The EU Budget Review: Mapping the Positions of Member States (2008:2)

Författare: Szemler Tamas, Eriksson Jonas

In December 2006 the Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (IWE) was commissioned by SIEPS to map the interests of the EU Member States and their positions with regard to the EU budget, in order to analyse both the prospects for reform, as well as the possible content of such a reform, during the budget review 2008/2009. The study employs a twin-track approach.

First, a survey was carried out, where questionnaires were sent to policy-makers and researchers throughout the EU. Second, a number of budget researchers were asked to analyse the likely positions of a number of Member States. However, as it was not possible to cover all 27 Member States, it is assumed in the study that the interests of the eight countries selected represent a good approximation to the interests and positions of similar Member States.

One of the main conclusions in the report is that a number of reforms may take place but that a far-reaching reform should not be expected, at least not in the short to medium-term perspective.

The report was presented at the seminar The EU Budget Review 2008/09 and is a part of the research project The EU Budget.

2008:2 The EU Budget Review: Mapping the Positions of Member States (595.87 kB)