Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Annual policy strategy for 2009
Date: 2008-02-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Community budget, EU action, EU policy, staff

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.2.2008 
COM(2008) 72 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Annual Policy Strategy for 2009 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

2.5. 

2.6. 

2.7. 

3. 

Moving Europe forward............................................................................................... 3 

Part I - Priority actions in 2009: Putting the Citizen First............................................ 4 

Growth and Jobs........................................................................................................... 4 

Climate Change and Sustainable Europe ..................................................................... 5 

Making a Reality of the Common Immigration Policy................................................ 5 

Putting the Citizen First ............................................................................................... 5 

Europe as a World Partner ........................................................................................... 6 

Better Regulation - Delivery on Promises and Change of Regulatory Culture ........... 6 

Communicating Europe ............................................................................................... 8 

Part II - General framework for human and financial resources for 2009 ................... 9 

3.1. 

Human Resources......................................................................................................... 9 

3.1.2.  Allocating staff to political priorities ........................................................................... 9 

3.1.3.  Enhancing inter-institutional cooperation .................................................................... 9 

3.2. 

Changes in the allocation of financial resources.......................................................... 9 

3.2.1.  Competitiveness for growth and employment (heading 1a) ........................................ 9 

3.2.2.  Cohesion for growth and employment (heading 1b).................................................. 10 

3.2.3.  Preservation and management of natural resources (heading 2)................................ 10 

3.2.4.  Freedom, security and justice (heading 3a)................................................................ 10 

3.2.5.  Citizenship (heading 3b) ............................................................................................ 11 

3.2.6.  EU as a global partner (heading 4)............................................................................. 11 

3.2.7.  Summary of Changes by Financial Framework Heading .......................................... 13 

Annex - Key Actions envisaged for 2009 ................................................................................ 14 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Annual Policy Strategy for 2009 

1. 

MOVING EUROPE FORWARD 

2009  will  be  an  important  year  for  the  European  Union.  It  will  bring  a  new  European 
Parliament  and  a  new  European  Commission.  Depending  on  the  completion  of  national 
ratification processes, 2009 should also see the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. With 
a stable institutional framework in place, the Union will be able to concentrate on addressing 
the concrete challenges ahead – such as promoting sustainable growth and jobs in the age of 
globalisation  and  galvanising  Europe's  transition  to  a  low-emissions  and  resource-efficient 
economy. 

This  Annual  Policy  Strategy  presents  the  priorities  for  the  last  year  of  the  current 
Commission's mandate. The strategic objectives defined by the Commission at the start of its 
mandate  –  promoting  prosperity,  solidarity,  freedom  and  security,  and  a  stronger  Europe  in 
the world – remain the core direction for the Commission's work. Since coming into office, 
the  Commission  has  delivered  major  initiatives  to  meet  these  objectives,  to  move  the 
European agenda forward and to confirm the EU's role in our globalised world. 

Given the institutional changes to come in 2009, the Commission will have tabled most of its 
major outstanding legislative initiatives in 20081. In 2009, the Commission will work closely 
with Council and Parliament to reach agreement on the most important pending proposals. It 
will  focus  on  making  sure  the  acquis  is  being  properly  implemented  in  line  with  the  new 
approach agreed in September 20072. And it will ensure that the financial programmes agreed 
for  the  period  2007-2013  are  managed  effectively  and  efficiently  and  that  financial 
programmes  relating  to  the  2000-2006  period  are  brought  to  a  successful  closure,  in  full 
accordance with the principles of sound financial management. 

The  Commission  will  also  look  forward,  and  lay  the  foundations  for  the  years  ahead.  The 
coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty would require the Commission to present a number of 
specific proposals to give full force to its provisions, and bring new possibilities and benefits 
to the citizens of the Union. The work on the budget review, and the public consultation now 
underway,  are  designed  to  create  the  conditions  for  the  preparation  of  the  next  financial 
framework to be proposed by the next Commission. The Commission will bring forward the 
roadmap  setting  out  high  priority  areas  for  the  next  stage  in  the  Sustainable  Development 
Strategy.  

The Commission has committed itself to maintaining stable staffing, with no requests for new 
posts for the period 2009-2013, once the last round of enlargement posts, relating to Bulgaria 
and  Romania3,  have  been  received.  Any  other  staffing  needs  will  be  covered  by  internal 
redeployment. 

1 
2 
3 

Commission Legislative and Work Programme 2008 - COM(2007) 640, 23.10.2007. 
COM(2007) 502, 5.9.2007. 
COM(2005) 573, 15.11.2005. 

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2. 

PART I - PRIORITY ACTIONS IN 2009: PUTTING THE CITIZEN FIRST 

2.1. 

Growth and Jobs 

Promoting  sustainable  economic  and  social  reform  in  Europe  under  the  renewed  Lisbon 
Strategy  for  growth  and  jobs  will  continue  to  be  at  the  heart  of  the  Commission's  political 
agenda. The impact of the global financial turbulence on the real economy and the hike in raw 
material prices will require the EU to deepen its  structural  reforms  at  both  EU  and  national 
level.  Removing  unnecessary  administrative  burdens  put  on  businesses  will  be  forcefully 
pursued. Implementation of the new EU cohesion programmes will ensure a major source of 
investment  at  regional  level  to  implement  the  Lisbon  strategy.  European  social  partners' 
contribution to the Lisbon agenda will also be geared up. 

The Commission will continue to pursue its broad-based innovation strategy. This requires a 
deepening of the European Research Area (ERA). Activities in the area of support for SMEs 
will  build  on  the  forthcoming  European  Small  Business  Act  and  focus  on  unlocking  the 
potential  of creative industries. Building  a Europe of knowledge will include practical steps 
such as assisting the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) in its first year 
of full operation and enhancing University-Business Dialogue. 

The  Commission's  report  on  the  achievements  and  future  challenges  of  Economic  and 
Monetary Union (EMU), to be presented in May 2008, will point the way for measures to be 
taken to prepare EMU for the next 10 years. 

A  key  follow-up  to  the  2007  Single  Market  Review  will  be  an  initiative  on  shared 
partnerships between the Commission and Member States to apply and enforce Single Market 
law,  clarifying  the  respective  roles  of  the  Commission  and  Member  States  and  their  shared 
responsibilities in making the Single Market work. Several New Approach Directives will be 
amended to modernise the Single Market for goods, aligning them with the New Legislative 
Framework.  Action  will  be  taken in  the  financial  services  area,  with  particular  emphasis  on 
retail  financial  services.  The  Commission  will  actively  engage  in  the  response  to  the  global 
financial  turbulence,  which  will  require  long-term  adjustments  in  the  regulatory  and 
supervisory environment for financial services. 

To unlock business potential, Community action will be stepped up in the area of competition, 
in  particular  through  sector  inquiries,  more  vigorous  antitrust  and  state  aid  enforcement  in 
sectors  which  are  central  to  the  success  of  the  Lisbon  strategy  (such  as  network  industries, 
financial services and ICT). 

The  Commission  will  further  develop  the  Energy  Policy  for  Europe  through  an  updated 
Strategic Energy Review as mandated by the March 2007 European Council – this will lead to 
a  new  Energy  Action  Plan  for  the  years  2010-2014.  Other  actions  will  include  the 
implementation of the new legislation on the internal energy market, the further development 
of the Energy Market Observatory and improved security of supply. 

In transport, a key priority will be to make a success of Galileo, which will now be managed 
by  the  Commission.  Work  will  continue  on  the  greening  of  the  transport  sector  and  the 
successful  development  of  traffic  management  systems.  Inspections  will  be  stepped  up  to 
make  the  transport  and  energy  sectors  more  secure.  The  Commission  will  also  set  the 
foundations for future transport policy by presenting an in-depth assessment of achievements 
and long-term prospects. 

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2.2. 

Climate Change and Sustainable Europe 

The 2007 Bali Climate Change Conference set a roadmap for the negotiation and conclusion 
of a global agreement for the post-2012 period, to be completed by the end of 2009. The UN 
negotiating process will intensify significantly and will be supplemented by discussions with 
key  international  partners.  The  EU  will  continue  to  assert  leadership  in  these  international 
negotiations  and  should  match  this  with  concrete  measures  within  Europe.  Bringing  the 
Energy  and  Climate  Change  package  into  the  implementation  phase  will  therefore  be  a 
priority. This will include implementing the revised Emissions Trading Scheme, enacting the 
new  legislation  on  renewables,  putting  the  Energy  Efficiency  Action  Plan  into  effect  and 
developing low carbon technologies. Work on how to assist with adaptation to the impacts of 
climate change will be taken forward to help Europe prepare for change in a wide variety of 
policy  areas  and  help  international  partners  –  notably  developing  countries  –  to  meet 
internationally agreed objectives.  

The  Commission  will  follow  up  on  the  work  undertaken  in  2008  to  promote  sustainable 
consumption  and  a  sustainable  industrial  policy  in  Europe.  Work  to  stop  the  loss  of 
biodiversity will intensify following the 2008 Report on the EU Biodiversity Action Plan and 
the  Bonn  meeting  of  the  UN  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity.  Enforcement  and 
implementation of EC environmental law will continue to feature strongly in 2009. 

In 2009, the Commission will pursue the development of the new Integrated Maritime Policy 
and  submit  a  proposal  on  the  reform  of  the  Common  Market  Organisation  for  fisheries  and 
aquaculture  products.  It  also  expects  to  implement  the  results  of  agreement  on  the  “Health 
Check” of the Common Agricultural Policy. Work on the quality of agricultural products will 
continue,  based  on  the  results  of  the  2008  Green  Paper.  As  requested  by  the  European 
Council, the Commission will present a Strategy for the Baltic Sea region. 

2.3.  Making a Reality of the Common Immigration Policy 

The development of a common immigration policy remains a fundamental priority in order to 
meet  the  challenges  and  harness  the  opportunities  provided  by  migration  in  an  era  of 
globalisation. To follow up on the Communication on Immigration to be tabled in 2008, the 
Commission  will  deliver  on  its  commitment  to  integrate  immigration  into  its  wider  policies 
for economic growth, competitiveness and social inclusion. 2009 will be the first full year of 
operation for the European Migration Network of National Contact Points. 

The  Commission  will  further  develop  integrated  border  management  and  the  common  visa 
policy, and will work towards completion of the Common European Asylum System by 2010. 
In parallel, the Commission will continue the process of linking EU migration policy with the 
external agenda, including development and trade. 

2.4. 

Putting the Citizen First 

The Commission is convinced that the EU must continue to focus its attention on delivering 
policies  of  direct  interest  for  citizens.  Initiatives  will  be  put  forward  to  simplify  the  life  of 
citizens when they exercise their right of free movement within the Union or when they travel 
to countries outside the EU. Work on the creation of a common area of justice will continue, 
in  particular  by  ensuring  the  mutual  recognition  of  judgments  in  the  EU  and  by  improving 
access to justice for EU citizens. 

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The EU should continue to pursue its efforts to ensure the security of EU citizens. In 2009, 
specific  attention  will  be  given  to  combating  the  risk  of  terrorist  attacks  in  areas  such  as 
chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological threats. The Commission will make proposals 
to enhance the effectiveness of civil protection, notably as a follow-up to the Communication 
on prevention scheduled for 2008. 

In  the  area  of  public  health,  a  number  of  initiatives  will  be  put  forward  as  part  of 
implementation of the EU Health Strategy adopted in 2007. Moreover, the safety of patients 
will  be  tackled  by  way  of  a  proposal  on  medical  devices.  Food  safety,  animal  health  and 
animal welfare will be the subject of new proposals and monitoring activities will be stepped 
up to ensure compliance with existing standards in these areas. Consumer product safety rules 
will  also  be  enforced  more  vigorously.  As  to  chemicals  legislation,  the  early  years  of  the 
(Registration,  Evaluation  and  Authorisation  of  Chemicals) 
REACH  Regulation 
implementation will be critical to the success of the policy. 

The  revised  social  agenda  aims  to  provide  Europeans  with  better  prospects  and  new 
opportunities.  It  is  about  putting  active  labour  market  policies  in  place  which  provide  for 
flexicurity - giving people support to develop skills and the ability to find a new job, in the 
knowledge that a safety net is in place. 2009 will see a particular focus on youth and cross-
border mobility of young people. European youth and education programmes will help equip 
people to take advantage of opportunities – and that on a life-long basis. 

Standards  that  have  been  set  in  areas  such  as  health  and  safety  at  work,  equality  between 
women  and  men,  free  movement  of  people,  and  anti-discrimination  need  to  be  effectively 
applied  and  evaluated,  and  renewed  where  necessary.  The  Commission  is  committed  to 
developing fresh approaches to the management of change – and to issues such as inclusion. 

2.5. 

Europe as a World Partner 

The  entry  into  force  of  the  Treaty  of  Lisbon  should  significantly  raise  the  Union's  external 
profile.  The  Commission  will  make  appropriate  contributions  to  ensure  the  effective 
translation  of  this  new  framework  into  action,  including  through  the  preparations  for 
establishing  the  European  External  Action  Service.  Energy  security,  climate  change  and 
migration will remain important guiding themes in external policy and serve to strengthen the 
EU's  commitment  to  effective  multilateralism.  The  current  financial  turmoil  calls  for  a 
coordinated  EU  response,  including  a  stronger  presence  of  the  Commission  in  international 
financial institutions. 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  implement  the  renewed  consensus  on  enlargement. 
Accession  negotiations  with  Croatia  will  enter  a  decisive  stage  and  progress  in  accession 
negotiations with Turkey will continue, both depending on the pace of reform and progress in 
meeting  the  necessary  requirements.  The  course  of  the  Western  Balkans  towards  future 
membership under the Stabilisation and Association  Process will gain momentum, provided 
established conditions are met and the reforms that are needed are carried out by the countries 
concerned. The Commission will play a leading role in supporting the implementation of the 
future  status  of  Kosovo,  in  particular through the deployment of  Community instruments in 
support  of  the  future  international  civilian  office  and  the  ESDP  rule  of  law  mission,  and 
through overall coordination of support for Kosovo's reform process. 

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) will focus on full implementation of the twelve 
ENP  action  plans.  It  should  be  possible  to  conclude  negotiations  on  a  new  Enhanced 

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Agreement  with  Ukraine  in  2009.  It  is  expected  that  new  contractual  arrangements  will  be 
negotiated  with  Libya  and  the  Republic  of  Moldova.  The  need  for  further  engagement  with 
Russia and an enhanced agreement remains a key priority. Finally, the momentum created by 
the  Annapolis  Conference  will  hopefully  bring  about  positive  developments  in  the  Middle 
East.  The  Commission  will  play  its  part  in  the  Quartet  and  continue  to  dedicate  significant 
resources to the region. 

Work  to  develop  closer  political  and  economic  ties  with  partners  around  the  world  will 
continue to intensify. 2009 will provide important opportunities to further strengthen relations 
with  the  United  States  and  other  key  industrialised  partners.  Cooperation  with  ASEAN 
countries,  China  and  India  will  also  deepen.  As  part  of  its  strategic  partnership  with  Latin 
America,  the  EU  will  seek  to  continue  and,  possibly,  conclude  the  negotiations  on  the 
Association Agreements with the Andean Community, Central America and Mercosur. 

The  EU's  contribution  to  promoting  international  security  and  stability  will  increase 
substantially. The rule of law mission in Kosovo will be fundamental to ensuring the stability 
of Kosovo and its long-term development. The ESDP police mission in Afghanistan should be 
fully operational and  have  a  real impact on the security of the country. Cooperation will be 
geared  up  to  create  the  conditions  needed  for  sustainable  development.  More  generally,  the 
Commission will continue to improve its preparedness and capacity to deal with crises in third 
countries. 

The  Commission  will  implement  the  8  operational  thematic  partnerships  of  the  Joint 
Africa/EU  Strategy  and  work  to  help  African,  Caribbean  and  Pacific  (ACP)  countries 
integrate better into the world economy. It will carry out an action plan based on the European 
Consensus  on  Humanitarian  Aid  to  reinforce  its  capacity  to  respond  to  humanitarian  crises 
and challenges. 

The  Doha  Development  Round  remains  a  top  priority  and  agreement  in  2008  would  make 
implementation  a  major  objective  for  2009.  At  the  same  time,  negotiations  on  a  new 
generation of bilateral Free Trade Agreements will continue. The Commission will also move 
forward with the other strands of its Global Europe agenda and continue to push for improved 
market access, better protection of intellectual property and balanced trade relations with key 
partners like China.  

2.6. 

Better Regulation - Delivery on Promises and Change of Regulatory Culture 

By  the  end  of  2009,  the  Commission  will  have  screened  the  acquis,  delivered  its 
Simplification  Rolling  Programme  and  rolled  out  the  codification  project,  with  tangible 
effects on competitiveness and growth.  

The  Commission  intends  to  present  a  substantial  number  of  proposals  in  2009  designed  to 
reduce administrative burdens. These proposals will not change policy objectives or the level 
of  ambition  in  existing  texts.  Swift  adoption  can  therefore  be  expected.  At  the  same  time, 
implementation of the Action Programme to reduce Administrative Burdens will be reviewed 
and progress in meeting the 25% reduction target for 2012 will be assessed. 

Better regulation is also a key component of the EU’s response to globalisation. By taking the 
lead  in  its  efforts  to  improve  the  regulatory  environment,  and  developing  high  standards  in 
areas  such  as  health,  safety  and  protection  of  the  environment,  the  EU  can  help  to  shape 

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global  regulation.  The  EU  will  take  forward  discussions  with  key  partners  on  regulatory 
cooperation, convergence of standards and equivalence of rules. 

The full benefits of the Better Regulation programme will only be obtained through successful 
cooperation  with  the  other  institutions  and  Members  States.  In  2009,  progress  achieved  in 
adopting  a  more  effective  approach  to  transposition  and  application  of  EU  law  will  be 
evaluated. As far as simplification initiatives are concerned, their effects will only be realised 
once  proposals  are  adopted  by  the  European  institutions  and  applied  in  the  Member  States. 
This requires  partnership – working together  to adopt proposals speedily, and working with 
the Member States to deliver on common policy objectives. 

2.7. 

Communicating Europe 

2009 will be a particularly important year for communicating Europe. The beginning of the 
year  should  be  marked  by  the  entry  into  force  of  the  Lisbon  Treaty  which  will  involve 
important institutional changes and will help set the scene for the elections to the European 
Parliament.  Communication  priorities  will  reflect  the  political  priorities  set  in  the  Annual 
Policy Strategy and will concentrate on areas of direct interest to EU citizens. Recent research 
shows  that  there  is  a  broad  convergence  of  views  among  citizens  about  what  the  EU's 
priorities  should  be:  economic  and  social  development  leading  to  better  quality  of  life, 
protection  of  the  environment  (frequently  linked  to  energy  policy),  security,  migration, 
education,  and  the  fight  against  terrorism.  Through  its  work  on  these  priorities,  the 
Commission  will  seek  to  maximise  its  work  in  partnership  with  the  other  European 
institutions and Member States to help spark a lively debate on European policies in the run-
up to the European elections and beyond. 

The Commission will therefore propose the following communication priorities: 

Title 

Brief Description 

Lisbon Treaty: 
delivering results 

Reforming the 
budget, changing 
Europe 

Better governance and policies, mainly as regards the EU's role in the 
world and in the area of Justice, Freedom and Security 

Awareness  campaign  for  citizens  on  the  social  dimension  of  the 
Charter of Fundamental Rights 

A review of the EU budget covering all aspects of EU spending and 
resources  

Growth and jobs  

To be presented in the perspective of citizens' concerns, including the 
European year for creativity and innovation. 

Energy and climate 
change 

To be communicated on the basis of the first results attained in 2007 
and 2008. 

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3. 

PART  II  -  GENERAL  FRAMEWORK  FOR  HUMAN  AND  FINANCIAL  RESOURCES  FOR 
2009 

3.1. 

Human Resources 

A 'screening' exercise4 carried out in early 2007 confirmed the need to complete the phasing-
in  of  new  posts  relating  to  the  accession  of  Bulgaria  and  Romania  (EU-2)  with  the  last 
tranche of 250 new posts in 2009. Once this has been done, the Commission has committed 
itself to meeting all further staffing needs up to 2013 by means of internal redeployment. 

3.1.2.  Allocating staff to political priorities 

The  Commission  expects  to  receive  250  new,  enlargement-related  posts  in  2009.  It  will 
generate a further 600 posts through redeployment, giving a total of 850 posts to be used to 
meet  priority  needs.  These  will  be  deployed  to  support  the  priorities  set  out  in  this  Annual 
Policy  Strategy,  such  as  the  Lisbon  strategy  for  growth  and  jobs,  implementation  of  the 
acquis,  climate  change  and  energy,  and  migration.  Provision  will  also  be  made  for  new 
requirements following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. Central services in charge 
of  support  and  coordination  activities  will  not  receive  new  posts,  except  for  a  limited 
reinforcement  for  linguistic and translation services. Furthermore, all DGs and services will 
be required to rationalise their internal support and coordination activities by the end of 2008. 

3.1.3.  Enhancing inter-institutional cooperation 

The  Commission  has  made  progress  in  its  wider  reflection  on  the  feasibility  of  enhanced 
inter-institutional  cooperation.  On  the  basis  of  the  report  requested  by  the  European 
Parliament5, the Commission confirms that the structure of the three administrative offices is 
suited  to  their  being  turned  into  inter-institutional  bodies  and  will  examine  possible  options 
with  a view to  presenting  appropriate  proposals involving, where feasible, inter-institutional 
offices or other forms of cooperation, such as service level agreements. 

3.2. 

Changes in the Allocation of Financial Resources 

3.2.1.  Competitiveness for growth and employment (heading 1a) 

An  increase  of  € 619  million  (5.8%)  is  planned  for  this  sub-heading,  concentrating  on  key 
actions contributing to the Lisbon Strategy goals of competitiveness, sustainable growth and 
employment,  namely  the  7th  Framework  Programmes  for  research  and  technological 
development  (€ 631  million),  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  (€ 63  million)  and  the 
Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) (€ 75 million). 

The decision of the Budgetary Authority to finance GALILEO and the European Institute of 
Technology  will  be  implemented  through  the  redeployment  within  sub-heading  1a  of 
€ 200 million  (2009-2013),  including  € 50  million  from  a  linear  cut  in  the  Community 
contribution  to  decentralised  agencies.  Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  make  a  thorough 

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"Planning  &  optimising  Commission  human  resources  to  serve  EU  priorities"  -  SEC(2007)  530, 
24.4.2007. 
Report on inter-institutional cooperation prepared by the administrations of the Institutions (Note 9941 
of 30.10.2007) in reply to the request from Mr Itälä, rapporteur for other institutions in the 2008 budget 
procedure (report A-0069/2007of 29.03.2007). 

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assessment of the use of available revenue assigned to decentralised agencies and adjust the 
level of the Community contribution accordingly. 

The  proposed  creation  of  two  new  agencies  –  the  European  Electronic  Communications 
Market  Authority  and  the  Agency  for  the  Cooperation  of  Energy  Regulators  –  will  have 
limited  impact  on  the  margin  available  under  the  ceiling  of  heading  1a.  The  latter  will  be 
financed  by  corresponding  reductions  in  other  actions  (mostly  actions  under  institutional 
prerogatives) within the transport and energy policy area. The former, to be created in 2010, 
will be financed through partial redeployment within the information society policy area and 
partly by an increase of € 37.5 million for the period 2009-2013. 

The  Commission  proposes  to  continue  its  preparatory  action  for  Global  Monitoring  for 
Environment  and  Security  (GMES)  operational  services.  The  € 5  million  allocated  to  these 
preparatory  actions  will  be  financed  partly  from  the  margin  (€ 2  million)  and  partly  by 
internal deployment (€ 3 million) within the enterprise policy area. 

The  resulting  available  margin  under  the  expenditure  ceiling  for  2009  will  amount  to 
€ 65 million. 

3.2.2.  Cohesion for growth and employment (heading 1b) 

In line with existing programming, the financial resources allocated to Cohesion for Growth 
and Employment will increase by € 1 538 million, or 3.3%, compared to 2008. Following the 
adoption of operational programmes and the establishment of the conditions for their efficient 
management  and  control,  the  Commission  will  concentrate  on  maximising  their  impact  in 
terms of cohesion and growth. 

3.2.3.  Preservation and management of natural resources (heading 2) 

The  phasing-in  of  direct  aid  for  agriculture  will  continue  for  Member  States  that  joined  the 
Union in 2004, with an increase from 50% to 60% of the final level. For the Member States 
that joined in 2007, the increase will be from 30% to 35%.  

Following  the  adoption  of  most  rural  development  programmes  early  in  2008,  all  the 
structures needed for successful implementation of the programmes will be in place in 2009. 
Funds will be devoted to improved competitiveness of agriculture, better environment in rural 
areas, enhanced quality of life and diversification of the economy in the countryside. 

The resources allocated to LIFE+ will increase by 5.6% in 2009. 

For Maritime Policy, the Commission proposes to continue its preparatory action (€ 6 million) 
through redeployment of available resources within fisheries policy. 

3.2.4.  Freedom, security and justice (heading 3a) 

An  overall  expenditure  increase  of  approximately  € 100  million  (16%)  is  foreseen  in  2009. 
External borders, visa policy and free movement of people (+18%) and common immigration 
and asylum policies (+18%) will all receive additional funding. 

Given  the  increase  in  the  subsidy  to  the  FRONTEX  Agency  adopted  by  the  Budgetary 
Authority  in  2008  and  the  new  initiatives  to  be  presented  in  2008  (establishment  of  a 
European  border  surveillance  system  –  Eurosur,  establishment  of  an  entry-exit  system  and 

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measures to facilitate travel at the external borders), the Commission proposes an increase of 
€ 30 million in 2009. This sustained level (€ 70 million yearly) will be maintained throughout 
the period 2010-2013. 

With  this  increase  and  savings  of  € 20  million  for  large-scale  IT  systems  (SIS  II,  VIS  and 
Eurodac)  in  2009,  the  available  margin  under  the  ceiling  of  heading  3a  amounts  to  € 29 
million. 

3.2.5.  Citizenship (heading 3b) 

In line with the financial programming around € 630 million is earmarked for heading 3b, an 
increase  of  5.3%,  which  will  allow  more  funding  for  key  actions  concerning  European 
citizens,  including  public  health,  consumer  protection,  civil  protection,  cultural  programmes 
and communication. The ceiling of heading 3b is around the same level as in 2007. 

3.2.6.  EU as a global partner (heading 4) 

The  external  projection  of  internal  policies,  the  Middle  East  peace  process  and  the 
implementation of the future status settlement of Kosovo will remain high political priorities 
for the EU in 2009. 

Recent political developments (Annapolis and Paris conferences) have made the prospect of 
progress towards a peace agreement in the Middle East a possibility. In 2009, the Commission 
will  continue  to  implement  the  "EU  Action  Strategy"  for  state-building  for  peace  and  will 
follow  up  on  the  implementation  of  the  Palestinian  Authority's  three-year  budgetary  and 
development plan. The EU will also make a significant contribution to PEGASE, the financial 
mechanism  designed  to  replace  the  Temporary  International  Mechanism,  which  will  (i) 
provide support for implementation of the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan and (ii) 
use  different  channels  to  transfer  assistance  transparently,  either  directly  to  the  Palestinian 
Authority or to beneficiaries, on governance, social development, economic and private sector 
development and public infrastructure. 

The European Council of 14 December 2007 underlined that "the EU stands ready to play a 
leading role in strengthening stability in the region and in implementing a settlement defining 
Kosovo's  future  status".  The  Commission  will  play  a  major  role  in  deploying  Community 
instruments  in  support  of  the  future  international  civilian  office  and  the  ESDP  rule  of  law 
mission,  and  in  fostering  the  necessary  reforms  to  embrace  European  values  and  standards. 
Support  for  the  settlement  of  the  status  of  Kosovo  and  helping  Kosovo  to  meet  its  future 
Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement  (SAA)  obligations  will  require  additional  financial 
resources. 

The amounts currently planned for Palestine and Kosovo will have to be increased. However, 
as  the  exact  requirements  of  the  Middle  East  Peace  Process  and  Kosovo  will  depend  on 
developments in the coming months, the Commission intends to fine-tune its requests in the 
Preliminary Draft Budget or later during the budgetary procedure. At present, both priorities 
are  allocated  € 1 537  million  for  the  period  2007-2013  for  Palestine  and  € 535  million  for 
Kosovo for the period 2007-2011. 

Except  for  the  CSFP  missions  in  Kosovo,  the  exact  cost  of  which  for  2009  is  still  to  be 
assessed,  the  CSFP  budget,  as  agreed  in  the  initial  financial  programming,  will  amount  to 
€ 243 million in 2009, an increase of € 43 million compared to the 2008 PDB. 

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A number of other initiatives in the EU's external relations will require either a new profiling 
or additional resources. These include: 

•  the new EU strategy on Central Asia, as adopted by the European Council in June 2007. To 
support  tailor-made  “initiatives”  for  the  five  countries  covered  by  the  strategy,  the 
Commission proposes to ‘frontload’ assistance over the period 2009-2013, allocating € 15 
million in 2009 and € 25 million in 2010. These amounts will be offset against allocations 
in  2012  and  2013,  thus  keeping  the  € 690  million  budget  for  the  period  2007-2013 
unchanged; 

•  the  Thematic  Programme  for  Environment  and  Sustainable  Management  of  Natural 
Resources including Energy (ENRTP) under the Development Cooperation Instrument for 
strengthening  the  Global  Climate  Change  Alliance  (GCCA)  and  co-financing  of 
public/private  partnerships  for  technology  transfer  in  the  area  of  climate  change.  In  line 
with the Bali Roadmap, an additional € 10 million in 2009, rising to € 20 million in 2013, 
will  add  to  the  present  allocations  under  Chapter  21.04  "Environment  and  sustainable 
management  of  natural  resources,  including  energy",  thus  bringing  the  total  to  € 934.5 
million for the period 2007-2013. 

The  margin  available  under  the  ceiling  of  heading  4  is  around  € 120  million.  This  will  be 
needed to help cover the needs of Palestine and Kosovo during the year. 

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3.2.7. 

Summary of Changes by Financial Framework Heading 

HEADINGS 

2009 

Projection 2010-2013 

Initial 
programming 

APS 
changes 

Revised 
programming

Initial 
programming 

APS 
changes 

Revised 
programming

1a. Competitiveness  for  growth 

and employment 

FF ceiling - sub-heading 1a 

11 272.0 

11 272.0

55 011.0 

55 011.0

Total sub-heading 1a 

11 205.0 

-1.5 

11 203.5

54 367.4 

41.0 

54 408.4

Margin 

67.0 

68.5

643.6 

602.6

3a. Freedom, 
justice 

security 

and 

FF ceiling - heading 3a 

872.0 

Total heading 3a 

829.8 

12.8 

Margin 

42.2 

872.0

842.6

29.4

5 298.0 

5 298.0

5021.8 

92.0 

5113.8

276.2 

184.2

4.  EU as a global partner 

FF ceiling - heading 4 

7 440.0 

7 440.0

34 915.0 

34 915.0

Total heading 4 

7 292.1 

25.0 

7 317.1

33 894.4 

45.0 

33 939.4

Margin 

147.9 

122.9

1 020.6 

975.6

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Annex - Key Actions envisaged for 2009 

1.  Growth and Jobs 

Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs 

•  Annual stocktaking of progress and identification of areas for future action 

•  Legislative  proposals  aimed  at  reducing  administrative  burdens,  as  part  of  the 

Commission’s Action Programme 

•  Communication on sectoral social dialogue and its contribution to the Lisbon Strategy 

•  Communication on ICT Research and Innovation, accompanied by preparatory actions 

•  Communication on University-Business Dialogue 

•  Green paper on unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries 

Single Market and Competition 

•  Recommendation on shared partnerships with Member States 

•  More  systematic  and  integrated  monitoring  of  key  goods  and  services  markets, 

including competition sector enquiries 

•  Bringing sectoral legislation in the area of the internal market for goods in line with the 

New Legislative Framework (to be adopted by the co-legislators in 2008) 

•  Advance  work  on  Retail  Financial  Services  (mortgage  credit,  bank  account  mobility, 
implementation of the Single European Payments Area, product tying and other unfair 
practices, cross-border redress between consumers and financial services providers) 

Taxation 

•  Work on a renewed VAT Strategy; preparation of initiatives on VAT grouping and on 

the VAT treatment of public authorities 

Energy 

•  Second Strategic Energy Review with an Energy Action Plan for 2010-2014 

•  Extension of Energy Observatory 

Transport 

•  Ensuring  successful  implementation  of  the  Galileo  project  and  preparation  of  future 

applications  

•  Follow-up to the 2008 Green Transport Package 

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•  Work towards development of Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research 

(SESAR) and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) 

•  Modernising inland navigation as part of the NAIADES action programme 

Cohesion Policy 

•  6th Progress report on economic and social cohesion 

•  Report on the impact and results of the 2000-2006 Structural Funds programmes 

2.  Sustainable Europe 

Sustainable Development Strategy 

•  Roadmap and progress report on Sustainable Development Strategy (European Council 

conclusions of December 2007) 

•  EU strategy for the Baltic Sea region 

Climate Change 

•  Setting the EU's position for the November 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference  

•  Proposals  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions  from  freight  transport,  including 

emissions from ships  

•  Implementation  of  the  revised  Emission  Trading  Scheme  and  follow-up  to  the  2008 

White Paper on Adaptation to Climate Change 

•  Implementation  of  the  Energy  Efficiency  Action  Plan,  including  a  new  initiative  on 
energy  labelling  of  tyres  and  implementing  measures  on  domestic  lighting  and 
incandescent bulbs 

•  Implementation of new legislation on the promotion of renewables and of the Strategic 

Energy Technology Plan  

Biodiversity and Resources 

•  Implementation  of  the  Biodiversity  Action  Plan  in  the  light  of  the  2010  biodiversity 

targets 

•  Action Plan on the use of market-based instruments to achieve environmental objectives 

Space 

•  Sustaining the progressive switch of Global Monitoring for Environment and Security 

(GMES) services from research to operation 

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Integrated Maritime Policy 

•  Action plan to develop a European Marine Observation and Data Network 

•  Action Plan for the deployment of e-maritime systems 

•  Supporting  the  development  of  electronic  systems  for  maritime  surveillance  (Long 
Range  Tracking  and  Identification  –  LRIT)  by  the  European  Maritime  Safety  Agency 
(EMSA) 

•  Reform of the Common Market Organisation for fisheries and aquaculture products 

Agriculture 

•  Communication on the quality of agricultural products 

3.  Making a Reality of the Common Immigration Policy 

Legal Migration 

•  Adoption of the proposals on entry and stay of legal migrants, including sector-specific 

directives 

•  Follow-up to the 2008 Communication on Immigration 

Integrated Management of External Borders 

•  Development of FRONTEX 

•  Promoting the establishment of a European border surveillance system (Eurosur) 

•  Supporting the setting-up of an entry-exit system and a registered travellers programme 

•  Launch of the Schengen evaluation mechanism 

Common Visa Policy 

•  Bringing the Visa Information System into operation 

•  Launching preparatory actions for a European Travel Initiative 

•  Ensuring  sound  implementation  of  visa  facilitation  agreements  and  conclusion  of  new 

agreements with other countries 

Common European Asylum System 

•  Adoption of the second phase of the Common Asylum System 

•  Proposals on a European Support Office for Asylum 

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4.  Putting the Citizen First 

European Citizenship and Fundamental Rights 

•  Follow-up to the Communication on consular protection 

•  Green paper on the legalisation of documents in the EU 

A common Justice Area 

•  Modernising the Brussels I Regulation on jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of 

judgments in civil and commercial matters 

•  Communication on the attachment of bank accounts 

Fight against Terrorism 

•  Communication on chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological threats 

•  Action Plan on bio-preparedness 

•  Action Plan on radiological / nuclear risk reduction 

Consumer Trust and Protection 

•  Communication on consumer redress 

•  Communication on animal welfare labelling 

Health and Safety 

•  Improving the safety and performance of medical devices in the single market 

•  Progress report on measures addressing the potential risks and benefits of nanomaterials 

to human health and the environment 

•  Further implementation of the REACH Regulation, in particular the new authorisation 

and restriction systems for chemical substances of high concern 

Civil Protection 

• 

Initiative to strengthen civil protection response capacities 

Equal Opportunities and Youth 

•  Communication on the Open Method of Coordination on Youth 

•  Green paper on cross-border mobility of young people 

•  Follow-up to the Communication on gender pay gap 

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5. Europe as World Partner 

Enlargement 

•  Progress  with  accession  negotiations  with  Croatia  and  Turkey  in  line  with  European 

Council conclusions 

•  Acceleration of the Stabilisation and Association Process of the Western Balkans 

•  Implementing the future status settlement of Kosovo. If conditions are met, preparation 

for the negotiation of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement 

European Neighbourhood and Russia 

•  Progress on a new Framework Agreement with Russia 

•  Conclusion of negotiations on an enhanced Agreement with Ukraine 

•  Launch  of  negotiations  on  new  agreements  with  Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Georgia  and 

Moldova 

•  Taking relations forward with Libya and continued work towards ENP implementation 

with Algeria and Syria 

•  If conditions are met, work towards ENP involvement of Belarus 

•  Continued efforts to bring about lasting solutions in the Middle East 

The Wider World 

•  If appropriate, implementation of the Doha Development Agreement 

•  Deepening the transatlantic  economic cooperation  through the Transatlantic Economic 

Council (TEC) 

•  Completion  of  negotiations  on  a  new  Partnership  and  Cooperation  Agreement  with 

China 

•  Finalising  or  implementing  Free  Trade  Agreements  with  Korea  and  the  Gulf 

Cooperation Council, and continued negotiations with India and ASEAN 

•  Continued and possibly conclusion of negotiations on the Association Agreements with 

the Andean Community, Central America and Mercosur 

•  Implementation of the Joint Africa/EU Strategy and the first Action Plan 

•  Communication on Innovation, Research, Science and Technologies for Development 

•  Implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements and completion of negotiations to 

cover all African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries 

•  Implementation of the Aid Effectiveness Agenda 

•  Second Report on Development Policy 

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