On the 13th June 2008 the European Commission published in the European Union presented a communication from the Commission to the  Council and  the European Parliment titled Financial Information on the European Development Funds. This document is to be annexed to the draft budget for 2009. in accordance with the 1979 agreements on budgetary procedure.

As in previous years. this document sets out:
Implementation of the EDFs (7th to 9th) at 31 December 2007.
Financial implementation forecasts for the current year.
Expenditure forecasts for 2009.

It shows clearly that, on the 31st December 2007, the Commission has achieved its goal of committing all funds available under the 9th EDF and sums transferred from previous EDFs. In line with the rules. several tens of millions of euro remain to be committed between 1 January 2008 and the entry into force of the 10th EDF.

Also actual implementation in 2007 compared with the forecasts made in October 2007. The Commission was unable to make all the payments forecast owing to insufficient financial contributions by the Member States. However. at EUR 2,920 million payments were once again higher than ever before.

The cash balance available to the Commission at the end of 2007 was only EUR 57 million. This was the lowest ever cash balance. The EIB's cash balance was EUR 77 million. compared with a forecast of EUR 6 million.

With respect to the financial implemetation forecasts for 2008. The new forecasts for 2008 put the Commission's needs at EUR 3,000 million and the EIB's at EUR 305 million. These figures are based on the assumption that the 10th EDF comes on stream in early summer 2008. The sums decided by the Council in December 2007 for 2008 are EUR 2,857 million for the Commission and EUR 343 million for the EIB.

On the other hand, Contributions for 2009 are forecast at EUR 3,100 million for the Commission and EUR 370 million for the EIB. It should be stressed that these figures are just a preliminary forecast and must be treated with caution. The Commission and the EIB will make more reliable forecasts after the summer. They will be presented in the October 2008 Communication.

Similarly, on 11th June 2008, the European Commission published in the Official Journal of the European Union, proposal for the Council decision fixing the financial contributions to be paid by the Member States contributing to the European Development Fund.