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1. Each year, the Director shall draw up a provisional draft estimate covering the operational expenditure and the programme of work anticipated for the following financial year, and shall submit that provisional draft estimate to the Administrative Board, together with a list of provisional posts.

2. The provisional draft estimate shall be based on the objectives and expected results of the programming document referred to in Article 20(1), and shall take into account the financial resources that are necessary to achieve those objectives and expected results.

3. Each year, the Administrative Board shall, on the basis of the provisional draft estimate prepared by the Director, adopt a provisional draft estimate of revenue and expenditure of ACER for the following financial year.

4. The provisional draft estimate, including a draft establishment plan, shall be transmitted by the Administrative Board to the Commission by 31 January each year. Prior to adoption of the estimate, the draft prepared by the Director shall be transmitted to the Board of Regulators, which may deliver a reasoned opinion on the draft.

5. The estimate referred to in paragraph 3 shall be transmitted by the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Council, together with the draft general budget of the Union.

6. On the basis of the draft estimate, the Commission shall enter into the draft general budget of the Union the estimates it considers necessary in respect of the establishment plan and the amount of the grant to be charged to the general budget of the Union in accordance with Articles 313 to 316 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

7. The Council in its role as budgetary authority shall adopt the establishment plan for ACER.

8. ACER's budget shall be adopted by the Administrative Board. It shall become final after the final adoption of the general budget of the Union. Where necessary, it shall be adjusted accordingly.

9. Any modification to the budget, including the establishment plan, shall follow the same procedure.

10. By 5 July 2020, the Commission shall assess whether the financial and human resources available to ACER allow it to fulfil its role under this Regulation of working towards an internal energy market and of contributing to energy security to the benefit of consumers in the Union.

11. The Administrative Board shall, without delay, notify the budgetary authority of its intention to implement any project which may have significant financial implications for the funding of ACER's budget, in particular any project relating to property. The Administrative Board shall also inform the Commission of its intention. If either branch of the budgetary authority intends to issue an opinion, it shall, within two weeks of receipt of the information on the project, notify ACER of its intention thereof. In the absence of a reply, ACER may proceed with the planned project.