8.3.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 683 II (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 30 January 2007 abrogating Decision 2003/487/EC on the existence of an excessive deficit in France (2007/154[EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 104(12) thereof, Having regard to the recommendation from the Commission, Whereas: By Decision 2003/487[EC ('), following a recommend- ation from the Commission in accordance with Article 104(6) of the Treaty, it was decided that an excessive deficit existed in France. The Council noted that the general government deficit was 3,1 % of GDP in 2002, above the 3% of GDP Treaty reference value, and projected both by the French authorities and the Commission services to be above 3 % in 2003, while the general government gross debt stood at 58,2 % of GDP, and was very likely to breach the 60 % Treaty reference value in 2003. On 3 June 2003, in accordance with Article 104(7) of the Treaty and Article 3(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1467/97 of 7 July 1997 on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure (?) (EDP), the Council made a recommend- ation, based on a recommendation from the Commission, addressed to France with a view to bringing the excessive deficit situation to an end by 2004. The recommendation was made public. () O] L 165, 3.7.2003, p. 29. (® OJ L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 6. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1056/2005 (O) L 174, 7.7.2005, p. 5). G) In October 2003, the Commission considered that the measures taken by France had been insufficient to comply with the recommendation of 3 June 2003 and recommended that the excessive deficit procedure be stepped up. Instead, on 25 November 2003, the Council adopted conclusions addressing recommend- ations to France for the correction of the deficit by 2005, which were annulled by the Court of Justice of the European Communities on 13 July 2004 (°). On 14 December 2004, the Commission adopted a Communi- cation to the Council which concluded that 2005 should be considered as the relevant deadline for the correction. It also concluded that actions taken by France until then were broadly consistent with a correction of the excessive deficit by 2005, based on an adjustment in cyclically adjusted terms of some 1% of GDP over 2004 and 2005. On 18 January 2005, the Council concurred with this view. In accordance with Article 104(12) of the Treaty, a Council Decision on the existence of an excessive deficit is to be abrogated when the excessive deficit in the Member State concerned has, in the view of the Council, been corrected. In accordance with the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty, the Commission provides the data for the implementation of the procedure. As part of the application of this Protocol, Member States are to notify data on government deficits and debt and other associated variables twice a year, namely before 1 April and before 1 October, in accordance with Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) (}) Case C-27/04, Commission vs Council, [2004] ECR 1-6649.