6.7.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 176/19 II (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 5 June 2007 abrogating Decision 2005/186/EC on the existence of an excessive deficit in Malta (2007/464[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: (1) () By Council Decision 2005/186/EC (1), following a rec- ommendation from the Commission in accordance with Article 104(6) of the Treaty, it was decided that an excessive deficit existed in Malta. The Council noted that the general government deficit was 9,7 % of GDP in 2003, of which 2,9 % of GDP was due to a one-off operation, this being above the 3% of GDP Treaty reference value, while general government gross debt stood at 72 % of GDP and was likely to further diverge from the 60 % of GDP Treaty reference value in 2004. On 5 July 2004, 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 (3), the Council addressed a recommendation to Malta with a view to bringing the excessive deficit situation to an end by 2006 at the latest. The recommendation was made public. In accordance with Article 104(12) of the Treaty, a Council Decision on the existence of an excessive () O] L 62, 9.3.2005, p. 21. (®» O] L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 6. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1056/2005 (O] L 174, 7.7.2005, p. 5). 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 the 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) No 3605/93 of 22 November 1993 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community (3). Based on data provided by the Commission (Eurostat) in accordance with Article 8g(1) of Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 following the notification by Malta before 1 April 2007 and on the Commission services' spring 2007 forecast, the following conclusions are warranted: — The general government deficit was reduced from 10 % of GDP in 2003 to 2,6 % of GDP in 2006, which is below the 3% of GDP deficit reference value. This is slightly better than the target set for 2006 in the January 2006 update of the convergence programme, although somewhat above the targets endorsed by the Council in its recommendation under Article 104(7), () OJ L 332, 31.12.1993, p. 7. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 2103/2005 (O] L 337, 22.12.2005, p. 1).