The Council adopted its position on the EU draft budget for the financial year 2011, approving targeted cuts in the Commission's proposal whilst ensuring appropriate funding for the priorities of the European Union, in particular economic recovery.

 The Council's position takes into account the current budgetary constraints of the member states and is in line with the budget guidelines for 2011 adopted by the Council on April 2010. It also leaves sufficient margins under the different headings of the financial framework in order to cope with unforeseen budgetary needs.

The Council position for the budget 2011 amounts to:

• EUR 141.777 billion in commitment appropriations, leaving a margin of EUR 2.02 billion under the total ceiling of the financial framework, and
• EUR 126.527 billion in payment appropriations, corresponding to 1.02% of the Gross National Income (GNI) of the EU

The reductions in the appropriations compared to the amounts proposed in the draft budget of the Commission were agreed by the Council on the basis of a thorough examination of budget implementation in past years and in the current year, by taking into account the 2010 budget forecast and realistic absorption capacities.

Compared with the 2010 budget, the Council's position for the 2011 budget ensures a limited and controlled increase of 0.22% in commitment appropriations and of 2.91% in payment appropriations.

The Council took note of a unilateral statement by Germany on the programme "Food aid for the most deprived persons in the European Union". The Food Facility is one of the actions of the Commission and it aimed at supporting a rapid and direct response to the volatile food prices in developing countries, addressing primarily the period between emergency aid and medium- to long-term development cooperation.