Achtergrondnota bij Europese Raad van 22 en 23 november 2012 (en)

Brussels, 21 November 2012

BACKGROUND¹ EUROPEAN COUNCIL Thursday and Friday 22 and 23 November in Brussels

The European Council will try to agree on the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020.

Indicative programme:

Thursday: 09.45 Bilaterals

20.00 Exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament

20.30 Family photo

20.45 First working session

Friday: Second working session

followed by Press conference (timing tbc)

Full media programme:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/133521.pdf Invitation letter by President Van Rompuy:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/133624.pdf

• Media accreditation: http://european-council.europa.eu

• Press conferences by video streaming: http://video.consilium.europa.eu/

• Video coverage in broadcast quality (MPEG4): www.eucouncil,tv

This note has been drawn up under the responsibility of the press office

Council of the European Union General Secretariat - Press office

press, officefajconsilium. europa, eu Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 63 19 - Fax: +32 (0)2 281 80 26

Multiannual financial framework 2014-2020

The European Council will endeavour to agree on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020, on the basis of draft European Council conclusions prepared by president Van Rompuy in cooperation with the Commission

The draft conclusions replace the MFF negotiating box while keeping its structure and function, i.e. to outline the main elements and options, hereby facilitating the negotiations and constituting the basis of an agreement

Compared to the last version of the negotiating box () the draft conclusions include notably further reductions of the overall expenditure ceiling and on the expenditure ceilings for all different categories of expenditure (the headings)

Ministers will have an exchange of views on the preparation of the European Council with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy i, at a dinner on 19 November

The objective is to reach an agreement at the European Council on 22-23 November

Once an agreement is reached, its content will feed into legislative work on the different legal acts

The aim of the MFF negotiations are threefold and are about defining for the 2014-2020 period:

•  expenditure limits that determine how much money the EU can spend;

•  spending programmes that determine on what the money should be spent;

•  rules defining how the expenditure should be financed

The negotiations are conducted according to the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed

Further information on the negotiations may be found on the Council's MFF webpages: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/special-reports/mff

Other issues

The European Council is expected to decide on the appointment of Yves Mersch to the executive board of the European Central Bank, as recommended by the Council