IP/09/752 Brussell, it-13 ta' Mejju 2009 “Ħafna pajjiżi tal-UE bħalissa qed iħabbtu wiċċhom ma' żbilanċi tal-baġit li huma ta' iktar minn 3 %, l-iktar minħabba r-reċessjoni ekonomika, li ġġib magħha tnaqqis fid-dħul mit-taxxi u żieda fil-benefiċċji tal-qgħad. Malta u l-Polonja adottaw għadd ta' miżuri biex iservu ta' stimulu għall-ekonomija, f'konformità mal-Pjan tal-UE għall-Irkupru Ekonomiku. Huwa kruċjali li napplikaw il-Patt ta' Stabbiltà u Tkabbir bil-flessibbiltà mdaħħla fl-2005 u li nfasslu mod ta' aġġustament sabiex nirranġaw l-iżbilanċi u d-djun fi żmien xieraq. Dan huwa importanti ferm sabiex titħares is-sostenibbiltà tal-finanzi pubbliċi fiż-żmien medju u fit-tul”, qal il-Kummissarju għall-Affarijiet Ekonomiċi u Monetarji Joaquin Almunia. MALTA Fit-18 ta' Frar 2009, il-Kummissjoni adottat rapport skont l-Artikolu 104(3) msejjes fuq żbilanċ ippjanat ta' 3.3% tal-PGD fl-2008 u fuq dejn gross ta' 63.8% tal-PGD skont id-dejta mgħarrfa mill-awtoritajiet f'Settembru 2008[2]. Ir-rapport enfasizza l-fatt li l-ammont żejjed tal-iżbilanċ 'il fuq mill-valur ta' referenza ta' 3% kien baxx, u li, għalkemm ma kienx ġej minħabba ċirkustanzi ekonomiċi eċċezzjonali, probabbilment kien se jkun temporanju minħabba li t-tbassir intermedju ta' Jannar 2009 tal-Kummissjoni ippreveda li kien se jerġa' lura għal inqas minn 3% fl-2009 stess u li kien se jkompli jonqos fl-2010. Kien ġie konkluż li dak iż-żmien ma kien hemm bżonn jittieħdu l-ebda passi ulterjuri taħt il-proċedura tal-iżbilanċ żejjed. Madanakollu, skont id-dejta mgħarrfa mill-awtoritajiet f'Marzu 2009, li wara ġiet ivvalidata mill-Eurostat, l-iżbilanċ tal-gvern ġenerali f'Malta ġie rrevedut u ttella' għal 4.7% tal-PGD fl-2008, li b'hekk jaqbeż bil-kbir il-valur ta' referenza, filwaqt li d-dejn gross tal-gvern ġenerali kien ta' 64.1% tal-PGD. Iċ-ċifra tal-2008 hija dovuta, fil-biċċa l-kbira tagħha, għal żviluppi speċifiċi min-naħa tan-nefqa iktar milli għall-impatt tat-tnaqqis fir-ritmu ekonomiku, minħabba li fl-2008, it-tkabbir tal-PGD kien għadu wieħed pożittiv, b'ċifra ta' 1.6%. B'mod partikulari, it-tarzni Maltin ġew ikklassifikati mill-ġdid fi ħdan is-settur tal-gvern (1.3 punti perċentwali tal-PGD) u kien hemm dewmien mhux mistenni fil-ħlas tat-taxxi tal-kumpaniji. Il-Kummissjoni issa qed tasal għall-konklużjoni li l-iżbilanċ la huwa qrib il-valur ta' referenza u lanqas huwa ġej minħabba ċirkustanzi ekonomiċi eċċezzjonali skont it-tifsira tat-Trattat u tal-Patt ta' Stabbiltà u Tkabbir. Barra minn hekk, ma jistax jitqies bħala temporanju minħabba li t-tbassir tar-rebbiegħa jipprevedi li l-iżbilanċ se jibqa' 'l fuq mil-limitu ta' 3% kemm fl-2009 kif ukoll fl-2010. Dan jissuġġerixxi li l-kriterju tal-iżbilanċ fit-Trattat mhuwiex issodisfat. Huwa mbassar li d-dejn gross tal-gvern ġenerali, li ilu sa mill-2001 'l hawn iktar mill-valur ta' referenza ta' 60% tal-PGD mogħti fit-Trattat, se jiżdied matul il-perjodu mill-2009 sal-2010. LITHUANIA The general government deficit in Lithuania reached 3.2% of GDP in 2008, above, but close to the 3% of GDP reference value. The deterioration of the fiscal position in 2008 was mainly due to expansionary fiscal policy and, to a lesser extent, lower-than-budgeted tax revenue, reflecting the slowdown of the economy in the second half of the year. Growth in 2008, while decelerating significantly, still reached 3%. For this reason, the excess over the reference value cannot be qualified of exceptional within the meaning of the Treaty and the Stability and Growth Pact[3]. Given the Commission services' spring forecast deficit projections for 2009 and 2010, the excess over the 3% ceiling cannot be regarded as temporary. From 2009 onwards, in line with the EERP, Lithuania has adopted a budgetary policy that clearly aims at correcting external and internal imbalances. In December 2008, the government adopted a comprehensive tax reform and a wide range of expenditure-saving measures, including reductions in public wages in 2009. In view of a sharper than expected deterioration in the macroeconomic outlook at the beginning of 2009 and worse-than-planned revenue collection, the Lithuanian parliament adopted a restrictive supplementary budget in May 2009. Despite these welcome consolidation measures, the Commission's forecast projects the general government deficit in Lithuania to increase to above 5% and to around 8% of GDP in 2009 and 2010 respectively, well above and not close to the 3% of GDP reference value. This suggests that the deficit criterion in the Treaty is not fulfilled. POLAND The general government deficit in Poland reached 3.9% of GDP in 2008, above and not close to the 3% reference value. The breach of the threshold mainly reflects the fact that good times were only to a certain extent used as an opportunity to consolidate public finances and undertake deep reforms on the expenditure side. Poland's general government deficit over the past five years averaged 4.3% of GDP, at the same time as GDP growth on average exceeded 5%. The Polish authorities have revised their 2009 deficit target to 4.6% of GDP which shows that the excess over the reference value is not temporary. The Commission services' spring forecast projects the deficit to increase to 6.6% this year and, under unchanged policies, to further widen in 2010. The reduction in social contributions, an increase in personal income tax relief for families, and a generous indexation of pensions and social benefits increased the deficit in 2008. In addition, higher-than-planned intermediate consumption and investment, as well as a drop in revenues at the end of 2008 due to the economic slowdown, all resulted in a higher than expected deficit both at the central and local government level. The excess over the reference value cannot be qualified as exceptional within the meaning of the Treaty and the SGP nor can it be considered temporary. This suggests that the deficit criterion in the Treaty is not fulfilled. General government gross debt remains below the 60% of GDP reference value. ROMANIA The general government deficit reached 5.4% of GDP in Romania, in 2008. This figure mainly reflects significant slippages with respect to current spending, notably with public wages and social benefits as well as overly optimistic revenue projections and, to a lesser extent, a sudden drop in revenue collection in the last quarter of 2008 owing to the economic slowdown. Romania pursued a pro-cyclical fiscal policy during the 2005-2008 demand boom, with the headline deficit rising from 1.2% of GDP in 2005 to 5.4% in 2008, despite average real GDP growth of 6.5%. This evolution reflects to a large degree a weak budgetary planning and implementation. From 2009 onwards, fiscal policy aims to correct the significant external and internal imbalances that have been allowed to develop in the economy. This is part of an economic programme adopted in April 2009 in response to the financial assistance granted to Romania by the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and others (see IP/09/611). Under the programme, Romania will limit the deficit to 5.1% in 2009. In 2010, under unchanged policies, the Commission's spring 2009 forecast projects the deficit at 5.6% of GDP in 2010 against a background of a significant economic slowdown. The excess over the reference value cannot be qualified as exceptional within the meaning of the Treaty and the SGP, nor can it be considered temporary. This suggests that the deficit criterion in the Treaty is not fulfilled. Il-Kuntest: il-proċedura tal-iżbilanċ żejjed Il-Patt ta' Stabbiltà u Tkabbir jitlob mill-Kummissjoni li din tħejji rapport kull meta l-iżbilanċ ta' Stat Membru jkun jaqbeż il-valur ta' referenza ta' 3% tal-PGD. Il-proċedura tal-iżbilanċ żejjed hija rregolata mill-Artikolu 104 tat-Trattat u ċċarata iktar fir-Regolament tal-Kunsill (KE) Nru 1467/97, li jifforma parti mill-Patt. Il-Patt, li kien rivedut fl-2005, iħalli 'l dak li jkun iqis il-qagħda ekonomika meta jkunu qed isiru rakkomandazzjonijiet dwar il-pass tal-korrezzjonijiet. Ir-rapporti huma indirizzati lill-Kumitat Ekonomiku u Finanzjarju li jifforma l-opinjoni tiegħu fi żmien ħmistax. Filwaqt li tqis l-opinjoni tal-Kumitat, il-Kummissjoni se tiddeċiedi jekk tirrakkomandax lill-Kunsill li hemm żbilanċ żejjed (l-Artikoli 104(5) u 104(6) u jekk tirrakkomandalux data ta' skadenza biex dan jitranġa (l-Artikolu 104(7)). Ir-rapporti tal-Kummissjoni skont l-Artikolu 104(3) tat-Trattat jinsabu fis-sit tal-internet li ġej: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/thematic_articles/article15141_en.htm [1] Ara t-tagħrif fil-qosor dwar il-kuntest tal-proċedura tal-iżbilanċ żejjed. [2] Skont ir-Regolament tal-Kunsill (KE) Nru 3605/93, l-Istati Membri għandhom jirrappurtaw lill-Kummissjoni, darbtejn fis-sena, il-livelli ppjanati u attwali tad-dejn u tal-iżbilanċ tal-gvern tagħhom. [3] A deficit is considered to be exceptional if it results from a negative annual GDP volume growth rate or from an accumulated loss of output during a protracted period of very low annual GDP volume growth relative to potential.