L 253/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 7.10.2000 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 29 September 2000 on the system of the European Communities' own resources (2000/597/EC, Euratom) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 269 thereof, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 173 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas: 1) The European Council meeting in Berlin on 24 and 25 March 1999 concluded, inter alia, that the system of the Communities' own resources should be equitable, trans- parent, cost-effective, simple and based on criteria which best express each Member State's ability to contribute. The Communities' own resources system must ensure adequate resources for the orderly development of the Communities' policies, subject to the need for strict budgetary discipline. It is appropriate that the best quality data be used for the purposes of the budget of the European Union and the Communities' own resources. The application of the European system of integrated economic accounts (here- inafter referred to as the ‘ESA 95’) in accordance with () O] C 274 E, 28.9.1999, p. 39. (¥ Opinion delivered on 17 November 1999 (O] C 189, 7.7.2000, p- 79). () O] C 310, 28.10.1999, p. 1. () O] C 368, 20.12.1999, p. 16. Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 () will improve the quality of measurement of national accounts data. It is appropriate to use the most recent statistical concepts for the purposes of own resources and accord- ingly to define gross national product (GNP) as being equal for these purposes to gross national income (GNI) as provided by the Commission in application of the ESA 95 in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2223/ 96. It is, moreover, appropriate, should modifications to the ESA 95 result in significant changes in GNI as provided by the Commission in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2223/96, that the Council decide whether these modifications apply for the purposes of own resources. According to Council Decision 94/728EC, Euratom of 31 October 1994 on the system of the European Communities' own resources (%), the maximum ceiling of own resources for 1999 was set equal to 1,27 % of the Communities' GNP at market prices and an overall ceiling of 1,335 % of the Communities' GNP was set for appropriations for commitments. It is appropriate to adapt these ceilings expressed as a percent of GNP in order to maintain unchanged the amount of financial resources put at the disposal of the Communities by establishing a formula for the deter- mination of the new ceilings, in relation to GNP as defined for the present purposes, to be applied after the entry into force of this Decision. () OJ L 310, 30.11.1996, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 448/98 (O] L 58, 27.2.1998, p. 1). () O] L 293, 12.11.1994, p. 9.