§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Ruth Kelly)The Statement on the 2004 Budget of the European Communities (EC Budget), entitled "European Community Finances" (Cm 6134), has today been laid before Parliament. This White Paper is the twenty-fourth in the series. Ns in the past, it covers annual budgetary matters and includes details of recent developments in European Community financial management and in countering fraud against the EC Budget. It also describes the EC Budget for 2004 as adopted by the European Parliament, and details the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions to the EC Budget for calendar years 1998 to 2004 and financial years 1998–99 to 2005–06.