On 8 April 2009, the Commission forwarded to the Council preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) No. 4 to the general budget for 2009, which translates into the EU budget the political agreement reached on the financing of the European Economic Recovery Plan.
PDAB No. 4/2009 consists in the following two elements:
1. For energy projects to aid economic recovery: creation of a new Article 06 04 14 (Energy projects to aid economic recovery) and four new Items, provided with the following appropriations:
These amounts, totalling up to EUR 2 billion in commitments and EUR 76.2 million in payments, are entered in the corresponding reserves pending the adoption of the legal basis.
2. For broadband Internet infrastructure in rural areas and CAP Health Check "new challenges": increase of Item 05 04 05 01 (Rural development programmes) by EUR 600 million in commitment appropriations.
The net effect of PDAB No. 4/2009 would be an increase of EUR 76.2 million on the revenue side in the 2009 general budget, raising accordingly the global contribution of the Member States to its financing.
On 27 April 2009, the Council established draft amending budget No. 4 for the financial year 2009, as submitted by the Commission in its preliminary draft amending budget No. 4 and as set out in the technical annex to this explanatory memorandum (see Council doc. 9216/09 ADD 1).