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BUDGET
Additional funds for 2013 EU budget - draft amending budget no 2 for 2013
The Council adopted its position on draft amending budget no 2 for 2013, approving the addition of €7.3 billion to the 2013 EU budget in order to cover outstanding payment needs. The Council intends the supplementary funds to be spent primarily on measures to support economic growth, create jobs and tackle unemployment, especially among young people (11686/13).
Its position reflects the political agreement reached by the Council on 14 May to provide €7.3 billion in a first stage and to take all necessary additional steps to ensure that the EU's obligations are honoured in a second phase, when the Commission will have more information on implementation, the possibilities for redeployment and on budget revenues (9510/13). The Commission proposed at the end of March to increase payments in the 2013 EU budget by a total of €11.2 billion.
The 2013 EU budget, as agreed by the Council and the European Parliament at the end of last year, amounts to €132.8 billion in payments and €150.9 billion in commitments.
Surplus of the budget year 2012
The Council adopted its position on draft amending budget no 3 to the EU budget for 2013, accepting the budgeting of a surplus from 2012 of €1.02 billion. This surplus results from an over-registering of revenue (€719 million), an under-spending of payments (€244 million) and a positive balance of monetary exchange (€60 million). The Member States' contributions to the EU budget will diminish accordingly.
OTHER
Market abuse in securities transactions
The Council took note of a provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament on 20 June on a draft regulation aimed at tackling insider dealing and manipulation on securities markets. It noted concerns raised by France and indicated that it might at a later stage hold a thematic discussion on sanctioning regimes in the area of financial services. The Permanent Representatives Committee approved the compromise, on behalf of the Council, on 26 June.
Portugal - macro-economic adjustment programme
The Council adopted a decision reviewing the macro-economic adjustment programme of Portugal in light of the entry into force of provisions for the strengthening of the economic and budgetary surveillance of euro area Member States under financial assistance from the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the European Financial Stability Facility, the European Stability Mechanism or the IMF (under regulation 472/2013 of the "two pack"). The decision contains no changes to the macro-economic adjustment programme.
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