I would also like to recall that this is an important decision since it concerns a contribution of 2.43 billion euros, including supplements of about 20 million per year related to the compromise made and in particular the discount that Britain continues to receive at the level of its European contributions. It is time, in my opinion, that we can get this country to make a contribution equal to its gross national income and its weight in European decisions.

Finally, this decision unfortunately endorses the reduction of the European budget in relation to the resources of the Member States. It will therefore not allow – and it is regrettable – to lead ambitious European policies, at the height of the challenges we know on the social and climate level. However, it is of course an important and valuable budget for the European Union. That is why we will approve this bill, despite the few comments I have just issued.