Target group
Officials from Member State administrations, candidate countries, and the EU institutions, as well as budget and policy consultants who are directly or indirectly affected by European decision-making on budgetary issues.

Description
This two-day seminar offers an explanatory overview of EU decision-making in the budgetary field; it concentrates on the annual budget cycle and the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 (MFF).

The seminar first sets out how the EU institutions prepare, adopt, execute and discharge an EU budget after the Lisbon Treaty. This is then followed by looking at the practices that have developed in budgetary procedures since 2010.

After a detailed analysis of the revenue and expenditure sides of the budget and the MFF, the main changes in own resources and the MFF 2014-2020 are discussed. Particular attention is given to the mid-term review/revision of the MFF initiated in September 2016 and to the contemplated reforms of own resources.

Participants will be given a clear and concise explanation of the budgetary principles, procedures and the roles of the different actors involved, as well as an insight into the political dimensions of this process and the inter-institutional tensions which arise.

Learning methodology
The seminar is both practical and interactive, offering a combination of lectures, group discussions and Q&A sessions with experts.

Objectives
At the end of this seminar participants will have gained an overall view of the complexity of the decision-making process in the budgetary field and will be able to identify the relevant actors involved as well as understanding their role. Furthermore, they will be able to identify the main issues at stake in relation to the development of political strategies and the management of budgetary resources. The participants will be familiar with the relevant changes from the Lisbon Treaty as well as those triggered by the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 and its ongoing revision/review.