The Diplomat
The total expenditure planned by the Government to finance the actions of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, which will take place in the second half of 2023, amounts to 158 million euros, which will be distributed mainly between the Ministries of the Presidency and Foreign Affairs from the General State Budget.
This was communicated in mid-December by the Government of Pedro Sánchez in response to a parliamentary question from the Popular Group in the Congress on the “budget for the Spanish Presidency of the European Union foreseen in the General State Budget for the year 2023”.
According to the answer, the Spanish rotating Presidency comes “at a decisive moment” because “the EU is at a turning point after the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy and geopolitical crisis”, which will force “major political agreements that will move the European project forward”. In these circumstances, he continues, the development of the activities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU implies “a notable effort, which must be carried out through the Presidency of the Government and the ministerial departments and which fundamentally affects the planning and coordination, within the framework of their respective competences, of the actions required for the development of this high responsibility that falls on Spain”.
In order to carry out this task, the Organizing Committee of the Spanish Presidency of the EU has been created, as in previous EU Presidencies, which is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and which will be in charge of the programming, planning, coordination and execution of the activities in the context of the Spanish Presidency of the EU. The Committee will be assisted by the Coordination Office for the Spanish Presidency of the EU. Both the Committee and the Office are attached to the Presidency of the Government.
The Coordination Office, which reports directly to the Director of the Cabinet of the President of the Government, with the rank of Undersecretary, is responsible for the preparation, planning, coordination, monitoring and promotion of the activities necessary for the organization and development of the events related to the Presidency. It is also responsible for advising and assisting the President of the Government in matters related to the European Union and bilateral relations with European countries, and for providing the Chief Executive with the necessary information for the exercise of his participation in the European Council.
With all this, “through the budgets of the different Ministries, either by means of personnel expenses, current expenses in goods and services or real investments, the actions to be carried out during the Spanish Presidency of the EU will be financed, so that the expenditure foreseen for this purpose amounts to a total of 158 million Euros, the bulk of this amount corresponding to the Ministry of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation”, the Government continues.
The most relevant items of the General State Budget for 2023 in relation to the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union are, as far as the Ministry of the Presidency is concerned, the 71.75 million euros foreseen for current expenses in goods and services, the 5.6 million euros for real investments (those destined to the acquisition of tangible or physical goods) and the more than 480,000 euros for personnel expenses.
As for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Budget foresees almost five million Euros for personnel expenses, current expenses in goods and services and real investments in the section corresponding to the Diplomatic Action before the European Union, more than eleven million Euros for current expenses in goods and services and real investments corresponding to the State Action Abroad, more than 552,000 Euros for current expenses in goods and services and real investments corresponding to the State Action Abroad, more than 552. 552,000 euros for current expenses in goods and services related to International Cooperation for Development, more than 800,000 euros for transfers and internal releases of the AECID and more than 492,000 euros in personnel expenses within the program of Administration and General Services of the Ministry.
