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Three “Arcs” of federal budgeting in Germany
Source:
German Ministry of Finance.
November December 
January February
March
April May
June July
August September October November December
Macroeconomic
forecasting
Tax revenue
estimates
Government sector
budget estimates
Federal Budget
Federal
Government/
Bundestag
Bundesrat
EU budgetary
surveillance
German Council of Economic Experts
Preparation
Joint Economic Forecast
of the research institutes
German Council of Economic Experts
Joint Economic Forecast of the
research institutes
Macroeconomic forecast
(medium-term)
Macroeconomic forecast
(medium-term)
Internal tax revenue
estimate (medium-term)
Tax revenue estimate
(medium-term)
Tax revenue estimate
(medium-term)
Internal
budget estimates
Stability council
(medium-term)
Stability report
Drawing-up
Evaluation
Stability Council
Details specified
Key-figures decision
Cabinet decision on
darft and financial plan
1st reading of
draft budget Budget Committee 2nd/3rd reading
1st passage
2nd passage
Maastricht notification
Maastricht notification
Stability Programme
(medium-term)
Draft budgetary plan
(following-year)
Annual Economic Report

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BUDGET REVIEW: GERMANY
OECD JOURNAL ON BUDGETING – VOLUME 2014/2 © OECD 2015
21
A key advantage of top-down budgeting is the greater certainty that it brings to the
course of fiscal policy, especially when allied with a strong medium-term dimension to
resource allocation, and the associated benefits of greater domestic and international
confidence in the sustainability of the public finances. This greater certainty should also
facilitate stronger medium-term planning, serious consideration of structural reforms
(which sometimes yield their full benefits and savings beyond the initial budget year) and
prioritisation among ministries, as well as a heightened awareness of the trade-offs that
must be contemplated in pursuit of broader strategic policy objectives of government.