REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on EAGF expenditure Early Warning System No 9-10/2014
Date: 2014-10-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EAGF, aid to agriculture, audit, common agricultural policy, financial management, implementation of the budget













EUR-Lex - 52014DC0671 - EN











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52014DC0671

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on EAGF expenditure Early Warning System No 9-10/2014 /* COM/2014/0671 final */









TABLE OF CONTENTS
1........... Introduction.................................................................................................................. 3
2........... Revenue assigned to EAGF......................................................................................... 3
3........... Comments on the provisional implementation of the 2014 EAGF budget.................. 4
4........... Implementation of revenue assigned to EAGF............................................................ 6
5........... Conclusions................................................................................................................... 6
 annex 1: || Provisional consumption of EAGF appropriations up to 31/08/2014 
 

1.                      
Introduction

For the period 16 October 2013 to 31 August
2014 and as regards the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), the
budget's actual implementation level compared to the expenditure profile
foreseen by the indicator, established on the basis of the provisions of Article
28 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 on the financing, management and
monitoring of the common agricultural policy[1], is presented in Annex 1.

2.                      
Revenue assigned to EAGF

On the basis of the provisions of Article 43
of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013, revenue originating from financial
corrections under accounting and conformity clearance decisions, from
irregularities and from the milk levy are designated as revenue assigned to the
financing of EAGF expenditure. According to these provisions, assigned revenue
can be used to cover the financing of any EAGF expenditure. If part of this
revenue is not used within the budget year, then, this part will be
automatically carried forward to the following budget year[2].
The 2014 EAGF
budget included both: the Commission's latest estimates of the needs to finance
the expected expenditure for market measures and direct aids, and the estimates
of the assigned revenue which was expected to be collected in the course of the
budget year concerned as well as the carryover of the balance of assigned
revenue left available from the previous budget year. In its proposal for the 2014
EAGF budget appropriations, the Commission took into consideration the total
expected assigned revenue and requested for the 2014 budget a level of
appropriations calculated by deducting the estimated assigned revenue from the
estimated needs.  The Budgetary Authority adopted the EAGF budget taking
account of the expected assigned revenue. 
At the time of establishing the budget for 2014,
the Commission’s estimates for the available assigned revenue amounted to
EUR 1 464 million. Specifically: 
–              
The assigned revenue expected to be generated in
the course of the 2014 budget year was estimated at EUR 849 million.
Amounts of EUR 638 million and EUR 165 million were
expected from conformity clearance corrections and from irregularities
respectively. The receipts from the milk levy were estimated at EUR 46 million.
–              
The amount of assigned revenue expected to be
carried over from the budget year 2013 into 2014 was estimated at EUR 615 million.
In the 2014 budget, the Commission assigned
this initially estimated revenue of EUR 1 464 million to two
schemes. Specifically: 
–              
EUR 464 million was assigned to the
operational funds for producer organisations in the fruits and vegetables
sector, and
–              
EUR 1 000 million to the single
payment scheme. 
For these two schemes, the Budgetary Authority
eventually voted appropriations amounting to EUR 285 million and to
EUR 30 083 million respectively, in accordance with the Commission’s
proposal. The sum of the voted appropriations and the assigned revenue
mentioned above corresponds to a total estimate of available appropriations of
EUR 749 million for the operational funds for producer organisations
in the fruits and vegetables sector and EUR 31 083 million for
the single payment scheme.
In annex 1, which presents the 2014 budget’s
provisional execution for the period to 31 August 2014, the figures of the
budget appropriations at article level for the fruit and vegetables
sector and for the decoupled direct aids present voted appropriations for these
two schemes amounting to EUR 676.7 million and to EUR 38 252 million
respectively, without taking account of the aforementioned assigned revenue.
Including the revenue assigned to these sectors, the total appropriations
foreseen in the 2014 budget amounted to EUR 1 140.7 million for
fruits and vegetables and to EUR 39 252 million for decoupled
direct aids. 

3.                      
Comments on the provisional implementation of
the 2014 EAGF budget

The budget’s provisional implementation for the
period 16 October 2013 to 31 August 2014 is presented in Annex 1.
This implementation level is compared to the expenditure profile based on the
indicator, which was established on the basis of the provisions of Article 28
of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013. Below a brief commentary is presented for
certain budget articles, showing the most significant differences between the
actual and the expected level of implementation of the 2014 budget.

3.1.                
Market measures

The uptake of appropriations for interventions
in agricultural markets was higher compared to the level of the budget's voted
appropriations, as determined by the level of the indicator on 31 August 2014,
by EUR 67 million. This divergence is the net effect of the execution
patterns primarily in the fruits and vegetables, the wine and the  milk sectors.
 

3.1.1.          
Fruit and vegetables (+ EUR 202.2 million in
comparison with voted appropriations)

As regards voted appropriations, this
implementation level is primarily due to the expenditure for the operational
funds for producer organisations scheme, which is funded both by the budget’s
voted appropriations and by the revenue assigned to this scheme in the 2014
budget (NB: For details please see point 2 above). This implementation level is
the result of applying the indicator for the period to 31 August 2014 to the
budget’s voted appropriations, which do not include the revenue assigned to
this sector. 
A footnote * in the provisional execution table
in annex 1 shows what the situation would be, had the indicator, as of 31 August 
2014, been applied to the total appropriations, which are expected to be
available in order to fund this sector. As it is pointed out in point 2 above,
the total funding expected to be available for this sector is composed of the
budget’s voted appropriations of EUR 676.7 million and of the revenue assigned
to this sector which is estimated at EUR 464 million. Therefore, had the
indicator been applied to the total funding of EUR 1 140.7 million
expected to be available for this sector, then, an under-execution of - EUR 127.6
million would appear, being the net effect of an acceleration in the rhythm of payments
for the operational funds for producer organisations scheme and a slower rhythm
of payments for the school fruit scheme and the aid to producer groups for
preliminary recognition compared with the level of the indicator on 31 August
2014. At this point in time, the Commission
considers that a certain under-execution for the school fruit scheme and
producer groups for preliminary recognition can be expected at the end of the
budget year and continues to monitor the uptake of the appropriations for the producer
organisations schemes. 

3.1.2.          
Products of the wine-growing sector (- EUR 109.6
million)

This under-execution is due to the slower rhythm
of payments made by the Member States compared to the expenditure profile of
the established indicator for the national wine programmes. At this point in time,
this situation is considered to be temporary as the Member States' forecast of
expenditure for this article shows an accelerated rhythm for the upcoming
months. 

3.1.3.          
Milk and milk products (- EUR 6.8 million)

              This
under-execution is due to the slower rhythm of payments made by the Member
States compared to the expenditure profile of the established indicator for the
school milk scheme. At this point in time, this situation is considered to be temporary
as the Member States' forecast of expenditure for this article shows a full
execution of this scheme up to the end of the budget year.

3.2.                
Direct aids 

The uptake of appropriations for direct aids
compared to the level of the indicator on 31 August 2014 was higher by
EUR 659.4 million. 

3.2.1.          
Decoupled direct aids (+EUR 719.1 million
in comparison with voted appropriations)

As regards voted appropriations, this
implementation level is primarily due to the expenditure for the single payment
scheme, which is funded both by the budget’s voted appropriations and by the
revenue assigned to this scheme in the 2014 budget (NB: For details please see
point 2 above). This implementation level is the result of applying the
indicator for the period to 31 August 2014 to the budget’s voted
appropriations, which do not include the revenue assigned to this sector.  
A footnote * in the provisional execution table
in annex 1 shows which would be the situation had the indicator, as at 31
August 2014, been applied to the total appropriations which are expected to be
available in order to fund decoupled direct aids. As it is pointed out in point
2 above, the total funding expected to be available for decoupled direct aids
is composed of the budget’s voted appropriations of EUR 38 252 million
and of the revenue assigned to decoupled direct aids which is estimated to
amount to EUR 1 000 million. Therefore, had the indicator been
applied to the total funding of EUR 39 252 million expected to
be available for decoupled direct aids, then, the observed over-execution would
be reduced to an under-execution of - EUR 279.9 million. 
At this point in time, Member States have
already paid 99.2% of the estimated 2014 decoupled direct aids. The Commission expects,
at this point in time, that the available voted appropriations and the revenue
assigned to the line should be sufficient to cover the funding needs for this
article and that a certain under-execution can be expected at the end of the
budget year. 

3.2.2.          
Other direct aids (- EUR 59.3 million)

This under-implementation of voted
appropriations for other direct aids as compared to the expenditure profile of
the established indicator on 31 August 2014 is the effect of the slower payment
rhythm for some schemes in this sector, in particular for the coupled specific
support under article 68. At this point in time, the Commission considers that a
certain under-execution can be expected at the end of the budget year and
continues to monitor the uptake of the appropriations for this budget article. .

3.3.                
Audit of agricultural expenditure (+ EUR 5.5 million)

In addition to direct payments for monitoring
and preventive measures amounting to EUR 6.8 million, the 2014 budget included
estimates of EUR 53.4 million for payments concerning settlement of disputes. On
the basis of the latest information, Member States will be paying compensatory
interest for the settlement of disputes which will be higher than the one
foreseen in the 2014 budget. Furthermore, the Commission also expects to
reimburse Member States with an amount of around EUR 20 million because of positive
clearance of accounts decisions in their favour. At this point in time, the
Commission expects an over-execution of the 2014 budget’s appropriations for
the audit of agricultural expenditure chapter. .  

4.                      
Implementation of revenue assigned to EAGF

The table in
Annex 1 shows that assigned revenue amounting to EUR 1 669.1 million
was collected as of 31 August 2014. Specifically:
–              
the revenue from corrections based on accounting
and conformity clearance decisions amounted to EUR 769.6 million with
additional amounts still expected by the end of the budget year;
–              
the revenue from irregularities amounted to
EUR 141.3 million with additional amounts also expected by the end of
the budget year, and 
–              
at this point in time, most of the revenue from
the milk levy has been collected and it amounts to approximately EUR 48 million.
Finally, the amount of assigned revenue
eventually carried over from 2013 into 2014 amounted to EUR 710.2 million.
This amount is significantly higher than the initially estimated amount of
EUR 615 million and has been fully used in making payments as
foreseen in the 2014 budget.
Therefore, the amount of assigned revenue
available for financing EAGF expenditure, on 31 August 2014, amounts to
EUR 1 669.1 million with additional amounts of freshly collected
assigned revenue expected by the end of the budget year.

5.                      
Conclusions

The provisional execution of the 2014 EAGF
budget's appropriations, for the period up to 31 August 2014, shows that
monthly reimbursements to Member States exceeded the expenditure profile for
budget execution based on the indicator, by approximately EUR 728.2 million.

Assigned revenue amounting to EUR 1 669.1
million is already available and additional amounts are still expected to be
collected in 2014. At this point in time, the Commission considers that the
amount of assigned revenue which will be available by the end of the year will
be sufficient to cover the funding of the operational funds for producer
organisations, of the single payment scheme and of the amounts expected to be
paid under the audit of agricultural expenditure chapter. 
Furthermore, depending on the final execution
of the appropriations of the 2014 budget year, it is foreseen that the
Commission will transfer the unused appropriations to financial year 2015 for
reimbursement to farmers that will be then subject to financial discipline. This
transfer cannot exceed 2% of the initial 2014 EAGF appropriations for actions
under shared management and the amount of financial discipline taken into
account for 2014 budget year.[3]

At the current stage the Commission estimated
that the amount of non-committed appropriations of EUR 874.7 million,
corresponding to the maximum level of 2%[4],
will be available by the end of the 2014 budget year for this transfer. The
remaining estimated surplus of the EAGF will be incorporated in the Amending
Letter No 1 to the Draft Budget 2015.  
[1]                  OJ L
347, 20.12.2013, p.549
[2]                  Art
14 of Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of
the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union determines that internal assigned revenue shall be carried over for one year only.
Thus, in the interest of sound budgetary management, this assigned revenue is
in general used first before any voted appropriation of the budget article
concerned. 
[3] Art 169 of Regulation
(EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the
financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union
[4] The amount of
financial discipline taken into account for 2014 Budget of EUR 902.9 million was
higher than the limit of 2% the initial 2014 EAGF appropriations for actions
under shared management, thus the latter constitutes the reference amount for
the transfer.