The general budget of the European Union

The general budget of the European Union


From the time they were established, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Economic Community (EEC, now EC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) each had their own budgets. Accordingly, each Community could plan and authorise all the revenue and expenditure it needed for each financial year. The EEC had its budget, the ECSC had an administrative budget and an operating budget, and the EAEC had an operating budget and a research and investment budget.


It was only from 1 July 1967 — when the Treaty establishing a Single Council and a Single Commission of the European Communities, also known as the Merger Treaty, entered into force — that EEC revenue and expenditure, ECSC administrative expenditure and related revenue and EAEC operating expenditure and related revenue were combined in a general budget of the European Communities (Article 20 of the Merger Treaty). The ECSC then retained its operating budget, with all its specific features, and the EAEC retained its research and investment budget.


The Treaty of 22 April 1970 amending certain Budgetary Provisions subsequently incorporated the EAEC research and investment budget into the general budget of the European Communities (Article 10).


Since the ECSC Treaty expired on 23 July 2002, the general budget of the European Communities has been the only budget.

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