Budgetary headings for 2007-2013

The priorities for the EU are to ensure the success of enlargement, increase competitiveness, create better jobs, attain the idea of an area of freedom, justice and security and strengthen the EU's role on the global stage. The main challenges are reflected in the Financial Framework for 2007-2013.

The Financial Framework establishes the maximum ceilings for each year under each category of spending. Four out of six budgetary headings for 2007-2013 correspond to the EU's priority areas while the last two cover administration and compensation expenditures.

The EUR 864.316 million (2004 year's prices) for the period 2007-2013 is allocated under the following headings:

Budgetary Headings 2007-2013	Amounts (million EUR)
1. Sustainable Growth 1a. Competitiveness for Growth and Employment 1b. Cohesion for Growth and Employment	382.139 74.098 308.041
2. Preservation and Management of Natural Resources of which: market related expenditure and direct payments	371.344 293.105
3. Citizenship, freedom, security and justice 3a. Freedom, Security and Justice 3b. Citizenship	10.770 6.630 4.140
4. EU as a Global Player	49.463
Total Budget	864.316

The funding scheme is categorized into three main areas of interest for the EU; the regional policy, the external policies and the thematic policies.

Regional policy focuses on the social and economic development and is financed under budgetary heading 1b “Cohesion for Growth and Employment”.

External policy aims to strengthen the EU's role in the world and is financed under heading 4, “the EU as a global player”.

Thematic policy, supported by community programmes, is mainly financed under heading 1a, “Competitiveness for Growth and Employment” and 3b “Citizenship”.

The agricultural, rural development, fishery and environmental policyies are financed under the second budgetary heading,

The Financial Framework is an annex of the Interinstitutional agreement