PURPOSE: to fix the\nperiod for the eighth election of representatives to the European\nParliament by direct universal suffrage.
\nPROPOSED ACT:\nCouncil Decision.
\nROLE OF THE\nEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting\nthe European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its\nopinion.
\nBACKGROUND: in\naccordance with the Act concerning the election of the members of\nthe European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 20\nSeptember 1976 (\"Electoral Act\"), the 2014 elections to the\nEuropean Parliament should take place from 5 to 8 June 2014.
\nNevertheless, the\nElectoral Act stipulates that if it proves impossible to hold the\nelections during that period, the Council acting unanimously shall,\nafter consulting the European Parliament, determine, at least one\nyear before the end of the five-year term, another electoral period\nwhich shall not be more than two months before or one month after\nthe period normally applicable.
\nAt the request of\none delegation, the Working Party on General Affairs has discussed\nduring several meetings the question of the dates of the 2014\nelections to the European Parliament. Following those discussions,\ndelegations have agreed, pending the consultation of the European\nParliament, to depart from the normally applicable dates and to\nhold the next European Parliament elections in the period from 22\nto 25 May 2014.
\nCONTENT: the draft\nCouncil Decision fixes the period for the eighth election of\nrepresentatives to the European Parliament by direct universal\nsuffrage from 22 to 25 May 2014.
\nPURPOSE: to fix the\nperiod for the eighth election of representatives to the European\nParliament by direct universal suffrage.
\nPROPOSED ACT:\nCouncil Decision.
\nROLE OF THE\nEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting\nthe European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its\nopinion.
\nBACKGROUND: in\naccordance with the Act concerning the election of the members of\nthe European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 20\nSeptember 1976 (\"Electoral Act\"), the 2014 elections to the\nEuropean Parliament should take place from 5 to 8 June 2014.
\nNevertheless, the\nElectoral Act stipulates that if it proves impossible to hold the\nelections during that period, the Council acting unanimously shall,\nafter consulting the European Parliament, determine, at least one\nyear before the end of the five-year term, another electoral period\nwhich shall not be more than two months before or one month after\nthe period normally applicable.
\nAt the request of\none delegation, the Working Party on General Affairs has discussed\nduring several meetings the question of the dates of the 2014\nelections to the European Parliament. Following those discussions,\ndelegations have agreed, pending the consultation of the European\nParliament, to depart from the normally applicable dates and to\nhold the next European Parliament elections in the period from 22\nto 25 May 2014.
\nCONTENT: the draft\nCouncil Decision fixes the period for the eighth election of\nrepresentatives to the European Parliament by direct universal\nsuffrage from 22 to 25 May 2014.
\nThe Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the\nreport by Carlo CASINI (EPP, IT) on the draft Council decision\nfixing the period for the eighth election of representatives to the\nEuropean Parliament by direct universal suffrage.
\nTo recall, this report was drawn up in response to a\nrequest for consultation from the Council on a draft decision\nseeking to modify the period during which the forthcoming European\nelections would ordinarily have been held. Under Article 11(2) of\nthe Act concerning the election of the members of the European\nParliament by direct universal suffrage (the ‘Electoral\nAct’), this period would have been Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 June\n2014, by analogy with the dates on which the first elections by\ndirect universal suffrage were held (Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 June\n1979).
\nGiven that, in most Member States, the dates on which\nthe elections would ordinarily have been held would have coincided\nwith the Whitsun bank holiday weekend, the Council took the view\nthat it would be preferable to bring them forward, and proposed\nthat the electoral period should run between Thursday 22 and\nSunday 25 May 2014.
\nPURPOSE: to fix the\nperiod for the eighth election of representatives to the European\nParliament by direct universal suffrage.
\nPROPOSED ACT:\nCouncil Decision.
\nROLE OF THE\nEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting\nthe European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its\nopinion.
\nBACKGROUND: in\naccordance with the Act concerning the election of the members of\nthe European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 20\nSeptember 1976 (\"Electoral Act\"), the 2014 elections to the\nEuropean Parliament should take place from 5 to 8 June 2014.
\nNevertheless, the\nElectoral Act stipulates that if it proves impossible to hold the\nelections during that period, the Council acting unanimously shall,\nafter consulting the European Parliament, determine, at least one\nyear before the end of the five-year term, another electoral period\nwhich shall not be more than two months before or one month after\nthe period normally applicable.
\nAt the request of\none delegation, the Working Party on General Affairs has discussed\nduring several meetings the question of the dates of the 2014\nelections to the European Parliament. Following those discussions,\ndelegations have agreed, pending the consultation of the European\nParliament, to depart from the normally applicable dates and to\nhold the next European Parliament elections in the period from 22\nto 25 May 2014.
\nCONTENT: the draft\nCouncil Decision fixes the period for the eighth election of\nrepresentatives to the European Parliament by direct universal\nsuffrage from 22 to 25 May 2014.
\nPURPOSE: to fix the\nperiod for the eighth election of representatives to the European\nParliament by direct universal suffrage.
\nPROPOSED ACT:\nCouncil Decision.
\nROLE OF THE\nEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting\nthe European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its\nopinion.
\nBACKGROUND: in\naccordance with the Act concerning the election of the members of\nthe European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 20\nSeptember 1976 (\"Electoral Act\"), the 2014 elections to the\nEuropean Parliament should take place from 5 to 8 June 2014.
\nNevertheless, the\nElectoral Act stipulates that if it proves impossible to hold the\nelections during that period, the Council acting unanimously shall,\nafter consulting the European Parliament, determine, at least one\nyear before the end of the five-year term, another electoral period\nwhich shall not be more than two months before or one month after\nthe period normally applicable.
\nAt the request of\none delegation, the Working Party on General Affairs has discussed\nduring several meetings the question of the dates of the 2014\nelections to the European Parliament. Following those discussions,\ndelegations have agreed, pending the consultation of the European\nParliament, to depart from the normally applicable dates and to\nhold the next European Parliament elections in the period from 22\nto 25 May 2014.
\nCONTENT: the draft\nCouncil Decision fixes the period for the eighth election of\nrepresentatives to the European Parliament by direct universal\nsuffrage from 22 to 25 May 2014.
\nThe Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the\nreport by Carlo CASINI (EPP, IT) on the draft Council decision\nfixing the period for the eighth election of representatives to the\nEuropean Parliament by direct universal suffrage.
\nTo recall, this report was drawn up in response to a\nrequest for consultation from the Council on a draft decision\nseeking to modify the period during which the forthcoming European\nelections would ordinarily have been held. Under Article 11(2) of\nthe Act concerning the election of the members of the European\nParliament by direct universal suffrage (the ‘Electoral\nAct’), this period would have been Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 June\n2014, by analogy with the dates on which the first elections by\ndirect universal suffrage were held (Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 June\n1979).
\nGiven that, in most Member States, the dates on which\nthe elections would ordinarily have been held would have coincided\nwith the Whitsun bank holiday weekend, the Council took the view\nthat it would be preferable to bring them forward, and proposed\nthat the electoral period should run between Thursday 22 and\nSunday 25 May 2014.
\nPURPOSE: to present the draft Commission budget for\nthe financial year 2013 (all budget sections).
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted the draft EU budget\nfor 2013. It will be the last annual budget of the present\nMultiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013. Aware of the current\neconomic situation, the Commission presents a budget fully geared\nto use its funding potential for growth and jobs in line with the\nEurope 2020 strategy.
\nInvestment is a crucial component of spurring this\ngrowth. The EU budget, with its high investment focus, has an\nimportant role to play as a leverage tool to Member States’\nrecovery policies, which will benefit economic activity across\nthe Union.
\nIn preparing its Draft Budget, the Commission has\nfollowed a rigorous approach in which:
\nThis approach contributes directly to growth and jobs\nin Europe, and which on the other hand is necessary to allow the EU\nbudget to meet its contractual obligations of current and previous\nyears.
\nIn terms of commitment appropriations, the\ntotal expenditure proposed in the draft budget (DB) 2013 is EUR 150\n931.7 million, corresponding to 1.13% of GNI, that is EUR 3 031.5\nmillion more than in 2012 (+ 2.0%). The restriction of the increase\nin the overall level of commitment appropriations to inflation\ncorrection (+ 2.0 %) leaves a combined total margin of EUR 2 420.4\nmillion under the various ceilings of the MFF.
\nFor payment appropriations, the total amounts\nto EUR 137 924.4 million, corresponding to 1.04% of GNI. This is an\nincrease of EUR 8 818.3 million compared to payment appropriations\nin the 2012 budget (+ 6.8%), and leaves a margin of EUR 6 182.6\nmillion under the ceiling of the MFF.
\nThe main priorities have been established for the 2013\nDraft Budget: in 2013. The EU will pursue its support to\ninvestment and to actions in favour of job-friendly growth.\nThis key political priority is reflected in the level of commitment\nappropriations requested in the Draft Budget. Competitiveness for\ngrowth and employment, with EUR 16 billion in commitment\nappropriations, and Cohesion for growth and employment, with EUR\n54.5 billion in commitment appropriations, support the EU economy\nby shaping the conditions for sustainable growth and\ngrowth-friendly consolidation, both immediately and in the longer\nterm.
\nAt the present final stage of the current financial\nframework, the Draft Budget for 2013 is established on the basis of\na two-fold approach:
\nOther characteristics of the 2013 budget:
\nKey aspects of the draft budget 2013 by financial\nframework headings:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable\ngrowth: this heading covers the expenses relating to\ncompetitiveness and employment as well as cohesion:
\nHeading 2: Preservation and Management of Natural\nResources: commitment appropriations\nof EUR 60 307.5 million are proposed for this heading. This level\nof funding represents an increase of 0.6% compared to 2012 and\nleaves a margin of EUR 981.5 million under the ceiling. Payment\nappropriations amount to EUR 57 964.9 million, which is an increase\nof 1.6% compared to 2012. Within this heading the amount foreseen\nfor market related expenditure and direct aids reaches EUR 44 130.3\nmillion in commitment appropriations, and EUR 44 112.9 million in\npayment appropriations.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: this heading is split into\ntwo sub-headings:
\nHeading 4: the EU as a Global Player: this heading sees an increase in commitment\nappropriations of 0.7 % to EUR 9 467.2 million, leaving an\nunallocated margin of EUR 391.9 million available under the\nceiling. Payment appropriations on the other hand increase by 5.1 %\nto EUR 7 311.6 million, mostly due to increases under IPA, ENPI,\nHumanitarian aid and CFSP, at a time when many instruments are\nreaching cruising speed.
\nHeading 5: Administrative expenditure:\nboth commitment and payment appropriations for\nthis heading for all Institutions combined increase by 3.2%, with\ncommitments set at EUR 8 544.4 million and payments at EUR 8 545.5\nmillion. This increase includes additional administrative\nexpenditure related to Croatia’s accession, amounting to EUR\n32.9 million for all Institutions. The administrative expenditure\nrelated to Croatia is included as from the beginning of 2013, so as\nto allow recruitments in due time. This remaining margin amounts to\nEUR 636.6 million.
\nThe Commission continues its efforts to limit its own\nadministrative expenditure by reducing expenditure less affected by\nautomatic adjustments. Moreover, further to its proposals to reduce\nthe staffing numbers of all Institutions and bodies by 5% over the\nyears 2013-2017, the Commission has reduced by 1% the number of\nposts in its establishment plans and has contained\nappropriations for its external personnel financed under all\nheadings (including in the six executive agencies), leading to a\ntotal staff reduction of 1%. As a result, when excluding pensions\nand European schools (both of which concern interinstitutional\nexpenditure), the increase in the Commission’s\nadministrative expenditure has been limited to 1.2% (1.5% when\nincluding Croatia’s accession) i.e. well below\ninflation.
\nThe Commission’s strict approach to\nadministration is to a large degree followed by the other\nInstitutions, leading to an overall increase of\nadministrative appropriations for the other Institutions of\n2.6% (3.3% including Croatia). The requested increases in\nexpenditure for 2013 (including Croatian enlargement) compared to\nthe 2012 budget range from 1.2% for the Council to 8.4% for the\nCourt of Justice, with most Institutions having an increase\n(excluding Croatia) of around or below inflation. Similar to the\nCommission’s approach, a 1% reduction in human resources is\nalso incorporated by the Council, the Court of Justice and the\nCourt of Auditors. When preparing the Draft Budget, the Commission\nhas modified the request of the Committee of the Regions, so as to\nalign its requested increase (excluding the impact of the accession\nof Croatia) to the expected rate of inflation (+ 1.9%). This has\nresulted in a reduction of EUR 0.4 million, as compared to the\ndraft statement of estimates of the Committee of the\nRegions.
\nIn conclusion, the\nCommission’s approach represents a responsible and coherent\nbudgetary proposal which is refocused on Growth and Jobs. It is\ncoherent with current restraints, efficient spending and the\nobligations of the Union. It provides a proposal which is both\ncredible for a smooth and timely adoption of the 2013 budget and\nresponsible for the future by containing the accumulation of\noutstanding commitments.
\nThe Council adopted its position on the draft budget\nof the European Union for 2013.
\nThe main features of the position are as\nfollows:
\nUnder the Council's position on the draft budget for\n2013, commitment appropriations increase by 1.27% compared to the\n2012 budget and payment appropriations increase by\n2.79%.
\nThe total amount of payment appropriations provided\nfor in the Council's position on the draft budget for 2013\ncorresponds to 0.99% of EU GNI.
\nA. Generalities: the\nCouncil's position on the draft budget for 2013:
\nStatement on payment appropriations: besides the abovementioned principles, the Council\nalso approved a statement on payment appropriations calling on the\nCommission to submit as early as possible the letter of\namendment for agriculture (including information about the\npossible carry-over of assigned revenue) and, if necessary, a\nletter of amendment concerning sub-heading 1b in order to\nappropriately calibrate the level of resources in heading 2\n(Preservation and management of natural resources) and sub-heading\n1b in the 2013 budget.
\nFurthermore, the Council asks the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget if the payment appropriations entered in\nthe 2013 budget are insufficient to cover expenditure\nunder:
\nIt urges the Commission to present as early as\npossible updated figures concerning the state of affairs and\nestimates regarding payment appropriations under sub-heading 1b\nand, if necessary, to present a draft amending budget for this sole\npurpose. The Council will take position on the draft amending\nbudget as quickly as possible in order to avoid any shortfall in\npayment appropriations.
\nB. Expenditure by heading of the financial\nframework: as to expenditure under\nthe different headings of the financial framework the Council's\nposition is as follows:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable growth (EUR 70.055 billion in\ncommitments):
\nSub-heading 1a: as\nregards competitiveness for growth and employment\nexpenditure, the amount of this sub-heading totals EUR\n15.563 billion in commitment appropriations, thus a\nreduction of EUR 469.15 million in the appropriations requested in\nthe DB in respect of a number of specific budget lines under this\nsub-heading, of which EUR 35.51 million resulting from the approach\ntaken in regard to administrative expenditure.
\nThe\nsub-heading is characterised by the following:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1a would be EUR\n560.1 million.
\nSub-heading 1b): expenditures\non cohesion for growth and employment: the Council has\nforeseen an amount of EUR 54.492 billion in commitments. The\nother main points about this sub-heading are the\nfollowing:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1b would be EUR\n32.45 million.
\nHeading 2: expenditure for preservation and management\nof natural resources: the amount for\nthis heading is set at EUR 59.971 billion in commitment\nappropriations, thus involving a total reduction of EUR 336 million\nin commitment appropriations requested in the DB, of which EUR 67\nmillion in the field of agriculture, EUR 264 million on the budget\nline for clearance of accounts and EUR 4 million on the budget line\nfor public awareness, on the basis of past and current budget\nimplementation.
\nMarket-related expenditures and\ndirect aids are set at EUR 43.795 billion (in commitment\nappropriations) by the Council, i.e. a reduction of 0.4% in\ncomparison with 2012.
\nOther points in regard to this budgetary heading\ninclude:
\nThe margin available under heading 2 would be EUR 1\n317.55 million.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: the allocation for this\nheading has been set at EUR 2.057 billion in commitment\nappropriations, divided between two sub-headings:
\n3a) in regard to\nfreedom, security and justice expenditure (EUR 1.377\nbillion in commitment appropriations), the Council\nrequests:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 3a would be EUR\n283.72 million.
\n3b) as regards\ncitizenship expenditure (EUR 680 million in\ncommitment appropriations), the Council has sought to:
\nThe available margin under sub-heading 3b would be EUR\n35.10 million.
\nHeading 4: the EU as\na global player, the Council envisages a total amount of EUR\n9.295 billion in commitment appropriations. It thus decided\nto:
\nThe margin available under Heading 4 would be EUR\n563.64 million to cover any additional needs at a later\nstage.
\nHeading 5: administrative expenditure:\nthese amount to EUR 8.398 billion in\ncommitment appropriations. The Council has decided to:
\nThis approach has resulted in an appropriate level of\nadministrative expenditure ensuring a proper functioning of the\ninstitutions. A margin of EUR 782.77 million remains available\nunder the ceiling of heading 5 of the multiannual financial\nframework. The Council also focused on administrative expenditure\nlinked to operational programmes and on administrative expenditure\nof the executive agencies. In this respect, it was decided to carry\nout targeted reductions on the basis of a similar approach as the\none followed for the institutions.
\nAgencies: as regards the\ndecentralised agencies, the Council also applied a similar approach\nas for the institutions. Therefore, a 1% reduction was retained in\nthe contribution to Titles 1 and 2 of all agencies. As regards\nposts, a 1% reduction to the establishment plan was applied for the\nagencies at \"cruising speed\". Regarding agencies in charge of new\ntasks, only half of the new posts requested were accepted. For\nagencies in the \"start-up\" phase, the accepted new posts were\nlimited to three-quarters of the requests.
\nThe Committee on Budgets adopted the joint report on\nthe Council position on the draft general budget of the European\nUnion for the financial year 2013 by Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT)\n– (section III – Commission) and Derek VAUGHAN (S&D,\nUK) (other Sections).
\nMembers stress that the priorities expressed in the\nopinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in the present draft\nresolution.
\nSection III – Commission: the committee recalls that Parliament’s\npriorities for the 2013 budget, as detailed in its resolution of 4\nJuly 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue, consist in: support for\nsustainable growth, competitiveness and employment, particularly\nfor SMEs and youth. It points out that the Commission's draft\nbudget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and is aware of the\nsevere difficulties arising from the state of the national\neconomies and of the need for a responsible and realistic reading.\nMembers cannot accept, however, the approach according to which\nthe EU budget is made the source for possible savings with the same\nproportion and logic applied to the national budgets, given the\nsubstantial difference in nature, objectives and structure. They\nhighlight that decreasing EU resources will surely result in a lack\nof investment and liquidity in the Member States.
\nMembers underline that the EU budget is to be seen\nas a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Members deplore the decision\nof the Council to proceed again this year with the usual approach\nof horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at artificially reducing\nthe level of the EU's resources for 2013 by an overall total of EUR\n1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR\n5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment appropriations\n(PA).
\nThey are surprised that the Council has not taken into\naccount latest Commission's forecasts for programmes'\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. The\nreport warns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: Members underline that the current procedures for\nassessing the real needs for payment appropriations for Member\nStates take place in total obscurity. The committee has examined\nthe Council’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Members consider that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this priority. They\nalso reject the Council's argument that these cuts correspond to\nunder-implemented or low-performing programmes, (e.g. the Lifelong\nLearning Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework\nProgramme (CIP) under Heading 1a and the Competitiveness and\nEmployment objective under Heading 1b), since such criteria\ncompletely disregard the multiannual character of the EU's\npolicies, and of cohesion policy in particular, characterised by a\nrising profile of payments towards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: due to recent experience, the committee does not deem\nthe declaration of payments proposed by the Council in its reading\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\neventually be made available for all headings. The Budgets\nCommittee takes the general approach, therefore, of restoring, at\nthe level of DB payments cut by Council in all headings and\nincreasing payment appropriations over DB on a selected number of\nlines characterised by high levels of implementation within each\nheading, in particular Headings 1a and 4, to cover the real needs\nof the corresponding programmes, as identified by the Commission.\nIt calls on the European Parliament to mandate its delegation\nfor the Budget 2013 conciliation not to accept any level of\npayments both for the Amending budget 6/2012 and the Budget 2013\nthat does not fully cover the payment needs for 2012 and\n2013, as estimated by the Commission. Members recall that\nCouncil completely disregarded Parliament's priorities, as\nexpressed in Parliament's mandate for the trilogue but that\nParliament's reading is based instead upon benchmarks arising from\nthat mandate.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: the report underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. Members cannot, therefore, accept\nCouncil's decision to reduce commitment appropriations further down\nto 1.27% compared to budget 2012. They set the overall level of\nappropriations for 2013 to:
\nWith regard to each of the budget headings, Members\nmake the following points:
\nHeading 1a: they deplore\nthat Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the Council's\ncuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1) and is the\nmost affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9 billion or\n-14% compared to DB). They decide to undo almost all cuts by\nCouncil and to reinforce above DB in commitment and payment\nappropriations only a selected number of lines directly linked to\nthe objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
\nMembers make the following amendments to the\nbudget:
\nHeading 1b: Members\nstrongly deplore the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR 1.6 billion\nor -3.3% as compared to the DB) by the Council affecting the\nRegional Competitiveness and Employment objective (-12.9%), the\nEuropean Territorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%) and the\nCohesion Fund (-4.7%). Recalling the doubts expressed in its\nmandate for the trilogue as to whether the level of payments\nproposed in the DB will be sufficient to reimburse the totality of\nthe expected payment claims in the absence of an amending budget\nthis year, the committee rejects the cuts introduced by the Council\non Heading 1b, which would lead to a much more serious shortage in\npayments than already expected and would also lead to a strong\nincrease in the level of RAL by the end of next year. It does not\nconsider the Council's declaration asking the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget in case of insufficient payments under\nHeading 1b as a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of\npayments will be made available in 2013, given that similar\ncommitments have been already undertaken and disregarded by the\nCouncil in the past two years. Members ask the Council\nPresidency to make a public statement and explain the discrepancy\nbetween the Council's reading on payments and the actual needs of\nMember States, as expressed in their estimates.
\nIn sum, the committee decides to restore the DB in\ncommitments and in payments for all budget lines cut by Council\nunder this heading. It urges the Council to agree on Draft amending\nbudget 6/2012 presented by the Commission with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nHeading 2: Members\nconsider that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestore, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level of\nEUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. They\nreject the increase of the so-called negative expenditure line\n(clearance of accounts) as this appears to be set artificially high\ncompared to Heading 2 appropriations and partly restores the\nCommission's proposal, allowing a more realistic\napproach.
\nThey also make the following adjustments to the\nbudget:
\nMembers state they support the sharp reduction of some\nbudget lines on refunds, and in some cases even to zero, as this\ninstrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Members\nreject the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\nThey decide, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. They also increase the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nMembers also reject the Council's unilateral\ndecision to change the legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen\nevaluation mechanism\" from the ordinary legislative procedure\nto Article 70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European\nUnion. They support the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and endorse, therefore, the position taken by the\nCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to put into\nthe reserve some budgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to\ninternal security (in commitment and payment appropriations) until\na satisfactory outcome is achieved on the Schengen governance\npackage.
\nHeading 3b: emphasising\nthe need to encourage cross-cultural communication and EU\ncitizenship within the next generation, the committee has decided\nto increase funding for the Youth in Action programme compared to\nDB. It also reinforces appropriations for the European Year of\nCitizens 2013 together with the latter’s communication\nactivities.
\nHeading 4: Members\nhighlight that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. They\nconsider that such a massive reduction would impede the Union to\nrespect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene and they decide to restore the level of both\ncommitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to the\nlevels proposed in the DB.
\nMembers consider, however, that some decreases\ncompared to the DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such\nas
\nThey propose a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, the committee increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity.
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nMembers welcome the efforts of most institutions, including\nParliament and the Commission, which complied with and even\noverstepped their commitment to restrict their administrative\nbudgets to an increase below the expected inflation\nrate.
\nFor all the institutions, apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, they decide to restore (or in the\ncase of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. The\ncommittee warns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary\nauthority will need to accommodate the retroactive effect of such\nruling for years 2011 and 2012, including late interest.
\nIt also undoes other cuts brought by the Council on\nspecific items of administrative expenditure, notably, within the\nCommission, on ICT equipment and services and some\noffices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\npartly, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of a\ncase-by-case approach, Members call for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nThey note with concern that staff cuts were made\nwithin the Commission and ask the Commission to include in its\nannual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. They\nalso set a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information.
\nAgencies: Members\nendorse, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of agencies'\nbudgetary and staff needs and notes that the Commission had already\nconsiderably reduced the agencies' initial requests. They consider\nthat any further cuts as proposed by the Council would endanger the\nproper functioning of the agencies and would not allow them to\nfulfil the tasks they have been assigned. They decide to\nincrease the 2013 budget appropriations for the three financial\nsupervision agencies.
\nMembers are aware that certain agencies (such as\nEuropol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in 2013\nwhich might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013 and request the Commission, in case of\nnecessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the relevant\nagency. They also expect the Commission to present a new financial\nstatement when a legislative procedure has been finalised by\nParliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nThe committee is concerned by the Council's position\nof a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing that each\ninstitution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking\ninto account the needs and specific situation of each institution.\nIt welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find additional\nsavings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the costs of the\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament: Members point out that the level of its 2013 budget is\n1.9% above the 2012 budget including the costs for Croatian\naccession but that due to the current inflation rate of 1.9%, there\nis a real decrease of the operating budget, despite recently added\ncompetences, new posts and actions, the financing of Croatia's\naccession and the costs for preparing the 2014 elections. They\napprove the following adjustments to the estimates:
\nMembers believe that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements and\ndeclare, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament\nitself.
\nThey go on to make other remarks on Parliament’s\ninternal organisation, travel, ICT expenditure and\ntranslation.
\nOther institutions: lastly, Members make a series of recommendations on\nthe other institutions and bodies of the EU calling generally for\nthe restoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in\norder to enable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nPURPOSE: presentation of Amending Letter No 1 to the\nDraft General Budget 2013 (DB 2013).
\nCONTENT: this Amending Letter No 1 to the Draft\nGeneral Budget 2013 relates to:
\nThe budgetary impact of these adjustments is a\nreduction in commitment and payment appropriations of EUR 25.1\nmillion compared to the Draft Budget 2013.
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 492 to 123 votes,\nwith 82 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on the\ndraft general budget of the European Union for the financial year\n2013 (all Sections).
\nParliament stresses that the priorities expressed in\nthe opinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in this resolution.
\nNoting the Amending\nLetter No 1 to the Draft General Budget 2012, Parliament sets\nthe overall level of appropriations for 2013 at:
\nParliament’s resolution may be summarised as\nfollows:
\nSection III – Commission:
\nParliament recalls that its priorities for the 2013\nbudget, as detailed in its resolution\nof 4 July 2012 have been taken into account: they consist in:\nsupport for sustainable growth, competitiveness and employment,\nparticularly for SMEs and youth. It welcomes the fact that the\nCommission's draft budget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and\nis aware of the severe difficulties arising from the state of the\nnational economies and of the need for a responsible and realistic\nreading.
\nParliament cannot accept, however, the approach\naccording to which the EU budget is made the source for possible\nsavings with the same proportion and logic applied to the national\nbudgets, given the substantial difference in nature, objectives\nand structure. It considers that decreasing EU resources will\nsurely result in a lack of investment and liquidity in the Member\nStates.
\nIn Parliament’s view, the EU budget is to be\nseen as a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Parliament deplores the\ndecision of the Council to proceed again this year with the\nusual approach of horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at\nartificially reducing the level of the EU's resources for 2013 by\nan overall total of EUR 1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment\nappropriations (CA) and EUR 5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment\nappropriations (PA).
\nParliament is also surprised that the Council has not\ntaken into account the latest Commission's forecasts for programme\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. It\nwarns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: underlining that the current procedures for assessing\nthe real needs for payment appropriations for Member States take\nplace in total obscurity, Parliament has examined the\nCouncil’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Parliament considers that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this\npriority.
\nParliament also rejects the Council's argument that\nthese cuts correspond to under-implemented or low-performing\nprogrammes, (e.g. the Lifelong Learning Programme and the\nCompetitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) under\nHeading 1a and the Competitiveness and Employment objective under\nHeading 1b), since such criteria completely disregard the\nmultiannual character of the EU's policies, and of cohesion policy\nin particular, characterised by a rising profile of payments\ntowards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: Parliament doubts that the increase in payments by\n6.8 % proposed in the DB will be sufficient to cover\nreimbursements of payment claims awaited by Member States under the\nvarious headings – and in particular for Headings 1a and 1b\n– in the absence of an amending budget covering payment needs\nfor 2012. It will therefore reject any attempt to reduce the\nlevel of payment appropriations as compared to the DB proposal.\nFrom experience, Parliament does not deem the declaration of\npayments proposed by the Council in its reading as a sufficient\nguarantee that an adequate level of payments will eventually be\nmade available for all headings. It therefore takes the general\napproach, therefore, of restoring, at the level of DB payments cut\nby Council in all headings and increasing payment\nappropriations over DB on a selected number of lines characterised\nby high levels of implementation within each heading, in particular\nHeadings 1a and 4, to cover the real needs of the corresponding\nprogrammes, as identified by the Commission. It calls on the\nEuropean Parliament to mandate its delegation for the Budget\n2013 conciliation not to accept any level of payments both for\nthe Amending budget 6/2012 and the Budget 2013 that does not\nfully cover the payment needs for 2012 and 2013, as estimated\nby the Commission. It recalls that Council completely disregarded\nParliament's priorities that it expressed in the trilogue and that\nParliament's reading is based instead upon the latest figures and\nrelevant benchmarks.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: Parliament underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. It cannot, therefore, accept Council's\ndecision to reduce commitment appropriations further down to 1.27%\ncompared to budget 2012. It even intends to increase commitment\nappropriations above the DB on a few selected budget lines directly\nrelated to the delivery of the Europe 2020 priorities and in line\nwith traditional Parliament's priorities;
\nAs far as each of the budgetary headings is concerned,\nParliament’s views are as follows:
\nHeading 1a: Parliament\nregrets that Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the\nCouncil's cuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1)\nand is the most affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9\nbillion or -14% compared to the DB). It has decided to\nreverse almost all cuts by Council. It introduces the following\namendments to the budget:
\nHeading 1b: once again,\nParliament strongly regrets the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR\n1.6 billion or -3.3% as compared to the DB) by the Council\naffecting the Regional Competitiveness and Employment objective\n(-12.9%), the European Territorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%)\nand the Cohesion Fund (-4.7%). According to Parliament, such cuts\nwould definitely hamper the correct execution of projects during\nthe last year of the programming period, with dramatic\nconsequences, especially for the Member States which are already\nunder social, economical and financial constraints, thereby\nsubstantially increasing the RAL.
\nRecalling the doubts expressed in its mandate for the\ntrilogue as to whether the level of payments proposed in the DB\nwill be sufficient to reimburse the totality of the expected\npayment claims in the absence of an amending budget this year,\nParliament rejects the cuts introduced by the Council on Heading\n1b, which would lead to a much more serious shortage in payments\nthan already expected and would also lead to a strong increase in\nthe level of RAL by the end of next year. It does not consider the\nCouncil's declaration asking the Commission to submit a draft\namending budget in case of insufficient payments under Heading 1b\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\nbe made available in 2013, given that similar commitments have been\nalready undertaken and disregarded by the Council in the past two\nyears. In this context, Parliament asks the Council Presidency\nto make a public statement and explain the discrepancy between the\nCouncil's reading on payments and the actual needs of Member\nStates, as expressed in their estimates. In sum, Parliament\ndecides to restore the DB in commitments and in payments for all\nbudget lines cut by Council under this heading. It urges the\nCouncil to agree on Draft amending budget 6/2012 with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nParliament also decides to increase commitment and\npayment appropriations above the DB for the technical assistance to\nthe Baltic Sea Strategy.
\nHeading 2: Parliament\nconsiders that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestores, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level\nof EUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. In\nan amendment adopted in Plenary, Parliament calls on the Commission\nto increase its efforts to define clear priorities under this\nHeading that favour sustainable farming systems which preserve\nbiodiversity, protect water resources and soil fertility, respect\nanimal welfare and support employment. It rejects the increase of\nthe so-called negative expenditure line (clearance of accounts) as\nthis appears to be set artificially high compared to Heading 2\nappropriations and partly restores the Commission's\nproposal.
\nParliament also makes the following budgetary\nadjustments:
\nParliament supports the sharp reduction of some budget\nlines on refunds, and in some cases even to zero, as this\ninstrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Parliament\nrejects the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\nIt decides, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. It also increases the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nParliament also rejects the Council's unilateral decision to change\nthe legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen evaluation\nmechanism\" from the ordinary legislative procedure to Article\n70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It\nsupports the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and confirms it will place in the reserve some\nbudgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to internal security (in\ncommitment and payment appropriations) until a satisfactory outcome\nis achieved on the Schengen governance package.
\nHeading 4: Parliament\nhighlights that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. It\nconsiders that such a massive reduction would impede the Union\nto respect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene. It decides, therefore, to restore the level of\nboth commitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to\nthe levels proposed in the DB.
\nIt considers, however, that some decreases compared to\nthe DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such as
\nIt proposes a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, Parliament increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity.
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nParliament welcomes the efforts of the institutions, including the\nCommission, which complied with and even overstepped their\ncommitment to restrict their administrative budgets to an increase\nbelow the expected inflation rate.
\nFor all the institutions, apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, Parliament decides to restore (or\nin the case of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. Parliament\nwarns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary authority will\nneed to accommodate the retroactive effect of such ruling for years\n2011 and 2012, including late interest. Parliament also undoes\nother cuts brought by the Council on specific items of\nadministrative expenditure, notably, within the Commission, on ICT\nequipment and services and some offices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\nin part, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of a\ncase-by-case approach, Parliament calls for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nParliament notes with concern that staff cuts were\nmade within the Commission and asks the Commission to include in\nits annual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. It\nalso sets a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information. Lastly, deploring the cuts made by\nthe Council on the administrative and research support lines,\nParliament considers underlines that these would be likely to\naffect the swiftness and quality of budgetary implementation of the\nmulti-annual programmes to which they are related. It decides\ntherefore to restore the DB for those lines.
\nAgencies: Parliament\nendorses, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of\nagencies' budgetary and staff needs and notes that the Commission\nhad already considerably reduced the agencies' initial requests.\nParliament considers that any further cuts as proposed by the\nCouncil would endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and\nwould not allow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned.\nThey decide to increase the 2013 budget appropriations for the\nthree financial supervision agencies. Aware that certain agencies\n(such as Europol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in\n2013 which might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013, Parliament requests the Commission, in\ncase of necessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the\nrelevant agency. It also expects the Commission to present a new\nfinancial statement when a legislative procedure has been finalised\nby Parliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nParliament is generally concerned by the Council's\nposition of a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing\nthat each institution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis,\ntaking into account the needs and specific situation of each\ninstitution. It welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find\nadditional savings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the\ncosts of the enlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament: concerning its own budget, Parliament points out that\nthe level of its 2013 budget is 1.9% above the 2012 budget\nincluding the costs for Croatian accession but that due to the\ncurrent inflation rate of 1.9%, there is a real decrease of the\noperating budget, despite recently added competences, new posts and\nactions, the financing of Croatia's accession and the costs for\npreparing the 2014 elections. Parliament’s budget is thus set\nat EUR 1 750 463 939 for 2013.
\nParliament approves the following adjustments to the\nestimates:
\nOther specific demands are made in regard to the\ninternal organisation of Parliament’s work, travel and ICT and\ntranslation expenditures.
\nThe question of Parliament’s seat:\nParliament
\nParliament believes that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements. It\ndeclares, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament itself.\nIt urges the two arms of the budgetary authority (the Council and\nParliament), in order to make financial savings and to promote a\nmore sustainable climate- and environmentally-friendly solution,\nto raise the issue of a single seat and Parliament's working\nplaces for Members and officials in the upcoming negotiations on\nthe next MFF for 2014-2020. It urges the Member States to\nrevise the issue of Parliament's seat and working places in the\nnext revision of the Treaty by amending Protocol 6. Furthermore, it\ncalls on the Council to start elaborating a road-map with the\nParliament towards a single seat and a more efficient use of\nParliament's working places, taking into account specific\nup-to-date figures detailing the cost of each place of work and\nworking conditions for staff, as well as economic, societal and\nenvironmental factors – to be presented in a report by 30 June\n2013.
\nOther institutions: lastly, Parliament makes a series of recommendations\non the other institutions and bodies of the EU calling generally\nfor the restoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in\norder to enable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nPURPOSE: to present the draft Commission budget for\nthe financial year 2013 (all budget sections).
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted the draft EU budget\nfor 2013. It will be the last annual budget of the present\nMultiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013. Aware of the current\neconomic situation, the Commission presents a budget fully geared\nto use its funding potential for growth and jobs in line with the\nEurope 2020 strategy.
\nInvestment is a crucial component of spurring this\ngrowth. The EU budget, with its high investment focus, has an\nimportant role to play as a leverage tool to Member States’\nrecovery policies, which will benefit economic activity across\nthe Union.
\nIn preparing its Draft Budget, the Commission has\nfollowed a rigorous approach in which:
\nThis approach contributes directly to growth and jobs\nin Europe, and which on the other hand is necessary to allow the EU\nbudget to meet its contractual obligations of current and previous\nyears.
\nIn terms of commitment appropriations, the\ntotal expenditure proposed in the draft budget (DB) 2013 is EUR 150\n931.7 million, corresponding to 1.13% of GNI, that is EUR 3 031.5\nmillion more than in 2012 (+ 2.0%). The restriction of the increase\nin the overall level of commitment appropriations to inflation\ncorrection (+ 2.0 %) leaves a combined total margin of EUR 2 420.4\nmillion under the various ceilings of the MFF.
\nFor payment appropriations, the total amounts\nto EUR 137 924.4 million, corresponding to 1.04% of GNI. This is an\nincrease of EUR 8 818.3 million compared to payment appropriations\nin the 2012 budget (+ 6.8%), and leaves a margin of EUR 6 182.6\nmillion under the ceiling of the MFF.
\nThe main priorities have been established for the 2013\nDraft Budget: in 2013. The EU will pursue its support to\ninvestment and to actions in favour of job-friendly growth.\nThis key political priority is reflected in the level of commitment\nappropriations requested in the Draft Budget. Competitiveness for\ngrowth and employment, with EUR 16 billion in commitment\nappropriations, and Cohesion for growth and employment, with EUR\n54.5 billion in commitment appropriations, support the EU economy\nby shaping the conditions for sustainable growth and\ngrowth-friendly consolidation, both immediately and in the longer\nterm.
\nAt the present final stage of the current financial\nframework, the Draft Budget for 2013 is established on the basis of\na two-fold approach:
\nOther characteristics of the 2013 budget:
\nKey aspects of the draft budget 2013 by financial\nframework headings:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable\ngrowth: this heading covers the expenses relating to\ncompetitiveness and employment as well as cohesion:
\nHeading 2: Preservation and Management of Natural\nResources: commitment appropriations\nof EUR 60 307.5 million are proposed for this heading. This level\nof funding represents an increase of 0.6% compared to 2012 and\nleaves a margin of EUR 981.5 million under the ceiling. Payment\nappropriations amount to EUR 57 964.9 million, which is an increase\nof 1.6% compared to 2012. Within this heading the amount foreseen\nfor market related expenditure and direct aids reaches EUR 44 130.3\nmillion in commitment appropriations, and EUR 44 112.9 million in\npayment appropriations.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: this heading is split into\ntwo sub-headings:
\nHeading 4: the EU as a Global Player: this heading sees an increase in commitment\nappropriations of 0.7 % to EUR 9 467.2 million, leaving an\nunallocated margin of EUR 391.9 million available under the\nceiling. Payment appropriations on the other hand increase by 5.1 %\nto EUR 7 311.6 million, mostly due to increases under IPA, ENPI,\nHumanitarian aid and CFSP, at a time when many instruments are\nreaching cruising speed.
\nHeading 5: Administrative expenditure:\nboth commitment and payment appropriations for\nthis heading for all Institutions combined increase by 3.2%, with\ncommitments set at EUR 8 544.4 million and payments at EUR 8 545.5\nmillion. This increase includes additional administrative\nexpenditure related to Croatia’s accession, amounting to EUR\n32.9 million for all Institutions. The administrative expenditure\nrelated to Croatia is included as from the beginning of 2013, so as\nto allow recruitments in due time. This remaining margin amounts to\nEUR 636.6 million.
\nThe Commission continues its efforts to limit its own\nadministrative expenditure by reducing expenditure less affected by\nautomatic adjustments. Moreover, further to its proposals to reduce\nthe staffing numbers of all Institutions and bodies by 5% over the\nyears 2013-2017, the Commission has reduced by 1% the number of\nposts in its establishment plans and has contained\nappropriations for its external personnel financed under all\nheadings (including in the six executive agencies), leading to a\ntotal staff reduction of 1%. As a result, when excluding pensions\nand European schools (both of which concern interinstitutional\nexpenditure), the increase in the Commission’s\nadministrative expenditure has been limited to 1.2% (1.5% when\nincluding Croatia’s accession) i.e. well below\ninflation.
\nThe Commission’s strict approach to\nadministration is to a large degree followed by the other\nInstitutions, leading to an overall increase of\nadministrative appropriations for the other Institutions of\n2.6% (3.3% including Croatia). The requested increases in\nexpenditure for 2013 (including Croatian enlargement) compared to\nthe 2012 budget range from 1.2% for the Council to 8.4% for the\nCourt of Justice, with most Institutions having an increase\n(excluding Croatia) of around or below inflation. Similar to the\nCommission’s approach, a 1% reduction in human resources is\nalso incorporated by the Council, the Court of Justice and the\nCourt of Auditors. When preparing the Draft Budget, the Commission\nhas modified the request of the Committee of the Regions, so as to\nalign its requested increase (excluding the impact of the accession\nof Croatia) to the expected rate of inflation (+ 1.9%). This has\nresulted in a reduction of EUR 0.4 million, as compared to the\ndraft statement of estimates of the Committee of the\nRegions.
\nIn conclusion, the\nCommission’s approach represents a responsible and coherent\nbudgetary proposal which is refocused on Growth and Jobs. It is\ncoherent with current restraints, efficient spending and the\nobligations of the Union. It provides a proposal which is both\ncredible for a smooth and timely adoption of the 2013 budget and\nresponsible for the future by containing the accumulation of\noutstanding commitments.
\nPURPOSE: to present the draft Commission budget for\nthe financial year 2013 (all budget sections).
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted the draft EU budget\nfor 2013. It will be the last annual budget of the present\nMultiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013. Aware of the current\neconomic situation, the Commission presents a budget fully geared\nto use its funding potential for growth and jobs in line with the\nEurope 2020 strategy.
\nInvestment is a crucial component of spurring this\ngrowth. The EU budget, with its high investment focus, has an\nimportant role to play as a leverage tool to Member States’\nrecovery policies, which will benefit economic activity across\nthe Union.
\nIn preparing its Draft Budget, the Commission has\nfollowed a rigorous approach in which:
\nThis approach contributes directly to growth and jobs\nin Europe, and which on the other hand is necessary to allow the EU\nbudget to meet its contractual obligations of current and previous\nyears.
\nIn terms of commitment appropriations, the\ntotal expenditure proposed in the draft budget (DB) 2013 is EUR 150\n931.7 million, corresponding to 1.13% of GNI, that is EUR 3 031.5\nmillion more than in 2012 (+ 2.0%). The restriction of the increase\nin the overall level of commitment appropriations to inflation\ncorrection (+ 2.0 %) leaves a combined total margin of EUR 2 420.4\nmillion under the various ceilings of the MFF.
\nFor payment appropriations, the total amounts\nto EUR 137 924.4 million, corresponding to 1.04% of GNI. This is an\nincrease of EUR 8 818.3 million compared to payment appropriations\nin the 2012 budget (+ 6.8%), and leaves a margin of EUR 6 182.6\nmillion under the ceiling of the MFF.
\nThe main priorities have been established for the 2013\nDraft Budget: in 2013. The EU will pursue its support to\ninvestment and to actions in favour of job-friendly growth.\nThis key political priority is reflected in the level of commitment\nappropriations requested in the Draft Budget. Competitiveness for\ngrowth and employment, with EUR 16 billion in commitment\nappropriations, and Cohesion for growth and employment, with EUR\n54.5 billion in commitment appropriations, support the EU economy\nby shaping the conditions for sustainable growth and\ngrowth-friendly consolidation, both immediately and in the longer\nterm.
\nAt the present final stage of the current financial\nframework, the Draft Budget for 2013 is established on the basis of\na two-fold approach:
\nOther characteristics of the 2013 budget:
\nKey aspects of the draft budget 2013 by financial\nframework headings:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable\ngrowth: this heading covers the expenses relating to\ncompetitiveness and employment as well as cohesion:
\nHeading 2: Preservation and Management of Natural\nResources: commitment appropriations\nof EUR 60 307.5 million are proposed for this heading. This level\nof funding represents an increase of 0.6% compared to 2012 and\nleaves a margin of EUR 981.5 million under the ceiling. Payment\nappropriations amount to EUR 57 964.9 million, which is an increase\nof 1.6% compared to 2012. Within this heading the amount foreseen\nfor market related expenditure and direct aids reaches EUR 44 130.3\nmillion in commitment appropriations, and EUR 44 112.9 million in\npayment appropriations.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: this heading is split into\ntwo sub-headings:
\nHeading 4: the EU as a Global Player: this heading sees an increase in commitment\nappropriations of 0.7 % to EUR 9 467.2 million, leaving an\nunallocated margin of EUR 391.9 million available under the\nceiling. Payment appropriations on the other hand increase by 5.1 %\nto EUR 7 311.6 million, mostly due to increases under IPA, ENPI,\nHumanitarian aid and CFSP, at a time when many instruments are\nreaching cruising speed.
\nHeading 5: Administrative expenditure:\nboth commitment and payment appropriations for\nthis heading for all Institutions combined increase by 3.2%, with\ncommitments set at EUR 8 544.4 million and payments at EUR 8 545.5\nmillion. This increase includes additional administrative\nexpenditure related to Croatia’s accession, amounting to EUR\n32.9 million for all Institutions. The administrative expenditure\nrelated to Croatia is included as from the beginning of 2013, so as\nto allow recruitments in due time. This remaining margin amounts to\nEUR 636.6 million.
\nThe Commission continues its efforts to limit its own\nadministrative expenditure by reducing expenditure less affected by\nautomatic adjustments. Moreover, further to its proposals to reduce\nthe staffing numbers of all Institutions and bodies by 5% over the\nyears 2013-2017, the Commission has reduced by 1% the number of\nposts in its establishment plans and has contained\nappropriations for its external personnel financed under all\nheadings (including in the six executive agencies), leading to a\ntotal staff reduction of 1%. As a result, when excluding pensions\nand European schools (both of which concern interinstitutional\nexpenditure), the increase in the Commission’s\nadministrative expenditure has been limited to 1.2% (1.5% when\nincluding Croatia’s accession) i.e. well below\ninflation.
\nThe Commission’s strict approach to\nadministration is to a large degree followed by the other\nInstitutions, leading to an overall increase of\nadministrative appropriations for the other Institutions of\n2.6% (3.3% including Croatia). The requested increases in\nexpenditure for 2013 (including Croatian enlargement) compared to\nthe 2012 budget range from 1.2% for the Council to 8.4% for the\nCourt of Justice, with most Institutions having an increase\n(excluding Croatia) of around or below inflation. Similar to the\nCommission’s approach, a 1% reduction in human resources is\nalso incorporated by the Council, the Court of Justice and the\nCourt of Auditors. When preparing the Draft Budget, the Commission\nhas modified the request of the Committee of the Regions, so as to\nalign its requested increase (excluding the impact of the accession\nof Croatia) to the expected rate of inflation (+ 1.9%). This has\nresulted in a reduction of EUR 0.4 million, as compared to the\ndraft statement of estimates of the Committee of the\nRegions.
\nIn conclusion, the\nCommission’s approach represents a responsible and coherent\nbudgetary proposal which is refocused on Growth and Jobs. It is\ncoherent with current restraints, efficient spending and the\nobligations of the Union. It provides a proposal which is both\ncredible for a smooth and timely adoption of the 2013 budget and\nresponsible for the future by containing the accumulation of\noutstanding commitments.
\nThe Committee on Budgets adopted the joint report by\nGiovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT) (section III – Commission) and Derek\nVAUGHAN (S&D, UK) on the Council position on the draft general\nbudget of the European Union for the financial year 2013 - all\nsections
\nMembers stress that the priorities expressed in the\nopinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in the present draft\nresolution.
\nSection III – Commission: the committee recalls that Parliament’s\npriorities for the 2013 budget, as detailed in its resolution of 4\nJuly 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue, consist in: support for\nsustainable growth, competitiveness and employment, particularly\nfor SMEs and youth. It points out that the Commission's draft\nbudget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and is aware of the\nsevere difficulties arising from the state of the national\neconomies and of the need for a responsible and realistic reading.\nMembers cannot accept, however, the approach according to which\nthe EU budget is made the source for possible savings with the same\nproportion and logic applied to the national budgets, given the\nsubstantial difference in nature, objectives and structure. They\nhighlight that decreasing EU resources will surely result in a lack\nof investment and liquidity in the Member States.
\nMembers underline that the EU budget is to be seen\nas a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Members deplore the decision\nof the Council to proceed again this year with the usual approach\nof horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at artificially reducing\nthe level of the EU's resources for 2013 by an overall total of EUR\n1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR\n5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment appropriations\n(PA).
\nThey are surprised that the Council has not taken into\naccount latest Commission's forecasts for programmes'\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. The\nreport warns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: underlines that the current procedures for assessing\nthe real needs for payment appropriations for Member States take\nplace in total obscurity. The committee carries out a survey of the\nCouncil’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Members consider that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this priority. They\nalso reject the Council's argument that these cuts correspond to\nunder-implemented or low-performing programmes, (e.g. the Lifelong\nLearning Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework\nProgramme (CIP) under Heading 1a and the Competitiveness and\nEmployment objective under Heading 1b), since such criteria\ncompletely disregard the multiannual character of the EU's\npolicies, and of cohesion policy in particular, characterised by a\nrising profile of payments towards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: due to recent experience, the committee does not deem\nthe declaration of payments proposed by the Council in its reading\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\neventually be made available for all headings. The Budgets\nCommittee takes the general approach, therefore, of restoring, at\nthe level of DB payments cut by Council in all headings and\nincreasing payment appropriations over DB on a selected number of\nlines characterised by high levels of implementation within each\nheading, in particular Headings 1a and 4, to cover the real\nneeds of the corresponding programmes, as identified by the\nCommission. It calls on the European Parliament to mandate its\ndelegation for the Budget 2013 conciliation not to\naccept any level of payments both for the Amending budget\n6/2012 and the Budget 2013 that does not fully cover the payment\nneeds for 2012 and 2013, as estimated by the Commission.\nMembers recall that Council completely disregarded Parliament's\npriorities, as expressed in Parliament's mandate for the trilogue\nbut that Parliament's reading is based instead upon benchmarks\narising from that mandate.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: the report underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. Members cannot, therefore, accept\nCouncil's decision to reduce commitment appropriations further down\nto 1.27% compared to budget 2012. They set the overall level of\nappropriations for 2013 to:
\n\n· \nEUR 151 151.84 million in commitment\nappropriations and
\n\n· \nEUR 137 898.15 million in payment\nappropriations.
\nWith regard to each of the budget headings, Members\nmake the following points:
\nHeading 1: they deplore\nthat Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the Council's\ncuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1) and is the\nmost affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9 billion or\n-14% compared to DB). They decide to undo almost all cuts by\nCouncil and to reinforce above DB in commitment and payment\nappropriations only a selected number of lines directly linked to\nthe objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
\nMembers make the following amendments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \nincrease commitment and payment appropriations\nin favour of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme\n(CIP) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme and CIP Intelligent\nEnergy Europe;
\n\n· \npartly compensate of decreases to ITER by\nsetting commitments above DB on a selected number of operational\nFP7 lines directly underpinning the Europe 2020 strategy and\ncharacterised by excellent levels of implementation and strong\nabsorption capacity;
\n\n· \nfinance this partial offset above the available\nmargin through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for\nan amount of EUR 50 million;
\n\n· \nincrease appropriations for Lifelong Learning\nand Erasmus Mundus programmes which, against modest financial\nenvelopes, provide great returns in terms of effective\nimplementation and positive image of the Union\nvis-à-vis its citizens;
\n\n· \nmaintain the level of commitments and payments\nproposed in the DB for projects of common interest in the\nTrans-European transport network;
\n\n· \nrestore DB payments for the European\nGlobalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);
\nHeading 1b: Members\nstrongly deplore the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR 1.6 billion\nor -3.3% as compared to DB) by the Council affecting the Regional\nCompetitiveness and Employment objective (-12.9%), the European\nTerritorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%) and the Cohesion Fund\n(-4.7%). Recalling the doubts expressed in its mandate for the\ntrilogue as to whether the level of payments proposed in the DB\nwill be sufficient to reimburse the totality of the expected\npayment claims in the absence of an amending budget this year, the\ncommittee rejects the cuts introduced by the Council on Heading 1b,\nwhich would lead to a much more serious shortage in payments than\nalready expected and would also lead to a strong increase in the\nlevel of RAL by the end of next year. It does not consider the\nCouncil's declaration asking the Commission to submit a draft\namending budget in case of insufficient payments under Heading 1b\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\nbe made available in 2013, given that similar commitments have been\nalready undertaken and disregarded by the Council in the past two\nyears. Members ask the Council Presidency to make a public\nstatement and explain the discrepancy between the Council's reading\non payments and the actual needs of Member States, as expressed\nin their estimates.
\nIn sum, the committee decides to restore the DB in\ncommitments and in payments for all budget lines cut by Council\nunder this heading. It urges the Council to agree on Draft amending\nbudget 6/2012 presented by the Commission with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nHeading 2: Members\nconsider that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestore, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level of\nEUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. They\nreject the increase of the so-called negative expenditure line\n(clearance of accounts) as this appears to be set artificially high\ncompared to Heading 2 appropriations and partly restores the\nCommission's proposal, allowing a more realistic\napproach.
\nThey also make the following adjustments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \ngranting an adequate level for producer groups\nfor preliminary recognition;
\n\n· \nsufficient increase of the Union's contribution\nto the crisis fund within operational funds for producer\norganisations;
\n\n· \nincreased support for the school milk programme\nand the continued support for programme concerning school\nfruit;
\n\n· \nmaintaining the budget allocation dedicated to\nthe Food Distribution Programme for the Most Deprived Persons in\nthe with Members welcoming the effort made by the Commission in\nfinding a political and legal solution to continue with the\nprogramme in 2013;
\n\n· \ncontinued support on a commensurate level for\nthe LIFE+ programme,
\n\n· \nmaintaining financing of the CFP at the proposed\nDB levels, in view of its upcoming reform.
\nMembers state they support the reduction of some\nbudget lines on refunds drastically, in some cases even to zero, as\nthis instrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Members\nreject the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\n\n· \nEuropean Return Fund (-EUR 18\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Refugee Fund (-EUR 1.8\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Fund for the Integration of\nthird-country nationals (-EUR 3.2 million) and Fundamental Rights\nand Citizenship (-EUR 1 million).
\nThey decide, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. They also increase the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nMembers also reject the Council's unilateral\ndecision to change the legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen\nevaluation mechanism\" from ordinary legislative procedure to\nArticle 70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.\nThey support the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and endorse, therefore, the position taken by the\nCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to put into\nthe reserve some budgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to\ninternal security (in commitment and payment appropriations) until\na satisfactory outcome is achieved on the Schengen governance\npackage.
\nHeading 3b: emphasising\nthe need to encourage cross-cultural communication and EU\ncitizenship within the next generation, the committee has\ndecided to increase funding for the Youth in Action programme\ncompared to DB. It also reinforces appropriations for the\nEuropean Year of Citizens 2013 together with the latter’s\ncommunication activities.
\nHeading 4: Members\nhighlights that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. They\nconsider that such a massive reduction would impede the Union to\nrespect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene and they decide to restore the level of both\ncommitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to the\nlevels proposed in the DB.
\nMembers considers, however, that some decreases\ncompared to the DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such\nas
\n\n· \nmacro-Financial Assistance,
\n\n· \nmembership of international organisations in the\nfield of customs and tax and
\n\n· \ncooperation with Greenland.
\nThey propose a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, the committee increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nMembers welcome the efforts of most institutions, including\nParliament and the Commission, which complied with and even\noverstepped their commitment to restrict their administrative\nbudgets to an increase below the expected inflation\nrate.
\nFor all the institutions apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, they decide to restore (or in the\ncase of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. The\ncommittee warns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary\nauthority will need to accommodate the retroactive effect of such\nruling for years 2011 and 2012, including late interest.
\nIt also undoes other cuts brought by the Council on\nspecific items of administrative expenditure, notably, within the\nCommission, on ICT equipment and services and some\noffices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\npartly, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of\na case-by-case approach, Members call for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nThey note with concern that staff cuts were made\nwithin the Commission and ask the Commission to include in its\nannual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. They\nalso set a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information.
\nAgencies: whilst\nendorsing, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of\nagencies' budgetary and staff needs and noting that the Commission\nhad already considerably reduced the agencies' initial requests)\nMembers consider that any further cuts as proposed by the Council\nwould endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and would not\nallow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned. They\ndecide to increase the 2013 budget appropriations for the three\nfinancial supervision agencies.
\nMembers are aware that certain agencies (such as\nEuropol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in 2013\nwhich might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013 and request the Commission, in case of\nnecessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the relevant\nagency. They also expect the Commission to present a new financial\nstatement when a legislative procedure has been finalised by\nParliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nThe committee is concerned by the Council's position\nof a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing that each\ninstitution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking\ninto account the needs and specific situation of each institution.\nIt welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find additional\nsavings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the costs of the\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament:\nMembers point out that the level of its 2013 budget is 1.9%\nabove the 2012 budget including the costs for Croatian accession\nbut that due to the current inflation rate of 1.9%, there is a real\ndecrease of the operating budget, despite recently added\ncompetences, new posts and actions, the financing of Croatia's\naccession and the costs for preparing the 2014 elections. They\napprove the following adjustments to the estimates:
\n\n· \nreduce the appropriations in the contingency\nreserve,
\n\n· \ninternalise the security service in a\nbudget-neutral manner,
\n\n· \npursue the internalisation of ICT\nactivities
\n\n· \nadjust the appropriations for the European\nParliamentary Association;
\n\n· \nreduction of appropriations for the House of\nEuropean History by EUR 5.3 million;
\nMembers believe that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements and\ndeclare, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament\nitself.
\nThey go on to make other remarks on Parliament’s\ninternal organisation, travel, ICT expenditure and\ntranslation.
\nOther institutions:\nlastly, Members make a series of recommendations on the other\ninstitutions and bodies of the EU calling generally for the\nrestoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in order to\nenable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nThe Committee on Budgets adopted the joint report by\nGiovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT) (section III – Commission) and Derek\nVAUGHAN (S&D, UK) on the Council position on the draft general\nbudget of the European Union for the financial year 2013 - all\nsections
\nMembers stress that the priorities expressed in the\nopinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in the present draft\nresolution.
\nSection III – Commission: the committee recalls that Parliament’s\npriorities for the 2013 budget, as detailed in its resolution of 4\nJuly 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue, consist in: support for\nsustainable growth, competitiveness and employment, particularly\nfor SMEs and youth. It points out that the Commission's draft\nbudget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and is aware of the\nsevere difficulties arising from the state of the national\neconomies and of the need for a responsible and realistic reading.\nMembers cannot accept, however, the approach according to which\nthe EU budget is made the source for possible savings with the same\nproportion and logic applied to the national budgets, given the\nsubstantial difference in nature, objectives and structure. They\nhighlight that decreasing EU resources will surely result in a lack\nof investment and liquidity in the Member States.
\nMembers underline that the EU budget is to be seen\nas a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Members deplore the decision\nof the Council to proceed again this year with the usual approach\nof horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at artificially reducing\nthe level of the EU's resources for 2013 by an overall total of EUR\n1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR\n5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment appropriations\n(PA).
\nThey are surprised that the Council has not taken into\naccount latest Commission's forecasts for programmes'\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. The\nreport warns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: underlines that the current procedures for assessing\nthe real needs for payment appropriations for Member States take\nplace in total obscurity. The committee carries out a survey of the\nCouncil’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Members consider that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this priority. They\nalso reject the Council's argument that these cuts correspond to\nunder-implemented or low-performing programmes, (e.g. the Lifelong\nLearning Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework\nProgramme (CIP) under Heading 1a and the Competitiveness and\nEmployment objective under Heading 1b), since such criteria\ncompletely disregard the multiannual character of the EU's\npolicies, and of cohesion policy in particular, characterised by a\nrising profile of payments towards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: due to recent experience, the committee does not deem\nthe declaration of payments proposed by the Council in its reading\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\neventually be made available for all headings. The Budgets\nCommittee takes the general approach, therefore, of restoring, at\nthe level of DB payments cut by Council in all headings and\nincreasing payment appropriations over DB on a selected number of\nlines characterised by high levels of implementation within each\nheading, in particular Headings 1a and 4, to cover the real\nneeds of the corresponding programmes, as identified by the\nCommission. It calls on the European Parliament to mandate its\ndelegation for the Budget 2013 conciliation not to\naccept any level of payments both for the Amending budget\n6/2012 and the Budget 2013 that does not fully cover the payment\nneeds for 2012 and 2013, as estimated by the Commission.\nMembers recall that Council completely disregarded Parliament's\npriorities, as expressed in Parliament's mandate for the trilogue\nbut that Parliament's reading is based instead upon benchmarks\narising from that mandate.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: the report underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. Members cannot, therefore, accept\nCouncil's decision to reduce commitment appropriations further down\nto 1.27% compared to budget 2012. They set the overall level of\nappropriations for 2013 to:
\n\n· \nEUR 151 151.84 million in commitment\nappropriations and
\n\n· \nEUR 137 898.15 million in payment\nappropriations.
\nWith regard to each of the budget headings, Members\nmake the following points:
\nHeading 1: they deplore\nthat Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the Council's\ncuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1) and is the\nmost affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9 billion or\n-14% compared to DB). They decide to undo almost all cuts by\nCouncil and to reinforce above DB in commitment and payment\nappropriations only a selected number of lines directly linked to\nthe objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
\nMembers make the following amendments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \nincrease commitment and payment appropriations\nin favour of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme\n(CIP) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme and CIP Intelligent\nEnergy Europe;
\n\n· \npartly compensate of decreases to ITER by\nsetting commitments above DB on a selected number of operational\nFP7 lines directly underpinning the Europe 2020 strategy and\ncharacterised by excellent levels of implementation and strong\nabsorption capacity;
\n\n· \nfinance this partial offset above the available\nmargin through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for\nan amount of EUR 50 million;
\n\n· \nincrease appropriations for Lifelong Learning\nand Erasmus Mundus programmes which, against modest financial\nenvelopes, provide great returns in terms of effective\nimplementation and positive image of the Union\nvis-à-vis its citizens;
\n\n· \nmaintain the level of commitments and payments\nproposed in the DB for projects of common interest in the\nTrans-European transport network;
\n\n· \nrestore DB payments for the European\nGlobalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);
\nHeading 1b: Members\nstrongly deplore the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR 1.6 billion\nor -3.3% as compared to DB) by the Council affecting the Regional\nCompetitiveness and Employment objective (-12.9%), the European\nTerritorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%) and the Cohesion Fund\n(-4.7%). Recalling the doubts expressed in its mandate for the\ntrilogue as to whether the level of payments proposed in the DB\nwill be sufficient to reimburse the totality of the expected\npayment claims in the absence of an amending budget this year, the\ncommittee rejects the cuts introduced by the Council on Heading 1b,\nwhich would lead to a much more serious shortage in payments than\nalready expected and would also lead to a strong increase in the\nlevel of RAL by the end of next year. It does not consider the\nCouncil's declaration asking the Commission to submit a draft\namending budget in case of insufficient payments under Heading 1b\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\nbe made available in 2013, given that similar commitments have been\nalready undertaken and disregarded by the Council in the past two\nyears. Members ask the Council Presidency to make a public\nstatement and explain the discrepancy between the Council's reading\non payments and the actual needs of Member States, as expressed\nin their estimates.
\nIn sum, the committee decides to restore the DB in\ncommitments and in payments for all budget lines cut by Council\nunder this heading. It urges the Council to agree on Draft amending\nbudget 6/2012 presented by the Commission with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nHeading 2: Members\nconsider that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestore, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level of\nEUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. They\nreject the increase of the so-called negative expenditure line\n(clearance of accounts) as this appears to be set artificially high\ncompared to Heading 2 appropriations and partly restores the\nCommission's proposal, allowing a more realistic\napproach.
\nThey also make the following adjustments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \ngranting an adequate level for producer groups\nfor preliminary recognition;
\n\n· \nsufficient increase of the Union's contribution\nto the crisis fund within operational funds for producer\norganisations;
\n\n· \nincreased support for the school milk programme\nand the continued support for programme concerning school\nfruit;
\n\n· \nmaintaining the budget allocation dedicated to\nthe Food Distribution Programme for the Most Deprived Persons in\nthe with Members welcoming the effort made by the Commission in\nfinding a political and legal solution to continue with the\nprogramme in 2013;
\n\n· \ncontinued support on a commensurate level for\nthe LIFE+ programme,
\n\n· \nmaintaining financing of the CFP at the proposed\nDB levels, in view of its upcoming reform.
\nMembers state they support the reduction of some\nbudget lines on refunds drastically, in some cases even to zero, as\nthis instrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Members\nreject the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\n\n· \nEuropean Return Fund (-EUR 18\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Refugee Fund (-EUR 1.8\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Fund for the Integration of\nthird-country nationals (-EUR 3.2 million) and Fundamental Rights\nand Citizenship (-EUR 1 million).
\nThey decide, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. They also increase the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nMembers also reject the Council's unilateral\ndecision to change the legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen\nevaluation mechanism\" from ordinary legislative procedure to\nArticle 70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.\nThey support the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and endorse, therefore, the position taken by the\nCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to put into\nthe reserve some budgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to\ninternal security (in commitment and payment appropriations) until\na satisfactory outcome is achieved on the Schengen governance\npackage.
\nHeading 3b: emphasising\nthe need to encourage cross-cultural communication and EU\ncitizenship within the next generation, the committee has\ndecided to increase funding for the Youth in Action programme\ncompared to DB. It also reinforces appropriations for the\nEuropean Year of Citizens 2013 together with the latter’s\ncommunication activities.
\nHeading 4: Members\nhighlights that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. They\nconsider that such a massive reduction would impede the Union to\nrespect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene and they decide to restore the level of both\ncommitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to the\nlevels proposed in the DB.
\nMembers considers, however, that some decreases\ncompared to the DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such\nas
\n\n· \nmacro-Financial Assistance,
\n\n· \nmembership of international organisations in the\nfield of customs and tax and
\n\n· \ncooperation with Greenland.
\nThey propose a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, the committee increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nMembers welcome the efforts of most institutions, including\nParliament and the Commission, which complied with and even\noverstepped their commitment to restrict their administrative\nbudgets to an increase below the expected inflation\nrate.
\nFor all the institutions apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, they decide to restore (or in the\ncase of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. The\ncommittee warns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary\nauthority will need to accommodate the retroactive effect of such\nruling for years 2011 and 2012, including late interest.
\nIt also undoes other cuts brought by the Council on\nspecific items of administrative expenditure, notably, within the\nCommission, on ICT equipment and services and some\noffices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\npartly, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of\na case-by-case approach, Members call for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nThey note with concern that staff cuts were made\nwithin the Commission and ask the Commission to include in its\nannual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. They\nalso set a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information.
\nAgencies: whilst\nendorsing, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of\nagencies' budgetary and staff needs and noting that the Commission\nhad already considerably reduced the agencies' initial requests)\nMembers consider that any further cuts as proposed by the Council\nwould endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and would not\nallow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned. They\ndecide to increase the 2013 budget appropriations for the three\nfinancial supervision agencies.
\nMembers are aware that certain agencies (such as\nEuropol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in 2013\nwhich might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013 and request the Commission, in case of\nnecessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the relevant\nagency. They also expect the Commission to present a new financial\nstatement when a legislative procedure has been finalised by\nParliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nThe committee is concerned by the Council's position\nof a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing that each\ninstitution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking\ninto account the needs and specific situation of each institution.\nIt welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find additional\nsavings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the costs of the\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament:\nMembers point out that the level of its 2013 budget is 1.9%\nabove the 2012 budget including the costs for Croatian accession\nbut that due to the current inflation rate of 1.9%, there is a real\ndecrease of the operating budget, despite recently added\ncompetences, new posts and actions, the financing of Croatia's\naccession and the costs for preparing the 2014 elections. They\napprove the following adjustments to the estimates:
\n\n· \nreduce the appropriations in the contingency\nreserve,
\n\n· \ninternalise the security service in a\nbudget-neutral manner,
\n\n· \npursue the internalisation of ICT\nactivities
\n\n· \nadjust the appropriations for the European\nParliamentary Association;
\n\n· \nreduction of appropriations for the House of\nEuropean History by EUR 5.3 million;
\nMembers believe that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements and\ndeclare, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament\nitself.
\nThey go on to make other remarks on Parliament’s\ninternal organisation, travel, ICT expenditure and\ntranslation.
\nOther institutions:\nlastly, Members make a series of recommendations on the other\ninstitutions and bodies of the EU calling generally for the\nrestoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in order to\nenable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nLa commission des\nbudgets a adopté le rapport commun de Giovanni LA VIA (PPE,\nIT) (section III – Commission) et Derek VAUGHAN (S&D, UK)\n(autres sections) sur la position du Conseil sur le projet de\nbudget général de l'Union européenne pour\nl'exercice 2013 – toutes\nsections.
\nLes\ndéputés soulignent à titre préliminaire\nque les priorités énoncées dans les avis\némis par ses commissions spécialisées\nainsi que celles qui se sont dégagées à\nl'occasion des réunions avec les rapporteurs\nspécialisés dans les questions budgétaires ont\nété prises en considération dans toute la\nmesure du possible dans la présente proposition\nrésolution. Dans ce contexte, ces derniers se prononcent\ncomme suit :
\nSection III\n– Commission :
\nLes\ndéputés rappellent que les priorités que le\nParlement avait énoncées pour le budget 2013 dans sa\nrésolution du 4 juillet 2012 ont été prises en\ncompte : elles consistaient à soutenir la croissance\ndurable, la compétitivité et l'emploi,\nparticulièrement pour les PME et les jeunes. Ils se\nfélicitent de ce que le projet de budget (PB) de la\nCommission reflète ces priorités du Parlement,\nconscients par ailleurs, des graves difficultés dues\nà l'état des économies nationales et à\nla nécessité d'une lecture réaliste et\nresponsable du budget.
\nLes\ndéputés refusent toutefois d'accepter la position\nqui voudrait que le budget de l'Union européenne puisse\nfaire l'objet d'économies de même ampleur et suivant\nla même logique que celles qui valent pour les budgets\nnationaux étant donné leurs différences\nfondamentales en termes de nature, d'objectifs et de structure. Ces\nderniers considèrent en effet qu'une diminution des moyens\nde l'Union se traduirait à coup sûr par un manque\nd'investissements et de liquidités dans les États\nmembres.
\nPour les\ndéputés, le budget doit être vu comme un\ninstrument complémentaire de soutien aux économies\ndes États membres, à même de canaliser les\ninitiatives et les investissements dans des domaines\nstratégiques pour la croissance et la création\nd'emploi ainsi que pour apporter un effet de levier dans des\nsecteurs qui dépassent les frontières nationales. Ce\nrôle est en outre légitimé par ces mêmes\nÉtats membres qui, avec le Parlement, sont responsables des\ndécisions qui sont à l'origine de la plupart des\ntextes législatifs européens.
\nRappelant que\nl'exercice 2013 sera le dernier du cadre financier pluriannuel\n(CFP) actuel, les députés regrettent que le Conseil\nait à nouveau procédé cette année aux\nréductions horizontales habituelles du PB dans le but\nde faire baisser artificiellement les ressources de l'Union d'un\nmontant global de 1,155 milliards EUR (-0.8%) en crédits\nd'engagement et de 5,228 milliards EUR (-3,8%) en\ncrédits de paiement par rapport au PB.
\nLes\ndéputés sont également surpris de constater\nque le Conseil n'ait pas tenu compte des dernières\nprévisions de la Commission pour la mise en œuvre des\nprogrammes, lesquelles se basent sur les estimations mêmes\ndes États membres. Une fois encore, les\ndéputés mettent en garde contre un risque\nélevé de manque de crédits de paiement,\nnotamment aux rubriques 1a, 1b et 2, ce qui risque\négalement de se traduire par des moyens insuffisants pour\npermettre à l'Union d'honorer ses obligations.
\nDes\nréductions de crédits de paiement dommageables\nà la croissance : mettant en évidence\ncertaines lacunes en matière de transparence des\ndépenses des États membres, les députés\nfont un état des lieux des réductions\neffectuées par le Conseil en constant l’impact\nparticulièrement préoccupant de ces réductions\npour les rubriques 1a et 1b (respectivement -1,9 milliard EUR\net -1,6 milliard EUR en crédits de paiement par rapport au\nPB), alors qu'il s'agit de celles qui couvrent la plupart des\ninitiatives et programmes destinés à la\nréalisation des objectifs de la stratégie Europe\n2020. Ils soulignent que ces réductions vont totalement\nà l'encontre des conclusions du Conseil européen de\njuin 2012, qui a qualifié le budget de l'Union de\n\"catalyseur de croissance et vecteur d'emploi dans toute l'Europe\"\net décidé de mobiliser des moyens, dont 55 milliards\nEUR des fonds structurels, en faveur de mesures destinées\nà stimuler la croissance. Les députés estiment\npar conséquent que cette décision, prise au niveau\npolitique le plus élevé de l'Union, doit se traduire,\nen 2013, par l'octroi de crédits de paiement suffisants aux\nprogrammes et actions qui appuient cette priorité.
\nLes\ndéputés ne peuvent en outre pas accepter l'argument\ndu Conseil qui affirme que ces réductions portent sur des\nprogrammes peu utilisés ou donnant de mauvais\nrésultats (éducation et de formation tout au long de\nla vie ou le PIC, etc.) car les critères retenus ne tiennent\nabsolument pas compte de la nature pluriannuelle des politiques de\nl'Union, et de la politique de cohésion en particulier, qui\nse caractérisent par une hausse progressive des paiements en\nfin de CFP.
\nPar ailleurs, cette\ndiminution importante du niveau des crédits de paiement se\ntraduirait mathématiquement par une nouvelle augmentation\ndes RAL de l'ordre de 4,1 milliards EUR en fin d'exercice, sachant\nque la majeure partie des RAL se rapporte à la politique de\ncohésion (65,6%) et aux secteurs liés à la\nR&D (10,5%).
\nRétablir\nles crédits de paiement du projet de budget pour permettre\naux principaux programmes de l’UE de fonctionner :\npar expérience, les députés ne\nconsidèrent pas que la déclaration relative aux\ncrédits de paiement que le Conseil a proposée lors de\nsa lecture du budget, suffise à garantir la mise à\ndisposition de crédits de paiement suffisants pour toutes\nles rubriques le moment venu. Par conséquent, la\ncommission des budgets adopte une politique générale\nde rétablissement, au niveau du PB, des crédits de\npaiement ayant fait l'objet de réductions par le Conseil\nainsi qu'une hausse, par rapport au PB, des crédits de\npaiement d'une série de lignes caractérisées\npar un taux d'exécution élevé au sein des\ndiverses rubriques, et notamment des rubriques 1a et 4, afin\nde couvrir les besoins réels des programmes correspondants\ntels qu'ils ont été définis par la Commission.\nIls appellent le Parlement européen à donner\nd’ores et déjà mandat à sa\ndélégation chargée de la conciliation sur le\nbudget 2013 de refuser, aussi bien pour le budget rectificatif\nn° 6/2012 que pour le budget 2013, les paiements dont le\nniveau ne permettrait pas de couvrir intégralement les\nbesoins de paiements de 2012 et de 2013 tels qu'ils ont\nété estimés par la Commission. Ils rappellent\nau passage que le Conseil n'a absolument pas tenu compte des\npriorités du Parlement au moment du trilogue\nbudgétaire, alors que la lecture du Parlement se fonde,\nelle, sur les derniers chiffres et données pertinentes.
\n\n« Plus d’Europe et non moins\nd’Europe » : les députés\nconsidèrent que pour surmonter la crise il faut plus\nd'Europe, et non moins d'Europe, et ce, afin de relancer les\ninvestissements, de stimuler la création d'emplois et de\ncontribuer à redonner confiance dans l'économie. Ils\ns’inscrivent donc totalement en faux sur la position du\nConseil qui tend à réduire encore les crédits\nd'engagement pour les limiter à 1,27% par rapport au budget\n2012.
\nLes\ndéputés fixent donc le niveau global des\ncrédits de 2013 à :
\nEn ce qui concerne\nchacune des rubriques budgétaires, les députés\ns'expriment comme :
\nRubrique\n1a : les députés regrettent que la rubrique\n1a doive pratiquement supporter la totalité des\nréductions des crédits d'engagement effectuées\npar le Conseil à la rubrique 1 (-2,9% par rapport au PB) et\nqu'il s'agisse de la rubrique la plus touchée par la\nréduction des crédits de paiement (-1,9 milliard EUR,\nsoit -14% par rapport au PB). Les députés\nannulent dès lors la plupart des réductions\neffectuées par le Conseil. Ils opèrent en outre les\nmodifications budgétaires suivantes :
\nRubrique\n1b : une fois encore, les députés\ndéplorent les restrictions drastiques des crédits de\npaiement (-1,6 milliard EUR, soit -3,3% par rapport au PB)\neffectuées par le Conseil dans l'objectif\n\"compétitivité régionale et emploi\" (12,9%),\nl'objectif \"coopération territoriale européenne\"\n(-18,7%) et le Fonds de cohésion (-4,7%). Rappelant les\ndoutes exprimés dans son mandat pour le trilogue quant au\ncaractère suffisant du niveau des paiements proposé\ndans le PB pour rembourser la totalité des créances\nprévues en l'absence de budget rectificatif cette\nannée, les députés refusent les\nréductions effectuées par le Conseil à la\nrubrique 1b car elles entraîneraient une pénurie de\ncrédits de paiement bien plus grave qu'escompté.\nCette situation augmenterait en outre de manière drastique\nle niveau du RAL à la fin de l'année prochaine. Les\ndéputés récusent en outre la position du\nConseil qui appelle la Commission à présenter un\nprojet de budget rectificatif en cas de crédits de paiement\ninsuffisants, sachant qu'au cours des deux années\nécoulées, il avait pris des engagements semblables\ndont il n'avait ensuite plus tenu compte. Dans ce contexte, les\ndéputés appellent le Parlement à demander\nà la présidence du Conseil d'exposer dans une\ndéclaration publique les raisons pour lesquelles les\ncrédits de paiement fixés par le Conseil lors de sa\nlecture du budget diffèrent des besoins réels des\nÉtats membres tels qu'ils les ont définis dans\nleurs prévisions. Dans la foulée, les\ndéputés rétablissent le niveau du PB les\ncrédits d'engagement et de paiement de toutes les lignes\nbudgétaires ayant fait l'objet de réductions par le\nConseil dans cette rubrique. Ils appellent en outre le Conseil\nà accepter le projet de budget rectificatif n° 6/2012\nafin de compenser le manque de crédits de paiement du\nprésent exercice et de ne pas bloquer l'exécution des\nprojets en cours à la fin de la période de\nprogrammation.
\nRubrique\n2 : les députés estiment que l'estimation\ndes besoins budgétaires par la Commission est plus\nréaliste que les prévisions du Conseil. Ils\nrétablissent dès lors les montants réduits par\nle Conseil dans cette rubrique au niveau de 60.307,51 millions EUR,\nsoit 0,6% au-dessus des chiffres du budget 2012. Ils rejettent\nl'augmentation de la ligne de dépense négative\n(apurement des comptes), qui semble artificiellement\nélevée par rapport aux crédits de la rubrique\n2, et rétablissent les chiffres de la proposition de la\nCommission.
\nIls font\négalement les ajustements budgétaires\nsuivants :
\nLes\ndéputés se disent également favorables\nà la réduction drastique, et dans certains cas\nà l'annulation, des crédits de certaines lignes\nbudgétaires prévoyant des restitutions car il s'agit\nd'un instrument politiquement controversé.
\nRubrique\n3a : les députés rejettent en bloc les\nréductions effectuées par le Conseil pour les\ncrédits de paiement des domaines suivants de cette\nrubrique:
\nIls\ndécident, en conséquence, de rétablir les\ncrédits des lignes correspondantes au niveau du PB. Ils\nrelèvent également les crédits du programme\nDAPHNE vu l’impact très positif de ce programme\nau-delà du niveau du PB.
\nIls rejettent\négalement la décision unilatérale du Conseil\nde modifier la base juridique de la proposition relative au\nmécanisme d'évaluation de Schengen afin qu'elle\nne relève plus de la procédure législative\nordinaire, mais de l'article 70 du traité sur le\nfonctionnement de l'Union européenne. Ils soutiennent la\ndécision de la Conférence des présidents de\nsuspendre toute coopération avec le Conseil sur le budget\n2013 en ce qui concerne les aspects liés à la\nsécurité intérieure et confirment la position\nadoptée par sa commission des libertés civiles, de la\njustice et des affaires intérieures de placer en\nréserve les crédits (d'engagement et de paiement) de\ncertaines lignes budgétaires du titre 18 qui ont trait\nà la sécurité intérieure dans l'attente\nd'une issue satisfaisante sur les propositions relatives à\nla gouvernance de l'espace Schengen.
\nRubrique\n3b : soulignant la nécessité\nd’encourager la communication entre les cultures ainsi que la\ncitoyenneté de l'Union au cours de la prochaine\ngénération, les députés décident\nd'augmenter les crédits du programme \"Jeunesse en action\"\npar rapport au PB. Ils décident en outre de revoir\nà la hausse les crédits de l'Année\neuropéenne des citoyens 2013 et les activités de\ncommunication qui y sont liées.
\nRubrique\n4 : les députés soulignent que les\nréductions opérées par le Conseil dans les\npaiements de la rubrique 4 (-1 milliard EUR, soit -14,1% par\nrapport au PB) représentent environ 20% de l'ensemble des\nréductions pour les différentes rubriques. Ils\nestiment que cette réduction massive risque\nd'empêcher l'Union de respecter les engagements qu'elle a\npris sur la scène internationale. Ils\nrétablissent dès lors, pour la plupart des lignes\nbudgétaires, le niveau des crédits d'engagement et de\npaiement proposé dans le PB.
\nIls\nconsidèrent toutefois que des réductions par rapport\nau PB peuvent être acceptées dans certaines lignes\nbudgétaires, comme celles relatives à :
\nIls proposent une\nlégère augmentation des crédits d'engagement\net de paiement par rapport au PB pour les lignes budgétaires\nrelatives aux zones géographiques de coopération au\ndéveloppement ainsi qu'aux missions d'observation\nélectorale et au Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida, la\ntuberculose et le paludisme.
\nConsidérant\nque l'augmentation du financement alloué à la\nPalestine et à l'UNRWA est capitale pour que ce dernier\ndispose des moyens indispensables aux services essentiels dont\nl'assemblée générale des Nations unies l'a\nchargé et pour assurer la sécurité et la\nsubsistance des réfugiés, les députés\nrenforcent le budget y consacré. Ils augmentent en\noutre l'enveloppe financière destinée à\nsoutenir la communauté chypriote turque.
\nRubrique\n5 : prenant acte de la position du Conseil, qui consiste\nà réduire les montants proposés par la\nCommission pour les différentes sections de la rubrique 5\nd'un montant total de 146 millions EUR, malgré les efforts\naccomplis par les institutions, en vue de parvenir à un\nrééquilibrage des dépenses administratives,\nles députés saluent les efforts des institutions,\ndont le Parlement et la Commission, qui ont respecté, voire\ndépassé leurs engagements consistant à\nmaintenir l'augmentation de leurs budgets administratifs en-dessous\ndes prévisions d'inflation.
\nPour toutes les\ninstitutions, sauf le Conseil, ainsi que pour les écoles\neuropéennes, les députés décident de\nrétablir (ou, dans le cas de la Cour de justice, d'inscrire)\nen réserve pour l'exercice 2013 les montants correspondant\nà l'adaptation salariale de 1,7% pour 2011, en attendant\nl'arrêt de la Cour de justice. Cette mesure répond au\nprincipe de bonne gestion budgétaire, compte tenu de la\nprobabilité d'un arrêt favorable à la\nCommission. Ils avertissent le Conseil que, le cas\néchéant, l'autorité budgétaire devra\nappliquer cet arrêt avec effet rétroactif aux\nexercices 2011 et 2012, avec les intérêts de\nretard.
\nLes\ndéputés annulent également d'autres\nréductions réalisées par le Conseil concernant\ncertains postes de dépenses administratives, notamment\nà la Commission, au niveau des équipements et\nservices informatiques et de certains bureaux.
\nTout en\nrétablissant ou en conservant les demandes de postes\nprésentées par la Commission et, en partie, celles\némanant d'autres institutions, après un examen au cas\npar cas, les députés appellent à la\nréalisation d'une analyse d'impact approfondie sur les\nréductions d'effectifs prévues d'ici 2018, en tenant\npleinement compte, entre autres, des obligations juridiques de\nl'Union ainsi que des nouvelles compétences et des nouvelles\nmissions des institutions.
\nLes\ndéputés s’inquiètent en outre de certains\nréductions d'effectifs opérées au sein de la\nCommission et appellent à inclure dans son rapport de\n\"screening\" annuel des ressources humaines une évaluation\ndes conséquences. Ils appellent également à la\nconstitution de diverses réserves pour certaines lignes\nbudgétaires en attendant d'obtenir des informations\nspécifiques.
\n\nAgences : si les députés approuvent, de\nmanière générale, les estimations des besoins\nen crédits et en ressources humaines des agences\nétablies par la Commission (qui a déjà\nconsidérablement réduit les demandes initiales des\nagences), ils craignent que toute réduction\nsupplémentaire opérée par le Conseil ne\ncompromette le bon fonctionnement des agences en les\nempêchant de mener à bien les missions qui leur ont\nété confiées. Ils décident dès\nlors d'augmenter les crédits alloués aux trois\nagences de supervision financière. Conscients que certaines\nagences (comme Europol, l'EASA, l'ACER) devront, en 2013,\ns'acquitter de tâches complémentaires qui pourraient\nne pas avoir été prises en compte dans le budget qui\nleur est alloué ou dans le tableau des effectifs pour 2013,\nles députés appellent en outre la Commission à\nproposer en temps opportun, en cas de nécessité, un\nbudget rectificatif concernant l'agence concernée. Ils\nattendent également une nouvelle fiche financière\nlorsqu'une procédure législative aura\nété finalisée par le Parlement et le Conseil\nen vue d'étendre le mandat d'une agence.
\nAutres\nsections budgétaires :
\nD’une\nmanière générale, les députés\ns'inquiètent de la position adoptée par le Conseil au\nsujet du gel nominal pour l'ensemble des institutions de l'Union et\nconsidèrent que les institutions devraient faire l'objet\nd'un examen au cas par cas, en tenant compte des besoins et de la\nsituation propres à chacune. Ils se félicitent des\nefforts consentis par les institutions pour réaliser des\néconomies supplémentaires et de restreindre leur\nbudget, tout en tenant compte des coûts liés à\nl'élargissement à la Croatie.
\nParlement\neuropéen : concernant le budget du Parlement, les\ndéputés soulignent que le niveau du budget 2013 est\nsupérieur de 1,9% à celui de 2012 si l'on tient\ncompte des coûts liés à l'adhésion de la\nCroatie mais qu’en réalité, avec le taux\nd'inflation, il ne s'élève actuellement\nqu’à 1,9%, si l’on tient compte de l'attribution\nrécente de nouvelles compétences, de l'ajout de\nnouveaux postes et de nouvelles actions, du financement de\nl'adhésion de la Croatie ainsi que des coûts\nliés à la préparation des élections de\n2014.
\nLes\ndéputés approuvent en outre :
\nLes\ndéputés estiment par ailleurs qu'à l'instar de\ntout parlement élu au suffrage direct, le Parlement\neuropéen devrait avoir le droit de décider des\nmodalités relatives à son propre siège et\nà son lieu de travail. Ils déclarent dès\nlors que le siège du Parlement et les lieux de travail des\ndéputés et fonctionnaires devraient être\ndécidés par le Parlement lui-même.
\nD’autres\ndemandes spécifiques sont faites sur l’organisation\ninterne des travaux parlementaires, des déplacements et les\ndépenses de TIC et de traduction.
\nAutres\ninstitutions : les députés font enfin une\nsérie de recommandations pour les autres institutions et\norganes de l’Union appelant globalement\nà rétablir certains crédits\nalloués à chacune d’elles/eux pour leur\npermettre de fonctionner au mieux et de faire face à\nl’adhésion prochaine de la Croatie.
\nPURPOSE: to present the draft Commission budget for\nthe financial year 2013 (all budget sections).
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted the draft EU budget\nfor 2013. It will be the last annual budget of the present\nMultiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013. Aware of the current\neconomic situation, the Commission will present a budget fully\ngeared to use its funding potential for growth and jobs in line\nwith the Europe 2020 strategy.
\nInvestment is a crucial component of spurring this\ngrowth; the EU budget, with its high investment focus, has an\nimportant role to play as a leverage tool to Member States’\nrecovery policies, which will benefit economic activity across\nthe Union.
\nIn preparing its Draft Budget the Commission has\nfollowed a rigorous approach, in which:
\nThis approach contributes directly to growth and jobs\nin Europe, and which on the other hand is necessary to allow the EU\nbudget to meet its contractual obligations of current and previous\nyears.
\nIn terms of commitment appropriations, the total expenditure proposed in the draft budget\n(DB) 2013 is EUR 150 931,7 million, corresponding to 1.13 % of\nGNI5, that is EUR 3 031,5 million more than in 2012 (+ 2.0 %). The\nrestriction of the increase in the overall level of commitment\nappropriations to inflation correction (+ 2.0 %) leaves a combined\ntotal margin of EUR 2 420,4 million under the various ceilings of\nthe MFF.
\nFor payment appropriations, the total amounts to EUR 137 924.4 million,\ncorresponding to 1.04 % of GNI. This is an increase of EUR 8 818.3\nmillion compared to payment appropriations in the 2012 budget\n(+ 6.8 %), and leaves a margin of EUR 6 182.6 million under the\nceiling of the MFF.
\nThe main priorities have been established for the 2013\nDraft Budget: in 2013, the EU will pursue its support to\ninvestment and to actions in favour of job-friendly growth.\nThis key political priority is reflected in the level of commitment\nappropriations requested in the Draft Budget. Competitiveness for\ngrowth and employment, with EUR 16 billion in commitment\nappropriations, and Cohesion for growth and employment, with EUR\n54.5 billion in commitment appropriations, support the EU economy\nby shaping the conditions for sustainable growth and\ngrowth-friendly consolidation, both immediately and in the longer\nterm.
\nAt the present final stage of the current financial\nframework, the Draft Budget for 2013 is established on the basis of\na two-fold approach:
\nOther characteristics of the 2013\nbudget:
\nKey aspects of the draft budget 2013 by financial\nframework headings:
\nHeading 1 : Sustainable growth: this heading covers the expenses relating to\ncompetitiveness and employment as well as cohesion:
\nHeading 2: Preservation and Management of Natural\nResources: commitment appropriations of EUR 60 307.5 million\nare proposed for this heading. This level of funding represents an\nincrease of 0.6 % compared to 2012 and leaves a margin of EUR 981.5\nmillion under the ceiling. Payment appropriations amount to EUR 57\n964.9 million, which is an increase of 1.6 % compared to 2012.\nWithin this heading the amount foreseen for market related\nexpenditure and direct aids reaches EUR 44 130.3 million in\ncommitment appropriations, and EUR 44 112.9 million in payment\nappropriations.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: this heading is split into\ntwo sub-headings:
\nHeading 4: the EU as a Global Player: this heading sees an increase in commitment\nappropriations of 0.7 % to EUR 9 467.2 million, leaving an\nunallocated margin of EUR 391.9 million available under the\nceiling. Payment appropriations on the other hand increase by 5.1 %\nto EUR 7 311.6 million, mostly due to increases under IPA, ENPI,\nHumanitarian aid and CFSP, at a time when many instruments are\nreaching cruising speed.
\nHeading 5: Administrative expenditure: both commitment and payment appropriations for this\nheading for all Institutions combined increase by 3.2 %, with\ncommitments set at EUR 8 544.4 million and payments at EUR 8 545.5\nmillion. This increase includes additional administrative\nexpenditure related to Croatia’s accession, amounting to EUR\n32.9 million for all Institutions. The administrative expenditure\nrelated to Croatia is included as from the beginning of 2013, so as\nto allow recruitments in due time. This remaining margin amounts to\nEUR 636.6 million.
\nThe Commission continues its efforts to limit its own\nadministrative expenditure by reducing expenditure less affected by\nautomatic adjustments. Moreover, further to its proposals to reduce\nthe staffing numbers of all Institutions and bodies by 5 % over the\nyears 2013-2017, the Commission has reduced by 1 % the number of\nposts in its establishment plans and has contained\nappropriations for its external personnel financed under all\nheadings (including in the six executive agencies), leading to a\ntotal staff reduction of 1 %. As a result, when excluding pensions\nand European schools (both of which concern interinstitutional\nexpenditure), the increase in the Commission’s\nadministrative expenditure has been limited to 1.2 % (1.5 % when\nincluding Croatia’s accession) i.e. well below\ninflation.
\nThe Commission’s strict approach to\nadministration is to a large degree followed by the other\nInstitutions, leading to an overall increase of\nadministrative appropriations for the other Institutions of 2.6\n% (3.3 % including Croatia). The requested increases in\nexpenditure for 2013 (including Croatian enlargement) compared to\nthe 2012 budget range from 1.2 % for the Council to 8.4 % for the\nCourt of Justice, with most Institutions having an increase\nexcluding Croatia around or below inflation. Similar to the\nCommission’s approach, a 1 % reduction in human resources is\nalso incorporated by the Council, the Court of Justice and the\nCourt of Auditors. When preparing the Draft Budget, the Commission\nhas modified the request of the Committee of the Regions, so as to\nalign its requested increase (excluding the impact of the accession\nof Croatia) to the expected rate of inflation (+ 1.9 %). This has\nresulted in a reduction of EUR 0.4 million, as compared to the\ndraft statement of estimates of the Committee of the\nRegions.
\nIn conclusion, the\nCommission’s approach represents a responsible and coherent\nbudgetary proposal which is refocused on Growth and Jobs. It is\ncoherent with current restraints, efficient spending and the\nobligations of the Union. It provides a proposal which is both\ncredible for a smooth and timely adoption of the 2013 budget and\nresponsible for the future by containing the accumulation of\noutstanding commitments.
\nPURPOSE: to present the draft Commission budget for\nthe financial year 2013 (all budget sections).
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted the draft EU budget\nfor 2013. It will be the last annual budget of the present\nMultiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013. Aware of the current\neconomic situation, the Commission presents a budget fully geared\nto use its funding potential for growth and jobs in line with the\nEurope 2020 strategy.
\nInvestment is a crucial component of spurring this\ngrowth. The EU budget, with its high investment focus, has an\nimportant role to play as a leverage tool to Member States’\nrecovery policies, which will benefit economic activity across\nthe Union.
\nIn preparing its Draft Budget, the Commission has\nfollowed a rigorous approach in which:
\nThis approach contributes directly to growth and jobs\nin Europe, and which on the other hand is necessary to allow the EU\nbudget to meet its contractual obligations of current and previous\nyears.
\nIn terms of commitment appropriations, the\ntotal expenditure proposed in the draft budget (DB) 2013 is EUR 150\n931.7 million, corresponding to 1.13% of GNI, that is EUR 3 031.5\nmillion more than in 2012 (+ 2.0%). The restriction of the increase\nin the overall level of commitment appropriations to inflation\ncorrection (+ 2.0 %) leaves a combined total margin of EUR 2 420.4\nmillion under the various ceilings of the MFF.
\nFor payment appropriations, the total amounts\nto EUR 137 924.4 million, corresponding to 1.04% of GNI. This is an\nincrease of EUR 8 818.3 million compared to payment appropriations\nin the 2012 budget (+ 6.8%), and leaves a margin of EUR 6 182.6\nmillion under the ceiling of the MFF.
\nThe main priorities have been established for the 2013\nDraft Budget: in 2013. The EU will pursue its support to\ninvestment and to actions in favour of job-friendly growth.\nThis key political priority is reflected in the level of commitment\nappropriations requested in the Draft Budget. Competitiveness for\ngrowth and employment, with EUR 16 billion in commitment\nappropriations, and Cohesion for growth and employment, with EUR\n54.5 billion in commitment appropriations, support the EU economy\nby shaping the conditions for sustainable growth and\ngrowth-friendly consolidation, both immediately and in the longer\nterm.
\nAt the present final stage of the current financial\nframework, the Draft Budget for 2013 is established on the basis of\na two-fold approach:
\nOther characteristics of the 2013 budget:
\nKey aspects of the draft budget 2013 by financial\nframework headings:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable\ngrowth: this heading covers the expenses relating to\ncompetitiveness and employment as well as cohesion:
\nHeading 2: Preservation and Management of Natural\nResources: commitment appropriations\nof EUR 60 307.5 million are proposed for this heading. This level\nof funding represents an increase of 0.6% compared to 2012 and\nleaves a margin of EUR 981.5 million under the ceiling. Payment\nappropriations amount to EUR 57 964.9 million, which is an increase\nof 1.6% compared to 2012. Within this heading the amount foreseen\nfor market related expenditure and direct aids reaches EUR 44 130.3\nmillion in commitment appropriations, and EUR 44 112.9 million in\npayment appropriations.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: this heading is split into\ntwo sub-headings:
\nHeading 4: the EU as a Global Player: this heading sees an increase in commitment\nappropriations of 0.7 % to EUR 9 467.2 million, leaving an\nunallocated margin of EUR 391.9 million available under the\nceiling. Payment appropriations on the other hand increase by 5.1 %\nto EUR 7 311.6 million, mostly due to increases under IPA, ENPI,\nHumanitarian aid and CFSP, at a time when many instruments are\nreaching cruising speed.
\nHeading 5: Administrative expenditure:\nboth commitment and payment appropriations for\nthis heading for all Institutions combined increase by 3.2%, with\ncommitments set at EUR 8 544.4 million and payments at EUR 8 545.5\nmillion. This increase includes additional administrative\nexpenditure related to Croatia’s accession, amounting to EUR\n32.9 million for all Institutions. The administrative expenditure\nrelated to Croatia is included as from the beginning of 2013, so as\nto allow recruitments in due time. This remaining margin amounts to\nEUR 636.6 million.
\nThe Commission continues its efforts to limit its own\nadministrative expenditure by reducing expenditure less affected by\nautomatic adjustments. Moreover, further to its proposals to reduce\nthe staffing numbers of all Institutions and bodies by 5% over the\nyears 2013-2017, the Commission has reduced by 1% the number of\nposts in its establishment plans and has contained\nappropriations for its external personnel financed under all\nheadings (including in the six executive agencies), leading to a\ntotal staff reduction of 1%. As a result, when excluding pensions\nand European schools (both of which concern interinstitutional\nexpenditure), the increase in the Commission’s\nadministrative expenditure has been limited to 1.2% (1.5% when\nincluding Croatia’s accession) i.e. well below\ninflation.
\nThe Commission’s strict approach to\nadministration is to a large degree followed by the other\nInstitutions, leading to an overall increase of\nadministrative appropriations for the other Institutions of\n2.6% (3.3% including Croatia). The requested increases in\nexpenditure for 2013 (including Croatian enlargement) compared to\nthe 2012 budget range from 1.2% for the Council to 8.4% for the\nCourt of Justice, with most Institutions having an increase\n(excluding Croatia) of around or below inflation. Similar to the\nCommission’s approach, a 1% reduction in human resources is\nalso incorporated by the Council, the Court of Justice and the\nCourt of Auditors. When preparing the Draft Budget, the Commission\nhas modified the request of the Committee of the Regions, so as to\nalign its requested increase (excluding the impact of the accession\nof Croatia) to the expected rate of inflation (+ 1.9%). This has\nresulted in a reduction of EUR 0.4 million, as compared to the\ndraft statement of estimates of the Committee of the\nRegions.
\nIn conclusion, the\nCommission’s approach represents a responsible and coherent\nbudgetary proposal which is refocused on Growth and Jobs. It is\ncoherent with current restraints, efficient spending and the\nobligations of the Union. It provides a proposal which is both\ncredible for a smooth and timely adoption of the 2013 budget and\nresponsible for the future by containing the accumulation of\noutstanding commitments.
\nThe Council adopted its position on the draft budget\nof the European Union for 2013.
\nThe main features of the position are as\nfollows:
\nUnder the Council's position on the draft budget for\n2013, commitment appropriations increase by 1.27% compared to the\n2012 budget and payment appropriations increase by\n2.79%.
\nThe total amount of payment appropriations provided\nfor in the Council's position on the draft budget for 2013\ncorresponds to 0.99% of EU GNI.
\nA. Generalities: the\nCouncil's position on the draft budget for 2013:
\nStatement on payment appropriations: besides the abovementioned principles, the Council\nalso approved a statement on payment appropriations calling on the\nCommission to submit as early as possible the letter of\namendment for agriculture (including information about the\npossible carry-over of assigned revenue) and, if necessary, a\nletter of amendment concerning sub-heading 1b in order to\nappropriately calibrate the level of resources in heading 2\n(Preservation and management of natural resources) and sub-heading\n1b in the 2013 budget.
\nFurthermore, the Council asks the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget if the payment appropriations entered in\nthe 2013 budget are insufficient to cover expenditure\nunder:
\nIt urges the Commission to present as early as\npossible updated figures concerning the state of affairs and\nestimates regarding payment appropriations under sub-heading 1b\nand, if necessary, to present a draft amending budget for this sole\npurpose. The Council will take position on the draft amending\nbudget as quickly as possible in order to avoid any shortfall in\npayment appropriations.
\nB. Expenditure by heading of the financial\nframework: as to expenditure under\nthe different headings of the financial framework the Council's\nposition is as follows:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable growth (EUR 70.055 billion in\ncommitments):
\nSub-heading 1a: as\nregards competitiveness for growth and employment\nexpenditure, the amount of this sub-heading totals EUR\n15.563 billion in commitment appropriations, thus a\nreduction of EUR 469.15 million in the appropriations requested in\nthe DB in respect of a number of specific budget lines under this\nsub-heading, of which EUR 35.51 million resulting from the approach\ntaken in regard to administrative expenditure.
\nThe\nsub-heading is characterised by the following:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1a would be EUR\n560.1 million.
\nSub-heading 1b): expenditures\non cohesion for growth and employment: the Council has\nforeseen an amount of EUR 54.492 billion in commitments. The\nother main points about this sub-heading are the\nfollowing:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1b would be EUR\n32.45 million.
\nHeading 2: expenditure for preservation and management\nof natural resources: the amount for\nthis heading is set at EUR 59.971 billion in commitment\nappropriations, thus involving a total reduction of EUR 336 million\nin commitment appropriations requested in the DB, of which EUR 67\nmillion in the field of agriculture, EUR 264 million on the budget\nline for clearance of accounts and EUR 4 million on the budget line\nfor public awareness, on the basis of past and current budget\nimplementation.
\nMarket-related expenditures and\ndirect aids are set at EUR 43.795 billion (in commitment\nappropriations) by the Council, i.e. a reduction of 0.4% in\ncomparison with 2012.
\nOther points in regard to this budgetary heading\ninclude:
\nThe margin available under heading 2 would be EUR 1\n317.55 million.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: the allocation for this\nheading has been set at EUR 2.057 billion in commitment\nappropriations, divided between two sub-headings:
\n3a) in regard to\nfreedom, security and justice expenditure (EUR 1.377\nbillion in commitment appropriations), the Council\nrequests:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 3a would be EUR\n283.72 million.
\n3b) as regards\ncitizenship expenditure (EUR 680 million in\ncommitment appropriations), the Council has sought to:
\nThe available margin under sub-heading 3b would be EUR\n35.10 million.
\nHeading 4: the EU as\na global player, the Council envisages a total amount of EUR\n9.295 billion in commitment appropriations. It thus decided\nto:
\nThe margin available under Heading 4 would be EUR\n563.64 million to cover any additional needs at a later\nstage.
\nHeading 5: administrative expenditure:\nthese amount to EUR 8.398 billion in\ncommitment appropriations. The Council has decided to:
\nThis approach has resulted in an appropriate level of\nadministrative expenditure ensuring a proper functioning of the\ninstitutions. A margin of EUR 782.77 million remains available\nunder the ceiling of heading 5 of the multiannual financial\nframework. The Council also focused on administrative expenditure\nlinked to operational programmes and on administrative expenditure\nof the executive agencies. In this respect, it was decided to carry\nout targeted reductions on the basis of a similar approach as the\none followed for the institutions.
\nAgencies: as regards the\ndecentralised agencies, the Council also applied a similar approach\nas for the institutions. Therefore, a 1% reduction was retained in\nthe contribution to Titles 1 and 2 of all agencies. As regards\nposts, a 1% reduction to the establishment plan was applied for the\nagencies at \"cruising speed\". Regarding agencies in charge of new\ntasks, only half of the new posts requested were accepted. For\nagencies in the \"start-up\" phase, the accepted new posts were\nlimited to three-quarters of the requests.
\nThe Committee on Budgets adopted the joint report by\nGiovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT) (section III – Commission) and Derek\nVAUGHAN (S&D, UK) on the Council position on the draft general\nbudget of the European Union for the financial year 2013 - all\nsections
\nMembers stress that the priorities expressed in the\nopinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in the present draft\nresolution.
\nSection III – Commission: the committee recalls that Parliament’s\npriorities for the 2013 budget, as detailed in its resolution of 4\nJuly 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue, consist in: support for\nsustainable growth, competitiveness and employment, particularly\nfor SMEs and youth. It points out that the Commission's draft\nbudget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and is aware of the\nsevere difficulties arising from the state of the national\neconomies and of the need for a responsible and realistic reading.\nMembers cannot accept, however, the approach according to which\nthe EU budget is made the source for possible savings with the same\nproportion and logic applied to the national budgets, given the\nsubstantial difference in nature, objectives and structure. They\nhighlight that decreasing EU resources will surely result in a lack\nof investment and liquidity in the Member States.
\nMembers underline that the EU budget is to be seen\nas a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Members deplore the decision\nof the Council to proceed again this year with the usual approach\nof horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at artificially reducing\nthe level of the EU's resources for 2013 by an overall total of EUR\n1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR\n5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment appropriations\n(PA).
\nThey are surprised that the Council has not taken into\naccount latest Commission's forecasts for programmes'\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. The\nreport warns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: underlines that the current procedures for assessing\nthe real needs for payment appropriations for Member States take\nplace in total obscurity. The committee carries out a survey of the\nCouncil’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Members consider that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this priority. They\nalso reject the Council's argument that these cuts correspond to\nunder-implemented or low-performing programmes, (e.g. the Lifelong\nLearning Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework\nProgramme (CIP) under Heading 1a and the Competitiveness and\nEmployment objective under Heading 1b), since such criteria\ncompletely disregard the multiannual character of the EU's\npolicies, and of cohesion policy in particular, characterised by a\nrising profile of payments towards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: due to recent experience, the committee does not deem\nthe declaration of payments proposed by the Council in its reading\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\neventually be made available for all headings. The Budgets\nCommittee takes the general approach, therefore, of restoring, at\nthe level of DB payments cut by Council in all headings and\nincreasing payment appropriations over DB on a selected number of\nlines characterised by high levels of implementation within each\nheading, in particular Headings 1a and 4, to cover the real\nneeds of the corresponding programmes, as identified by the\nCommission. It calls on the European Parliament to mandate its\ndelegation for the Budget 2013 conciliation not to\naccept any level of payments both for the Amending budget\n6/2012 and the Budget 2013 that does not fully cover the payment\nneeds for 2012 and 2013, as estimated by the Commission.\nMembers recall that Council completely disregarded Parliament's\npriorities, as expressed in Parliament's mandate for the trilogue\nbut that Parliament's reading is based instead upon benchmarks\narising from that mandate.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: the report underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. Members cannot, therefore, accept\nCouncil's decision to reduce commitment appropriations further down\nto 1.27% compared to budget 2012. They set the overall level of\nappropriations for 2013 to:
\n\n· \nEUR 151 151.84 million in commitment\nappropriations and
\n\n· \nEUR 137 898.15 million in payment\nappropriations.
\nWith regard to each of the budget headings, Members\nmake the following points:
\nHeading 1: they deplore\nthat Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the Council's\ncuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1) and is the\nmost affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9 billion or\n-14% compared to DB). They decide to undo almost all cuts by\nCouncil and to reinforce above DB in commitment and payment\nappropriations only a selected number of lines directly linked to\nthe objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
\nMembers make the following amendments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \nincrease commitment and payment appropriations\nin favour of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme\n(CIP) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme and CIP Intelligent\nEnergy Europe;
\n\n· \npartly compensate of decreases to ITER by\nsetting commitments above DB on a selected number of operational\nFP7 lines directly underpinning the Europe 2020 strategy and\ncharacterised by excellent levels of implementation and strong\nabsorption capacity;
\n\n· \nfinance this partial offset above the available\nmargin through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for\nan amount of EUR 50 million;
\n\n· \nincrease appropriations for Lifelong Learning\nand Erasmus Mundus programmes which, against modest financial\nenvelopes, provide great returns in terms of effective\nimplementation and positive image of the Union\nvis-à-vis its citizens;
\n\n· \nmaintain the level of commitments and payments\nproposed in the DB for projects of common interest in the\nTrans-European transport network;
\n\n· \nrestore DB payments for the European\nGlobalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);
\nHeading 1b: Members\nstrongly deplore the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR 1.6 billion\nor -3.3% as compared to DB) by the Council affecting the Regional\nCompetitiveness and Employment objective (-12.9%), the European\nTerritorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%) and the Cohesion Fund\n(-4.7%). Recalling the doubts expressed in its mandate for the\ntrilogue as to whether the level of payments proposed in the DB\nwill be sufficient to reimburse the totality of the expected\npayment claims in the absence of an amending budget this year, the\ncommittee rejects the cuts introduced by the Council on Heading 1b,\nwhich would lead to a much more serious shortage in payments than\nalready expected and would also lead to a strong increase in the\nlevel of RAL by the end of next year. It does not consider the\nCouncil's declaration asking the Commission to submit a draft\namending budget in case of insufficient payments under Heading 1b\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\nbe made available in 2013, given that similar commitments have been\nalready undertaken and disregarded by the Council in the past two\nyears. Members ask the Council Presidency to make a public\nstatement and explain the discrepancy between the Council's reading\non payments and the actual needs of Member States, as expressed\nin their estimates.
\nIn sum, the committee decides to restore the DB in\ncommitments and in payments for all budget lines cut by Council\nunder this heading. It urges the Council to agree on Draft amending\nbudget 6/2012 presented by the Commission with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nHeading 2: Members\nconsider that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestore, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level of\nEUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. They\nreject the increase of the so-called negative expenditure line\n(clearance of accounts) as this appears to be set artificially high\ncompared to Heading 2 appropriations and partly restores the\nCommission's proposal, allowing a more realistic\napproach.
\nThey also make the following adjustments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \ngranting an adequate level for producer groups\nfor preliminary recognition;
\n\n· \nsufficient increase of the Union's contribution\nto the crisis fund within operational funds for producer\norganisations;
\n\n· \nincreased support for the school milk programme\nand the continued support for programme concerning school\nfruit;
\n\n· \nmaintaining the budget allocation dedicated to\nthe Food Distribution Programme for the Most Deprived Persons in\nthe with Members welcoming the effort made by the Commission in\nfinding a political and legal solution to continue with the\nprogramme in 2013;
\n\n· \ncontinued support on a commensurate level for\nthe LIFE+ programme,
\n\n· \nmaintaining financing of the CFP at the proposed\nDB levels, in view of its upcoming reform.
\nMembers state they support the reduction of some\nbudget lines on refunds drastically, in some cases even to zero, as\nthis instrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Members\nreject the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\n\n· \nEuropean Return Fund (-EUR 18\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Refugee Fund (-EUR 1.8\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Fund for the Integration of\nthird-country nationals (-EUR 3.2 million) and Fundamental Rights\nand Citizenship (-EUR 1 million).
\nThey decide, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. They also increase the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nMembers also reject the Council's unilateral\ndecision to change the legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen\nevaluation mechanism\" from ordinary legislative procedure to\nArticle 70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.\nThey support the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and endorse, therefore, the position taken by the\nCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to put into\nthe reserve some budgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to\ninternal security (in commitment and payment appropriations) until\na satisfactory outcome is achieved on the Schengen governance\npackage.
\nHeading 3b: emphasising\nthe need to encourage cross-cultural communication and EU\ncitizenship within the next generation, the committee has\ndecided to increase funding for the Youth in Action programme\ncompared to DB. It also reinforces appropriations for the\nEuropean Year of Citizens 2013 together with the latter’s\ncommunication activities.
\nHeading 4: Members\nhighlights that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. They\nconsider that such a massive reduction would impede the Union to\nrespect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene and they decide to restore the level of both\ncommitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to the\nlevels proposed in the DB.
\nMembers considers, however, that some decreases\ncompared to the DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such\nas
\n\n· \nmacro-Financial Assistance,
\n\n· \nmembership of international organisations in the\nfield of customs and tax and
\n\n· \ncooperation with Greenland.
\nThey propose a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, the committee increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nMembers welcome the efforts of most institutions, including\nParliament and the Commission, which complied with and even\noverstepped their commitment to restrict their administrative\nbudgets to an increase below the expected inflation\nrate.
\nFor all the institutions apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, they decide to restore (or in the\ncase of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. The\ncommittee warns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary\nauthority will need to accommodate the retroactive effect of such\nruling for years 2011 and 2012, including late interest.
\nIt also undoes other cuts brought by the Council on\nspecific items of administrative expenditure, notably, within the\nCommission, on ICT equipment and services and some\noffices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\npartly, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of\na case-by-case approach, Members call for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nThey note with concern that staff cuts were made\nwithin the Commission and ask the Commission to include in its\nannual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. They\nalso set a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information.
\nAgencies: whilst\nendorsing, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of\nagencies' budgetary and staff needs and noting that the Commission\nhad already considerably reduced the agencies' initial requests)\nMembers consider that any further cuts as proposed by the Council\nwould endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and would not\nallow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned. They\ndecide to increase the 2013 budget appropriations for the three\nfinancial supervision agencies.
\nMembers are aware that certain agencies (such as\nEuropol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in 2013\nwhich might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013 and request the Commission, in case of\nnecessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the relevant\nagency. They also expect the Commission to present a new financial\nstatement when a legislative procedure has been finalised by\nParliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nThe committee is concerned by the Council's position\nof a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing that each\ninstitution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking\ninto account the needs and specific situation of each institution.\nIt welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find additional\nsavings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the costs of the\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament:\nMembers point out that the level of its 2013 budget is 1.9%\nabove the 2012 budget including the costs for Croatian accession\nbut that due to the current inflation rate of 1.9%, there is a real\ndecrease of the operating budget, despite recently added\ncompetences, new posts and actions, the financing of Croatia's\naccession and the costs for preparing the 2014 elections. They\napprove the following adjustments to the estimates:
\n\n· \nreduce the appropriations in the contingency\nreserve,
\n\n· \ninternalise the security service in a\nbudget-neutral manner,
\n\n· \npursue the internalisation of ICT\nactivities
\n\n· \nadjust the appropriations for the European\nParliamentary Association;
\n\n· \nreduction of appropriations for the House of\nEuropean History by EUR 5.3 million;
\nMembers believe that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements and\ndeclare, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament\nitself.
\nThey go on to make other remarks on Parliament’s\ninternal organisation, travel, ICT expenditure and\ntranslation.
\nOther institutions:\nlastly, Members make a series of recommendations on the other\ninstitutions and bodies of the EU calling generally for the\nrestoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in order to\nenable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nThe Committee on Budgets adopted the joint report on\nthe Council position on the draft general budget of the European\nUnion for the financial year 2013 by Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT)\n– (section III – Commission) and Derek VAUGHAN (S&D,\nUK) (other Sections).
\nMembers stress that the priorities expressed in the\nopinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in the present draft\nresolution.
\nSection III – Commission: the committee recalls that Parliament’s\npriorities for the 2013 budget, as detailed in its resolution of 4\nJuly 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue, consist in: support for\nsustainable growth, competitiveness and employment, particularly\nfor SMEs and youth. It points out that the Commission's draft\nbudget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and is aware of the\nsevere difficulties arising from the state of the national\neconomies and of the need for a responsible and realistic reading.\nMembers cannot accept, however, the approach according to which\nthe EU budget is made the source for possible savings with the same\nproportion and logic applied to the national budgets, given the\nsubstantial difference in nature, objectives and structure. They\nhighlight that decreasing EU resources will surely result in a lack\nof investment and liquidity in the Member States.
\nMembers underline that the EU budget is to be seen\nas a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Members deplore the decision\nof the Council to proceed again this year with the usual approach\nof horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at artificially reducing\nthe level of the EU's resources for 2013 by an overall total of EUR\n1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR\n5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment appropriations\n(PA).
\nThey are surprised that the Council has not taken into\naccount latest Commission's forecasts for programmes'\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. The\nreport warns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: Members underline that the current procedures for\nassessing the real needs for payment appropriations for Member\nStates take place in total obscurity. The committee has examined\nthe Council’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Members consider that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this priority. They\nalso reject the Council's argument that these cuts correspond to\nunder-implemented or low-performing programmes, (e.g. the Lifelong\nLearning Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework\nProgramme (CIP) under Heading 1a and the Competitiveness and\nEmployment objective under Heading 1b), since such criteria\ncompletely disregard the multiannual character of the EU's\npolicies, and of cohesion policy in particular, characterised by a\nrising profile of payments towards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: due to recent experience, the committee does not deem\nthe declaration of payments proposed by the Council in its reading\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\neventually be made available for all headings. The Budgets\nCommittee takes the general approach, therefore, of restoring, at\nthe level of DB payments cut by Council in all headings and\nincreasing payment appropriations over DB on a selected number of\nlines characterised by high levels of implementation within each\nheading, in particular Headings 1a and 4, to cover the real needs\nof the corresponding programmes, as identified by the Commission.\nIt calls on the European Parliament to mandate its delegation\nfor the Budget 2013 conciliation not to accept any level of\npayments both for the Amending budget 6/2012 and the Budget 2013\nthat does not fully cover the payment needs for 2012 and\n2013, as estimated by the Commission. Members recall that\nCouncil completely disregarded Parliament's priorities, as\nexpressed in Parliament's mandate for the trilogue but that\nParliament's reading is based instead upon benchmarks arising from\nthat mandate.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: the report underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. Members cannot, therefore, accept\nCouncil's decision to reduce commitment appropriations further down\nto 1.27% compared to budget 2012. They set the overall level of\nappropriations for 2013 to:
\nWith regard to each of the budget headings, Members\nmake the following points:
\nHeading 1a: they deplore\nthat Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the Council's\ncuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1) and is the\nmost affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9 billion or\n-14% compared to DB). They decide to undo almost all cuts by\nCouncil and to reinforce above DB in commitment and payment\nappropriations only a selected number of lines directly linked to\nthe objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
\nMembers make the following amendments to the\nbudget:
\nHeading 1b: Members\nstrongly deplore the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR 1.6 billion\nor -3.3% as compared to the DB) by the Council affecting the\nRegional Competitiveness and Employment objective (-12.9%), the\nEuropean Territorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%) and the\nCohesion Fund (-4.7%). Recalling the doubts expressed in its\nmandate for the trilogue as to whether the level of payments\nproposed in the DB will be sufficient to reimburse the totality of\nthe expected payment claims in the absence of an amending budget\nthis year, the committee rejects the cuts introduced by the Council\non Heading 1b, which would lead to a much more serious shortage in\npayments than already expected and would also lead to a strong\nincrease in the level of RAL by the end of next year. It does not\nconsider the Council's declaration asking the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget in case of insufficient payments under\nHeading 1b as a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of\npayments will be made available in 2013, given that similar\ncommitments have been already undertaken and disregarded by the\nCouncil in the past two years. Members ask the Council\nPresidency to make a public statement and explain the discrepancy\nbetween the Council's reading on payments and the actual needs of\nMember States, as expressed in their estimates.
\nIn sum, the committee decides to restore the DB in\ncommitments and in payments for all budget lines cut by Council\nunder this heading. It urges the Council to agree on Draft amending\nbudget 6/2012 presented by the Commission with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nHeading 2: Members\nconsider that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestore, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level of\nEUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. They\nreject the increase of the so-called negative expenditure line\n(clearance of accounts) as this appears to be set artificially high\ncompared to Heading 2 appropriations and partly restores the\nCommission's proposal, allowing a more realistic\napproach.
\nThey also make the following adjustments to the\nbudget:
\nMembers state they support the sharp reduction of some\nbudget lines on refunds, and in some cases even to zero, as this\ninstrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Members\nreject the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\nThey decide, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. They also increase the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nMembers also reject the Council's unilateral\ndecision to change the legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen\nevaluation mechanism\" from the ordinary legislative procedure\nto Article 70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European\nUnion. They support the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and endorse, therefore, the position taken by the\nCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to put into\nthe reserve some budgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to\ninternal security (in commitment and payment appropriations) until\na satisfactory outcome is achieved on the Schengen governance\npackage.
\nHeading 3b: emphasising\nthe need to encourage cross-cultural communication and EU\ncitizenship within the next generation, the committee has decided\nto increase funding for the Youth in Action programme compared to\nDB. It also reinforces appropriations for the European Year of\nCitizens 2013 together with the latter’s communication\nactivities.
\nHeading 4: Members\nhighlight that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. They\nconsider that such a massive reduction would impede the Union to\nrespect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene and they decide to restore the level of both\ncommitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to the\nlevels proposed in the DB.
\nMembers consider, however, that some decreases\ncompared to the DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such\nas
\nThey propose a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, the committee increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity.
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nMembers welcome the efforts of most institutions, including\nParliament and the Commission, which complied with and even\noverstepped their commitment to restrict their administrative\nbudgets to an increase below the expected inflation\nrate.
\nFor all the institutions, apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, they decide to restore (or in the\ncase of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. The\ncommittee warns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary\nauthority will need to accommodate the retroactive effect of such\nruling for years 2011 and 2012, including late interest.
\nIt also undoes other cuts brought by the Council on\nspecific items of administrative expenditure, notably, within the\nCommission, on ICT equipment and services and some\noffices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\npartly, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of a\ncase-by-case approach, Members call for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nThey note with concern that staff cuts were made\nwithin the Commission and ask the Commission to include in its\nannual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. They\nalso set a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information.
\nAgencies: Members\nendorse, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of agencies'\nbudgetary and staff needs and notes that the Commission had already\nconsiderably reduced the agencies' initial requests. They consider\nthat any further cuts as proposed by the Council would endanger the\nproper functioning of the agencies and would not allow them to\nfulfil the tasks they have been assigned. They decide to\nincrease the 2013 budget appropriations for the three financial\nsupervision agencies.
\nMembers are aware that certain agencies (such as\nEuropol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in 2013\nwhich might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013 and request the Commission, in case of\nnecessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the relevant\nagency. They also expect the Commission to present a new financial\nstatement when a legislative procedure has been finalised by\nParliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nThe committee is concerned by the Council's position\nof a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing that each\ninstitution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking\ninto account the needs and specific situation of each institution.\nIt welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find additional\nsavings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the costs of the\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament: Members point out that the level of its 2013 budget is\n1.9% above the 2012 budget including the costs for Croatian\naccession but that due to the current inflation rate of 1.9%, there\nis a real decrease of the operating budget, despite recently added\ncompetences, new posts and actions, the financing of Croatia's\naccession and the costs for preparing the 2014 elections. They\napprove the following adjustments to the estimates:
\nMembers believe that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements and\ndeclare, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament\nitself.
\nThey go on to make other remarks on Parliament’s\ninternal organisation, travel, ICT expenditure and\ntranslation.
\nOther institutions: lastly, Members make a series of recommendations on\nthe other institutions and bodies of the EU calling generally for\nthe restoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in\norder to enable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nThe Council adopted its position on the draft budget\nof the European Union for 2013.
\nThe main features of the position are as\nfollows:
\nUnder the Council's position on the draft budget for\n2013, commitment appropriations increase by 1.27% compared to the\n2012 budget and payment appropriations increase by\n2.79%.
\nThe total amount of payment appropriations provided\nfor in the Council's position on the draft budget for 2013\ncorresponds to 0.99% of EU GNI.
\nA. Generalities: the\nCouncil's position on the draft budget for 2013:
\nStatement on payment appropriations: besides the abovementioned principles, the Council\nalso approved a statement on payment appropriations calling on the\nCommission to submit as early as possible the letter of\namendment for agriculture (including information about the\npossible carry-over of assigned revenue) and, if necessary, a\nletter of amendment concerning sub-heading 1b in order to\nappropriately calibrate the level of resources in heading 2\n(Preservation and management of natural resources) and sub-heading\n1b in the 2013 budget.
\nFurthermore, the Council asks the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget if the payment appropriations entered in\nthe 2013 budget are insufficient to cover expenditure\nunder:
\nIt urges the Commission to present as early as\npossible updated figures concerning the state of affairs and\nestimates regarding payment appropriations under sub-heading 1b\nand, if necessary, to present a draft amending budget for this sole\npurpose. The Council will take position on the draft amending\nbudget as quickly as possible in order to avoid any shortfall in\npayment appropriations.
\nB. Expenditure by heading of the financial\nframework: as to expenditure under\nthe different headings of the financial framework the Council's\nposition is as follows:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable growth (EUR 70.055 billion in\ncommitments):
\nSub-heading 1a: as\nregards competitiveness for growth and employment\nexpenditure, the amount of this sub-heading totals EUR\n15.563 billion in commitment appropriations, thus a\nreduction of EUR 469.15 million in the appropriations requested in\nthe DB in respect of a number of specific budget lines under this\nsub-heading, of which EUR 35.51 million resulting from the approach\ntaken in regard to administrative expenditure.
\nThe\nsub-heading is characterised by the following:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1a would be EUR\n560.1 million.
\nSub-heading 1b): expenditures\non cohesion for growth and employment: the Council has\nforeseen an amount of EUR 54.492 billion in commitments. The\nother main points about this sub-heading are the\nfollowing:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1b would be EUR\n32.45 million.
\nHeading 2: expenditure for preservation and management\nof natural resources: the amount for\nthis heading is set at EUR 59.971 billion in commitment\nappropriations, thus involving a total reduction of EUR 336 million\nin commitment appropriations requested in the DB, of which EUR 67\nmillion in the field of agriculture, EUR 264 million on the budget\nline for clearance of accounts and EUR 4 million on the budget line\nfor public awareness, on the basis of past and current budget\nimplementation.
\nMarket-related expenditures and\ndirect aids are set at EUR 43.795 billion (in commitment\nappropriations) by the Council, i.e. a reduction of 0.4% in\ncomparison with 2012.
\nOther points in regard to this budgetary heading\ninclude:
\nThe margin available under heading 2 would be EUR 1\n317.55 million.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: the allocation for this\nheading has been set at EUR 2.057 billion in commitment\nappropriations, divided between two sub-headings:
\n3a) in regard to\nfreedom, security and justice expenditure (EUR 1.377\nbillion in commitment appropriations), the Council\nrequests:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 3a would be EUR\n283.72 million.
\n3b) as regards\ncitizenship expenditure (EUR 680 million in\ncommitment appropriations), the Council has sought to:
\nThe available margin under sub-heading 3b would be EUR\n35.10 million.
\nHeading 4: the EU as\na global player, the Council envisages a total amount of EUR\n9.295 billion in commitment appropriations. It thus decided\nto:
\nThe margin available under Heading 4 would be EUR\n563.64 million to cover any additional needs at a later\nstage.
\nHeading 5: administrative expenditure:\nthese amount to EUR 8.398 billion in\ncommitment appropriations. The Council has decided to:
\nThis approach has resulted in an appropriate level of\nadministrative expenditure ensuring a proper functioning of the\ninstitutions. A margin of EUR 782.77 million remains available\nunder the ceiling of heading 5 of the multiannual financial\nframework. The Council also focused on administrative expenditure\nlinked to operational programmes and on administrative expenditure\nof the executive agencies. In this respect, it was decided to carry\nout targeted reductions on the basis of a similar approach as the\none followed for the institutions.
\nAgencies: as regards the\ndecentralised agencies, the Council also applied a similar approach\nas for the institutions. Therefore, a 1% reduction was retained in\nthe contribution to Titles 1 and 2 of all agencies. As regards\nposts, a 1% reduction to the establishment plan was applied for the\nagencies at \"cruising speed\". Regarding agencies in charge of new\ntasks, only half of the new posts requested were accepted. For\nagencies in the \"start-up\" phase, the accepted new posts were\nlimited to three-quarters of the requests.
\nThe Council adopted its position on the draft budget\nof the European Union for 2013.
\nThe main features of the position are as\nfollows:
\nUnder the Council's position on the draft budget for\n2013, commitment appropriations increase by 1.27% compared to the\n2012 budget and payment appropriations increase by\n2.79%.
\nThe total amount of payment appropriations provided\nfor in the Council's position on the draft budget for 2013\ncorresponds to 0.99% of EU GNI.
\nA. Generalities: the\nCouncil's position on the draft budget for 2013:
\nStatement on payment appropriations: besides the abovementioned principles, the Council\nalso approved a statement on payment appropriations calling on the\nCommission to submit as early as possible the letter of\namendment for agriculture (including information about the\npossible carry-over of assigned revenue) and, if necessary, a\nletter of amendment concerning sub-heading 1b in order to\nappropriately calibrate the level of resources in heading 2\n(Preservation and management of natural resources) and sub-heading\n1b in the 2013 budget.
\nFurthermore, the Council asks the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget if the payment appropriations entered in\nthe 2013 budget are insufficient to cover expenditure\nunder:
\nIt urges the Commission to present as early as\npossible updated figures concerning the state of affairs and\nestimates regarding payment appropriations under sub-heading 1b\nand, if necessary, to present a draft amending budget for this sole\npurpose. The Council will take position on the draft amending\nbudget as quickly as possible in order to avoid any shortfall in\npayment appropriations.
\nB. Expenditure by heading of the financial\nframework: as to expenditure under\nthe different headings of the financial framework the Council's\nposition is as follows:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable growth (EUR 70.055 billion in\ncommitments):
\nSub-heading 1a: as\nregards competitiveness for growth and employment\nexpenditure, the amount of this sub-heading totals EUR\n15.563 billion in commitment appropriations, thus a\nreduction of EUR 469.15 million in the appropriations requested in\nthe DB in respect of a number of specific budget lines under this\nsub-heading, of which EUR 35.51 million resulting from the approach\ntaken in regard to administrative expenditure.
\nThe\nsub-heading is characterised by the following:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1a would be EUR\n560.1 million.
\nSub-heading 1b): expenditures\non cohesion for growth and employment: the Council has\nforeseen an amount of EUR 54.492 billion in commitments. The\nother main points about this sub-heading are the\nfollowing:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1b would be EUR\n32.45 million.
\nHeading 2: expenditure for preservation and management\nof natural resources: the amount for\nthis heading is set at EUR 59.971 billion in commitment\nappropriations, thus involving a total reduction of EUR 336 million\nin commitment appropriations requested in the DB, of which EUR 67\nmillion in the field of agriculture, EUR 264 million on the budget\nline for clearance of accounts and EUR 4 million on the budget line\nfor public awareness, on the basis of past and current budget\nimplementation.
\nMarket-related expenditures and\ndirect aids are set at EUR 43.795 billion (in commitment\nappropriations) by the Council, i.e. a reduction of 0.4% in\ncomparison with 2012.
\nOther points in regard to this budgetary heading\ninclude:
\nThe margin available under heading 2 would be EUR 1\n317.55 million.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: the allocation for this\nheading has been set at EUR 2.057 billion in commitment\nappropriations, divided between two sub-headings:
\n3a) in regard to\nfreedom, security and justice expenditure (EUR 1.377\nbillion in commitment appropriations), the Council\nrequests:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 3a would be EUR\n283.72 million.
\n3b) as regards\ncitizenship expenditure (EUR 680 million in\ncommitment appropriations), the Council has sought to:
\nThe available margin under sub-heading 3b would be EUR\n35.10 million.
\nHeading 4: the EU as\na global player, the Council envisages a total amount of EUR\n9.295 billion in commitment appropriations. It thus decided\nto:
\nThe margin available under Heading 4 would be EUR\n563.64 million to cover any additional needs at a later\nstage.
\nHeading 5: administrative expenditure:\nthese amount to EUR 8.398 billion in\ncommitment appropriations. The Council has decided to:
\nThis approach has resulted in an appropriate level of\nadministrative expenditure ensuring a proper functioning of the\ninstitutions. A margin of EUR 782.77 million remains available\nunder the ceiling of heading 5 of the multiannual financial\nframework. The Council also focused on administrative expenditure\nlinked to operational programmes and on administrative expenditure\nof the executive agencies. In this respect, it was decided to carry\nout targeted reductions on the basis of a similar approach as the\none followed for the institutions.
\nAgencies: as regards the\ndecentralised agencies, the Council also applied a similar approach\nas for the institutions. Therefore, a 1% reduction was retained in\nthe contribution to Titles 1 and 2 of all agencies. As regards\nposts, a 1% reduction to the establishment plan was applied for the\nagencies at \"cruising speed\". Regarding agencies in charge of new\ntasks, only half of the new posts requested were accepted. For\nagencies in the \"start-up\" phase, the accepted new posts were\nlimited to three-quarters of the requests.
\nLa commission des\nbudgets a adopté le rapport commun de Giovanni LA VIA (PPE,\nIT) (section III – Commission) et Derek VAUGHAN (S&D, UK)\n(autres sections) sur la position du Conseil sur le projet de\nbudget général de l'Union européenne pour\nl'exercice 2013 – toutes\nsections.
\nLes\ndéputés soulignent à titre préliminaire\nque les priorités énoncées dans les avis\némis par ses commissions spécialisées\nainsi que celles qui se sont dégagées à\nl'occasion des réunions avec les rapporteurs\nspécialisés dans les questions budgétaires ont\nété prises en considération dans toute la\nmesure du possible dans la présente proposition\nrésolution. Dans ce contexte, ces derniers se prononcent\ncomme suit :
\nSection III\n– Commission :
\nLes\ndéputés rappellent que les priorités que le\nParlement avait énoncées pour le budget 2013 dans sa\nrésolution du 4 juillet 2012 ont été prises en\ncompte : elles consistaient à soutenir la croissance\ndurable, la compétitivité et l'emploi,\nparticulièrement pour les PME et les jeunes. Ils se\nfélicitent de ce que le projet de budget (PB) de la\nCommission reflète ces priorités du Parlement,\nconscients par ailleurs, des graves difficultés dues\nà l'état des économies nationales et à\nla nécessité d'une lecture réaliste et\nresponsable du budget.
\nLes\ndéputés refusent toutefois d'accepter la position\nqui voudrait que le budget de l'Union européenne puisse\nfaire l'objet d'économies de même ampleur et suivant\nla même logique que celles qui valent pour les budgets\nnationaux étant donné leurs différences\nfondamentales en termes de nature, d'objectifs et de structure. Ces\nderniers considèrent en effet qu'une diminution des moyens\nde l'Union se traduirait à coup sûr par un manque\nd'investissements et de liquidités dans les États\nmembres.
\nPour les\ndéputés, le budget doit être vu comme un\ninstrument complémentaire de soutien aux économies\ndes États membres, à même de canaliser les\ninitiatives et les investissements dans des domaines\nstratégiques pour la croissance et la création\nd'emploi ainsi que pour apporter un effet de levier dans des\nsecteurs qui dépassent les frontières nationales. Ce\nrôle est en outre légitimé par ces mêmes\nÉtats membres qui, avec le Parlement, sont responsables des\ndécisions qui sont à l'origine de la plupart des\ntextes législatifs européens.
\nRappelant que\nl'exercice 2013 sera le dernier du cadre financier pluriannuel\n(CFP) actuel, les députés regrettent que le Conseil\nait à nouveau procédé cette année aux\nréductions horizontales habituelles du PB dans le but\nde faire baisser artificiellement les ressources de l'Union d'un\nmontant global de 1,155 milliards EUR (-0.8%) en crédits\nd'engagement et de 5,228 milliards EUR (-3,8%) en\ncrédits de paiement par rapport au PB.
\nLes\ndéputés sont également surpris de constater\nque le Conseil n'ait pas tenu compte des dernières\nprévisions de la Commission pour la mise en œuvre des\nprogrammes, lesquelles se basent sur les estimations mêmes\ndes États membres. Une fois encore, les\ndéputés mettent en garde contre un risque\nélevé de manque de crédits de paiement,\nnotamment aux rubriques 1a, 1b et 2, ce qui risque\négalement de se traduire par des moyens insuffisants pour\npermettre à l'Union d'honorer ses obligations.
\nDes\nréductions de crédits de paiement dommageables\nà la croissance : mettant en évidence\ncertaines lacunes en matière de transparence des\ndépenses des États membres, les députés\nfont un état des lieux des réductions\neffectuées par le Conseil en constant l’impact\nparticulièrement préoccupant de ces réductions\npour les rubriques 1a et 1b (respectivement -1,9 milliard EUR\net -1,6 milliard EUR en crédits de paiement par rapport au\nPB), alors qu'il s'agit de celles qui couvrent la plupart des\ninitiatives et programmes destinés à la\nréalisation des objectifs de la stratégie Europe\n2020. Ils soulignent que ces réductions vont totalement\nà l'encontre des conclusions du Conseil européen de\njuin 2012, qui a qualifié le budget de l'Union de\n\"catalyseur de croissance et vecteur d'emploi dans toute l'Europe\"\net décidé de mobiliser des moyens, dont 55 milliards\nEUR des fonds structurels, en faveur de mesures destinées\nà stimuler la croissance. Les députés estiment\npar conséquent que cette décision, prise au niveau\npolitique le plus élevé de l'Union, doit se traduire,\nen 2013, par l'octroi de crédits de paiement suffisants aux\nprogrammes et actions qui appuient cette priorité.
\nLes\ndéputés ne peuvent en outre pas accepter l'argument\ndu Conseil qui affirme que ces réductions portent sur des\nprogrammes peu utilisés ou donnant de mauvais\nrésultats (éducation et de formation tout au long de\nla vie ou le PIC, etc.) car les critères retenus ne tiennent\nabsolument pas compte de la nature pluriannuelle des politiques de\nl'Union, et de la politique de cohésion en particulier, qui\nse caractérisent par une hausse progressive des paiements en\nfin de CFP.
\nPar ailleurs, cette\ndiminution importante du niveau des crédits de paiement se\ntraduirait mathématiquement par une nouvelle augmentation\ndes RAL de l'ordre de 4,1 milliards EUR en fin d'exercice, sachant\nque la majeure partie des RAL se rapporte à la politique de\ncohésion (65,6%) et aux secteurs liés à la\nR&D (10,5%).
\nRétablir\nles crédits de paiement du projet de budget pour permettre\naux principaux programmes de l’UE de fonctionner :\npar expérience, les députés ne\nconsidèrent pas que la déclaration relative aux\ncrédits de paiement que le Conseil a proposée lors de\nsa lecture du budget, suffise à garantir la mise à\ndisposition de crédits de paiement suffisants pour toutes\nles rubriques le moment venu. Par conséquent, la\ncommission des budgets adopte une politique générale\nde rétablissement, au niveau du PB, des crédits de\npaiement ayant fait l'objet de réductions par le Conseil\nainsi qu'une hausse, par rapport au PB, des crédits de\npaiement d'une série de lignes caractérisées\npar un taux d'exécution élevé au sein des\ndiverses rubriques, et notamment des rubriques 1a et 4, afin\nde couvrir les besoins réels des programmes correspondants\ntels qu'ils ont été définis par la Commission.\nIls appellent le Parlement européen à donner\nd’ores et déjà mandat à sa\ndélégation chargée de la conciliation sur le\nbudget 2013 de refuser, aussi bien pour le budget rectificatif\nn° 6/2012 que pour le budget 2013, les paiements dont le\nniveau ne permettrait pas de couvrir intégralement les\nbesoins de paiements de 2012 et de 2013 tels qu'ils ont\nété estimés par la Commission. Ils rappellent\nau passage que le Conseil n'a absolument pas tenu compte des\npriorités du Parlement au moment du trilogue\nbudgétaire, alors que la lecture du Parlement se fonde,\nelle, sur les derniers chiffres et données pertinentes.
\n\n« Plus d’Europe et non moins\nd’Europe » : les députés\nconsidèrent que pour surmonter la crise il faut plus\nd'Europe, et non moins d'Europe, et ce, afin de relancer les\ninvestissements, de stimuler la création d'emplois et de\ncontribuer à redonner confiance dans l'économie. Ils\ns’inscrivent donc totalement en faux sur la position du\nConseil qui tend à réduire encore les crédits\nd'engagement pour les limiter à 1,27% par rapport au budget\n2012.
\nLes\ndéputés fixent donc le niveau global des\ncrédits de 2013 à :
\nEn ce qui concerne\nchacune des rubriques budgétaires, les députés\ns'expriment comme :
\nRubrique\n1a : les députés regrettent que la rubrique\n1a doive pratiquement supporter la totalité des\nréductions des crédits d'engagement effectuées\npar le Conseil à la rubrique 1 (-2,9% par rapport au PB) et\nqu'il s'agisse de la rubrique la plus touchée par la\nréduction des crédits de paiement (-1,9 milliard EUR,\nsoit -14% par rapport au PB). Les députés\nannulent dès lors la plupart des réductions\neffectuées par le Conseil. Ils opèrent en outre les\nmodifications budgétaires suivantes :
\nRubrique\n1b : une fois encore, les députés\ndéplorent les restrictions drastiques des crédits de\npaiement (-1,6 milliard EUR, soit -3,3% par rapport au PB)\neffectuées par le Conseil dans l'objectif\n\"compétitivité régionale et emploi\" (12,9%),\nl'objectif \"coopération territoriale européenne\"\n(-18,7%) et le Fonds de cohésion (-4,7%). Rappelant les\ndoutes exprimés dans son mandat pour le trilogue quant au\ncaractère suffisant du niveau des paiements proposé\ndans le PB pour rembourser la totalité des créances\nprévues en l'absence de budget rectificatif cette\nannée, les députés refusent les\nréductions effectuées par le Conseil à la\nrubrique 1b car elles entraîneraient une pénurie de\ncrédits de paiement bien plus grave qu'escompté.\nCette situation augmenterait en outre de manière drastique\nle niveau du RAL à la fin de l'année prochaine. Les\ndéputés récusent en outre la position du\nConseil qui appelle la Commission à présenter un\nprojet de budget rectificatif en cas de crédits de paiement\ninsuffisants, sachant qu'au cours des deux années\nécoulées, il avait pris des engagements semblables\ndont il n'avait ensuite plus tenu compte. Dans ce contexte, les\ndéputés appellent le Parlement à demander\nà la présidence du Conseil d'exposer dans une\ndéclaration publique les raisons pour lesquelles les\ncrédits de paiement fixés par le Conseil lors de sa\nlecture du budget diffèrent des besoins réels des\nÉtats membres tels qu'ils les ont définis dans\nleurs prévisions. Dans la foulée, les\ndéputés rétablissent le niveau du PB les\ncrédits d'engagement et de paiement de toutes les lignes\nbudgétaires ayant fait l'objet de réductions par le\nConseil dans cette rubrique. Ils appellent en outre le Conseil\nà accepter le projet de budget rectificatif n° 6/2012\nafin de compenser le manque de crédits de paiement du\nprésent exercice et de ne pas bloquer l'exécution des\nprojets en cours à la fin de la période de\nprogrammation.
\nRubrique\n2 : les députés estiment que l'estimation\ndes besoins budgétaires par la Commission est plus\nréaliste que les prévisions du Conseil. Ils\nrétablissent dès lors les montants réduits par\nle Conseil dans cette rubrique au niveau de 60.307,51 millions EUR,\nsoit 0,6% au-dessus des chiffres du budget 2012. Ils rejettent\nl'augmentation de la ligne de dépense négative\n(apurement des comptes), qui semble artificiellement\nélevée par rapport aux crédits de la rubrique\n2, et rétablissent les chiffres de la proposition de la\nCommission.
\nIls font\négalement les ajustements budgétaires\nsuivants :
\nLes\ndéputés se disent également favorables\nà la réduction drastique, et dans certains cas\nà l'annulation, des crédits de certaines lignes\nbudgétaires prévoyant des restitutions car il s'agit\nd'un instrument politiquement controversé.
\nRubrique\n3a : les députés rejettent en bloc les\nréductions effectuées par le Conseil pour les\ncrédits de paiement des domaines suivants de cette\nrubrique:
\nIls\ndécident, en conséquence, de rétablir les\ncrédits des lignes correspondantes au niveau du PB. Ils\nrelèvent également les crédits du programme\nDAPHNE vu l’impact très positif de ce programme\nau-delà du niveau du PB.
\nIls rejettent\négalement la décision unilatérale du Conseil\nde modifier la base juridique de la proposition relative au\nmécanisme d'évaluation de Schengen afin qu'elle\nne relève plus de la procédure législative\nordinaire, mais de l'article 70 du traité sur le\nfonctionnement de l'Union européenne. Ils soutiennent la\ndécision de la Conférence des présidents de\nsuspendre toute coopération avec le Conseil sur le budget\n2013 en ce qui concerne les aspects liés à la\nsécurité intérieure et confirment la position\nadoptée par sa commission des libertés civiles, de la\njustice et des affaires intérieures de placer en\nréserve les crédits (d'engagement et de paiement) de\ncertaines lignes budgétaires du titre 18 qui ont trait\nà la sécurité intérieure dans l'attente\nd'une issue satisfaisante sur les propositions relatives à\nla gouvernance de l'espace Schengen.
\nRubrique\n3b : soulignant la nécessité\nd’encourager la communication entre les cultures ainsi que la\ncitoyenneté de l'Union au cours de la prochaine\ngénération, les députés décident\nd'augmenter les crédits du programme \"Jeunesse en action\"\npar rapport au PB. Ils décident en outre de revoir\nà la hausse les crédits de l'Année\neuropéenne des citoyens 2013 et les activités de\ncommunication qui y sont liées.
\nRubrique\n4 : les députés soulignent que les\nréductions opérées par le Conseil dans les\npaiements de la rubrique 4 (-1 milliard EUR, soit -14,1% par\nrapport au PB) représentent environ 20% de l'ensemble des\nréductions pour les différentes rubriques. Ils\nestiment que cette réduction massive risque\nd'empêcher l'Union de respecter les engagements qu'elle a\npris sur la scène internationale. Ils\nrétablissent dès lors, pour la plupart des lignes\nbudgétaires, le niveau des crédits d'engagement et de\npaiement proposé dans le PB.
\nIls\nconsidèrent toutefois que des réductions par rapport\nau PB peuvent être acceptées dans certaines lignes\nbudgétaires, comme celles relatives à :
\nIls proposent une\nlégère augmentation des crédits d'engagement\net de paiement par rapport au PB pour les lignes budgétaires\nrelatives aux zones géographiques de coopération au\ndéveloppement ainsi qu'aux missions d'observation\nélectorale et au Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida, la\ntuberculose et le paludisme.
\nConsidérant\nque l'augmentation du financement alloué à la\nPalestine et à l'UNRWA est capitale pour que ce dernier\ndispose des moyens indispensables aux services essentiels dont\nl'assemblée générale des Nations unies l'a\nchargé et pour assurer la sécurité et la\nsubsistance des réfugiés, les députés\nrenforcent le budget y consacré. Ils augmentent en\noutre l'enveloppe financière destinée à\nsoutenir la communauté chypriote turque.
\nRubrique\n5 : prenant acte de la position du Conseil, qui consiste\nà réduire les montants proposés par la\nCommission pour les différentes sections de la rubrique 5\nd'un montant total de 146 millions EUR, malgré les efforts\naccomplis par les institutions, en vue de parvenir à un\nrééquilibrage des dépenses administratives,\nles députés saluent les efforts des institutions,\ndont le Parlement et la Commission, qui ont respecté, voire\ndépassé leurs engagements consistant à\nmaintenir l'augmentation de leurs budgets administratifs en-dessous\ndes prévisions d'inflation.
\nPour toutes les\ninstitutions, sauf le Conseil, ainsi que pour les écoles\neuropéennes, les députés décident de\nrétablir (ou, dans le cas de la Cour de justice, d'inscrire)\nen réserve pour l'exercice 2013 les montants correspondant\nà l'adaptation salariale de 1,7% pour 2011, en attendant\nl'arrêt de la Cour de justice. Cette mesure répond au\nprincipe de bonne gestion budgétaire, compte tenu de la\nprobabilité d'un arrêt favorable à la\nCommission. Ils avertissent le Conseil que, le cas\néchéant, l'autorité budgétaire devra\nappliquer cet arrêt avec effet rétroactif aux\nexercices 2011 et 2012, avec les intérêts de\nretard.
\nLes\ndéputés annulent également d'autres\nréductions réalisées par le Conseil concernant\ncertains postes de dépenses administratives, notamment\nà la Commission, au niveau des équipements et\nservices informatiques et de certains bureaux.
\nTout en\nrétablissant ou en conservant les demandes de postes\nprésentées par la Commission et, en partie, celles\némanant d'autres institutions, après un examen au cas\npar cas, les députés appellent à la\nréalisation d'une analyse d'impact approfondie sur les\nréductions d'effectifs prévues d'ici 2018, en tenant\npleinement compte, entre autres, des obligations juridiques de\nl'Union ainsi que des nouvelles compétences et des nouvelles\nmissions des institutions.
\nLes\ndéputés s’inquiètent en outre de certains\nréductions d'effectifs opérées au sein de la\nCommission et appellent à inclure dans son rapport de\n\"screening\" annuel des ressources humaines une évaluation\ndes conséquences. Ils appellent également à la\nconstitution de diverses réserves pour certaines lignes\nbudgétaires en attendant d'obtenir des informations\nspécifiques.
\n\nAgences : si les députés approuvent, de\nmanière générale, les estimations des besoins\nen crédits et en ressources humaines des agences\nétablies par la Commission (qui a déjà\nconsidérablement réduit les demandes initiales des\nagences), ils craignent que toute réduction\nsupplémentaire opérée par le Conseil ne\ncompromette le bon fonctionnement des agences en les\nempêchant de mener à bien les missions qui leur ont\nété confiées. Ils décident dès\nlors d'augmenter les crédits alloués aux trois\nagences de supervision financière. Conscients que certaines\nagences (comme Europol, l'EASA, l'ACER) devront, en 2013,\ns'acquitter de tâches complémentaires qui pourraient\nne pas avoir été prises en compte dans le budget qui\nleur est alloué ou dans le tableau des effectifs pour 2013,\nles députés appellent en outre la Commission à\nproposer en temps opportun, en cas de nécessité, un\nbudget rectificatif concernant l'agence concernée. Ils\nattendent également une nouvelle fiche financière\nlorsqu'une procédure législative aura\nété finalisée par le Parlement et le Conseil\nen vue d'étendre le mandat d'une agence.
\nAutres\nsections budgétaires :
\nD’une\nmanière générale, les députés\ns'inquiètent de la position adoptée par le Conseil au\nsujet du gel nominal pour l'ensemble des institutions de l'Union et\nconsidèrent que les institutions devraient faire l'objet\nd'un examen au cas par cas, en tenant compte des besoins et de la\nsituation propres à chacune. Ils se félicitent des\nefforts consentis par les institutions pour réaliser des\néconomies supplémentaires et de restreindre leur\nbudget, tout en tenant compte des coûts liés à\nl'élargissement à la Croatie.
\nParlement\neuropéen : concernant le budget du Parlement, les\ndéputés soulignent que le niveau du budget 2013 est\nsupérieur de 1,9% à celui de 2012 si l'on tient\ncompte des coûts liés à l'adhésion de la\nCroatie mais qu’en réalité, avec le taux\nd'inflation, il ne s'élève actuellement\nqu’à 1,9%, si l’on tient compte de l'attribution\nrécente de nouvelles compétences, de l'ajout de\nnouveaux postes et de nouvelles actions, du financement de\nl'adhésion de la Croatie ainsi que des coûts\nliés à la préparation des élections de\n2014.
\nLes\ndéputés approuvent en outre :
\nLes\ndéputés estiment par ailleurs qu'à l'instar de\ntout parlement élu au suffrage direct, le Parlement\neuropéen devrait avoir le droit de décider des\nmodalités relatives à son propre siège et\nà son lieu de travail. Ils déclarent dès\nlors que le siège du Parlement et les lieux de travail des\ndéputés et fonctionnaires devraient être\ndécidés par le Parlement lui-même.
\nD’autres\ndemandes spécifiques sont faites sur l’organisation\ninterne des travaux parlementaires, des déplacements et les\ndépenses de TIC et de traduction.
\nAutres\ninstitutions : les députés font enfin une\nsérie de recommandations pour les autres institutions et\norganes de l’Union appelant globalement\nà rétablir certains crédits\nalloués à chacune d’elles/eux pour leur\npermettre de fonctionner au mieux et de faire face à\nl’adhésion prochaine de la Croatie.
\nThe Committee on Budgets adopted the joint report by\nGiovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT) (section III – Commission) and Derek\nVAUGHAN (S&D, UK) on the Council position on the draft general\nbudget of the European Union for the financial year 2013 - all\nsections
\nMembers stress that the priorities expressed in the\nopinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in the present draft\nresolution.
\nSection III – Commission: the committee recalls that Parliament’s\npriorities for the 2013 budget, as detailed in its resolution of 4\nJuly 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue, consist in: support for\nsustainable growth, competitiveness and employment, particularly\nfor SMEs and youth. It points out that the Commission's draft\nbudget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and is aware of the\nsevere difficulties arising from the state of the national\neconomies and of the need for a responsible and realistic reading.\nMembers cannot accept, however, the approach according to which\nthe EU budget is made the source for possible savings with the same\nproportion and logic applied to the national budgets, given the\nsubstantial difference in nature, objectives and structure. They\nhighlight that decreasing EU resources will surely result in a lack\nof investment and liquidity in the Member States.
\nMembers underline that the EU budget is to be seen\nas a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Members deplore the decision\nof the Council to proceed again this year with the usual approach\nof horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at artificially reducing\nthe level of the EU's resources for 2013 by an overall total of EUR\n1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR\n5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment appropriations\n(PA).
\nThey are surprised that the Council has not taken into\naccount latest Commission's forecasts for programmes'\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. The\nreport warns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: underlines that the current procedures for assessing\nthe real needs for payment appropriations for Member States take\nplace in total obscurity. The committee carries out a survey of the\nCouncil’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Members consider that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this priority. They\nalso reject the Council's argument that these cuts correspond to\nunder-implemented or low-performing programmes, (e.g. the Lifelong\nLearning Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework\nProgramme (CIP) under Heading 1a and the Competitiveness and\nEmployment objective under Heading 1b), since such criteria\ncompletely disregard the multiannual character of the EU's\npolicies, and of cohesion policy in particular, characterised by a\nrising profile of payments towards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: due to recent experience, the committee does not deem\nthe declaration of payments proposed by the Council in its reading\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\neventually be made available for all headings. The Budgets\nCommittee takes the general approach, therefore, of restoring, at\nthe level of DB payments cut by Council in all headings and\nincreasing payment appropriations over DB on a selected number of\nlines characterised by high levels of implementation within each\nheading, in particular Headings 1a and 4, to cover the real\nneeds of the corresponding programmes, as identified by the\nCommission. It calls on the European Parliament to mandate its\ndelegation for the Budget 2013 conciliation not to\naccept any level of payments both for the Amending budget\n6/2012 and the Budget 2013 that does not fully cover the payment\nneeds for 2012 and 2013, as estimated by the Commission.\nMembers recall that Council completely disregarded Parliament's\npriorities, as expressed in Parliament's mandate for the trilogue\nbut that Parliament's reading is based instead upon benchmarks\narising from that mandate.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: the report underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. Members cannot, therefore, accept\nCouncil's decision to reduce commitment appropriations further down\nto 1.27% compared to budget 2012. They set the overall level of\nappropriations for 2013 to:
\n\n· \nEUR 151 151.84 million in commitment\nappropriations and
\n\n· \nEUR 137 898.15 million in payment\nappropriations.
\nWith regard to each of the budget headings, Members\nmake the following points:
\nHeading 1: they deplore\nthat Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the Council's\ncuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1) and is the\nmost affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9 billion or\n-14% compared to DB). They decide to undo almost all cuts by\nCouncil and to reinforce above DB in commitment and payment\nappropriations only a selected number of lines directly linked to\nthe objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
\nMembers make the following amendments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \nincrease commitment and payment appropriations\nin favour of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme\n(CIP) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme and CIP Intelligent\nEnergy Europe;
\n\n· \npartly compensate of decreases to ITER by\nsetting commitments above DB on a selected number of operational\nFP7 lines directly underpinning the Europe 2020 strategy and\ncharacterised by excellent levels of implementation and strong\nabsorption capacity;
\n\n· \nfinance this partial offset above the available\nmargin through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for\nan amount of EUR 50 million;
\n\n· \nincrease appropriations for Lifelong Learning\nand Erasmus Mundus programmes which, against modest financial\nenvelopes, provide great returns in terms of effective\nimplementation and positive image of the Union\nvis-à-vis its citizens;
\n\n· \nmaintain the level of commitments and payments\nproposed in the DB for projects of common interest in the\nTrans-European transport network;
\n\n· \nrestore DB payments for the European\nGlobalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);
\nHeading 1b: Members\nstrongly deplore the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR 1.6 billion\nor -3.3% as compared to DB) by the Council affecting the Regional\nCompetitiveness and Employment objective (-12.9%), the European\nTerritorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%) and the Cohesion Fund\n(-4.7%). Recalling the doubts expressed in its mandate for the\ntrilogue as to whether the level of payments proposed in the DB\nwill be sufficient to reimburse the totality of the expected\npayment claims in the absence of an amending budget this year, the\ncommittee rejects the cuts introduced by the Council on Heading 1b,\nwhich would lead to a much more serious shortage in payments than\nalready expected and would also lead to a strong increase in the\nlevel of RAL by the end of next year. It does not consider the\nCouncil's declaration asking the Commission to submit a draft\namending budget in case of insufficient payments under Heading 1b\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\nbe made available in 2013, given that similar commitments have been\nalready undertaken and disregarded by the Council in the past two\nyears. Members ask the Council Presidency to make a public\nstatement and explain the discrepancy between the Council's reading\non payments and the actual needs of Member States, as expressed\nin their estimates.
\nIn sum, the committee decides to restore the DB in\ncommitments and in payments for all budget lines cut by Council\nunder this heading. It urges the Council to agree on Draft amending\nbudget 6/2012 presented by the Commission with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nHeading 2: Members\nconsider that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestore, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level of\nEUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. They\nreject the increase of the so-called negative expenditure line\n(clearance of accounts) as this appears to be set artificially high\ncompared to Heading 2 appropriations and partly restores the\nCommission's proposal, allowing a more realistic\napproach.
\nThey also make the following adjustments to the\nbudget:
\n\n· \ngranting an adequate level for producer groups\nfor preliminary recognition;
\n\n· \nsufficient increase of the Union's contribution\nto the crisis fund within operational funds for producer\norganisations;
\n\n· \nincreased support for the school milk programme\nand the continued support for programme concerning school\nfruit;
\n\n· \nmaintaining the budget allocation dedicated to\nthe Food Distribution Programme for the Most Deprived Persons in\nthe with Members welcoming the effort made by the Commission in\nfinding a political and legal solution to continue with the\nprogramme in 2013;
\n\n· \ncontinued support on a commensurate level for\nthe LIFE+ programme,
\n\n· \nmaintaining financing of the CFP at the proposed\nDB levels, in view of its upcoming reform.
\nMembers state they support the reduction of some\nbudget lines on refunds drastically, in some cases even to zero, as\nthis instrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Members\nreject the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\n\n· \nEuropean Return Fund (-EUR 18\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Refugee Fund (-EUR 1.8\nmillion),
\n\n· \nEuropean Fund for the Integration of\nthird-country nationals (-EUR 3.2 million) and Fundamental Rights\nand Citizenship (-EUR 1 million).
\nThey decide, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. They also increase the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nMembers also reject the Council's unilateral\ndecision to change the legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen\nevaluation mechanism\" from ordinary legislative procedure to\nArticle 70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.\nThey support the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and endorse, therefore, the position taken by the\nCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to put into\nthe reserve some budgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to\ninternal security (in commitment and payment appropriations) until\na satisfactory outcome is achieved on the Schengen governance\npackage.
\nHeading 3b: emphasising\nthe need to encourage cross-cultural communication and EU\ncitizenship within the next generation, the committee has\ndecided to increase funding for the Youth in Action programme\ncompared to DB. It also reinforces appropriations for the\nEuropean Year of Citizens 2013 together with the latter’s\ncommunication activities.
\nHeading 4: Members\nhighlights that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. They\nconsider that such a massive reduction would impede the Union to\nrespect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene and they decide to restore the level of both\ncommitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to the\nlevels proposed in the DB.
\nMembers considers, however, that some decreases\ncompared to the DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such\nas
\n\n· \nmacro-Financial Assistance,
\n\n· \nmembership of international organisations in the\nfield of customs and tax and
\n\n· \ncooperation with Greenland.
\nThey propose a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, the committee increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nMembers welcome the efforts of most institutions, including\nParliament and the Commission, which complied with and even\noverstepped their commitment to restrict their administrative\nbudgets to an increase below the expected inflation\nrate.
\nFor all the institutions apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, they decide to restore (or in the\ncase of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. The\ncommittee warns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary\nauthority will need to accommodate the retroactive effect of such\nruling for years 2011 and 2012, including late interest.
\nIt also undoes other cuts brought by the Council on\nspecific items of administrative expenditure, notably, within the\nCommission, on ICT equipment and services and some\noffices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\npartly, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of\na case-by-case approach, Members call for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nThey note with concern that staff cuts were made\nwithin the Commission and ask the Commission to include in its\nannual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. They\nalso set a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information.
\nAgencies: whilst\nendorsing, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of\nagencies' budgetary and staff needs and noting that the Commission\nhad already considerably reduced the agencies' initial requests)\nMembers consider that any further cuts as proposed by the Council\nwould endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and would not\nallow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned. They\ndecide to increase the 2013 budget appropriations for the three\nfinancial supervision agencies.
\nMembers are aware that certain agencies (such as\nEuropol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in 2013\nwhich might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013 and request the Commission, in case of\nnecessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the relevant\nagency. They also expect the Commission to present a new financial\nstatement when a legislative procedure has been finalised by\nParliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nThe committee is concerned by the Council's position\nof a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing that each\ninstitution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking\ninto account the needs and specific situation of each institution.\nIt welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find additional\nsavings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the costs of the\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament:\nMembers point out that the level of its 2013 budget is 1.9%\nabove the 2012 budget including the costs for Croatian accession\nbut that due to the current inflation rate of 1.9%, there is a real\ndecrease of the operating budget, despite recently added\ncompetences, new posts and actions, the financing of Croatia's\naccession and the costs for preparing the 2014 elections. They\napprove the following adjustments to the estimates:
\n\n· \nreduce the appropriations in the contingency\nreserve,
\n\n· \ninternalise the security service in a\nbudget-neutral manner,
\n\n· \npursue the internalisation of ICT\nactivities
\n\n· \nadjust the appropriations for the European\nParliamentary Association;
\n\n· \nreduction of appropriations for the House of\nEuropean History by EUR 5.3 million;
\nMembers believe that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements and\ndeclare, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament\nitself.
\nThey go on to make other remarks on Parliament’s\ninternal organisation, travel, ICT expenditure and\ntranslation.
\nOther institutions:\nlastly, Members make a series of recommendations on the other\ninstitutions and bodies of the EU calling generally for the\nrestoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in order to\nenable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nThe Council adopted its position on the draft budget\nof the European Union for 2013.
\nThe main features of the position are as\nfollows:
\nUnder the Council's position on the draft budget for\n2013, commitment appropriations increase by 1.27% compared to the\n2012 budget and payment appropriations increase by\n2.79%.
\nThe total amount of payment appropriations provided\nfor in the Council's position on the draft budget for 2013\ncorresponds to 0.99% of EU GNI.
\nA. Generalities: the\nCouncil's position on the draft budget for 2013:
\nStatement on payment appropriations: besides the abovementioned principles, the Council\nalso approved a statement on payment appropriations calling on the\nCommission to submit as early as possible the letter of\namendment for agriculture (including information about the\npossible carry-over of assigned revenue) and, if necessary, a\nletter of amendment concerning sub-heading 1b in order to\nappropriately calibrate the level of resources in heading 2\n(Preservation and management of natural resources) and sub-heading\n1b in the 2013 budget.
\nFurthermore, the Council asks the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget if the payment appropriations entered in\nthe 2013 budget are insufficient to cover expenditure\nunder:
\nIt urges the Commission to present as early as\npossible updated figures concerning the state of affairs and\nestimates regarding payment appropriations under sub-heading 1b\nand, if necessary, to present a draft amending budget for this sole\npurpose. The Council will take position on the draft amending\nbudget as quickly as possible in order to avoid any shortfall in\npayment appropriations.
\nB. Expenditure by heading of the financial\nframework: as to expenditure under\nthe different headings of the financial framework the Council's\nposition is as follows:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable growth (EUR 70.055 billion in\ncommitments):
\nSub-heading 1a: as\nregards competitiveness for growth and employment\nexpenditure, the amount of this sub-heading totals EUR\n15.563 billion in commitment appropriations, thus a\nreduction of EUR 469.15 million in the appropriations requested in\nthe DB in respect of a number of specific budget lines under this\nsub-heading, of which EUR 35.51 million resulting from the approach\ntaken in regard to administrative expenditure.
\nThe\nsub-heading is characterised by the following:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1a would be EUR\n560.1 million.
\nSub-heading 1b): expenditures\non cohesion for growth and employment: the Council has\nforeseen an amount of EUR 54.492 billion in commitments. The\nother main points about this sub-heading are the\nfollowing:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1b would be EUR\n32.45 million.
\nHeading 2: expenditure for preservation and management\nof natural resources: the amount for\nthis heading is set at EUR 59.971 billion in commitment\nappropriations, thus involving a total reduction of EUR 336 million\nin commitment appropriations requested in the DB, of which EUR 67\nmillion in the field of agriculture, EUR 264 million on the budget\nline for clearance of accounts and EUR 4 million on the budget line\nfor public awareness, on the basis of past and current budget\nimplementation.
\nMarket-related expenditures and\ndirect aids are set at EUR 43.795 billion (in commitment\nappropriations) by the Council, i.e. a reduction of 0.4% in\ncomparison with 2012.
\nOther points in regard to this budgetary heading\ninclude:
\nThe margin available under heading 2 would be EUR 1\n317.55 million.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: the allocation for this\nheading has been set at EUR 2.057 billion in commitment\nappropriations, divided between two sub-headings:
\n3a) in regard to\nfreedom, security and justice expenditure (EUR 1.377\nbillion in commitment appropriations), the Council\nrequests:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 3a would be EUR\n283.72 million.
\n3b) as regards\ncitizenship expenditure (EUR 680 million in\ncommitment appropriations), the Council has sought to:
\nThe available margin under sub-heading 3b would be EUR\n35.10 million.
\nHeading 4: the EU as\na global player, the Council envisages a total amount of EUR\n9.295 billion in commitment appropriations. It thus decided\nto:
\nThe margin available under Heading 4 would be EUR\n563.64 million to cover any additional needs at a later\nstage.
\nHeading 5: administrative expenditure:\nthese amount to EUR 8.398 billion in\ncommitment appropriations. The Council has decided to:
\nThis approach has resulted in an appropriate level of\nadministrative expenditure ensuring a proper functioning of the\ninstitutions. A margin of EUR 782.77 million remains available\nunder the ceiling of heading 5 of the multiannual financial\nframework. The Council also focused on administrative expenditure\nlinked to operational programmes and on administrative expenditure\nof the executive agencies. In this respect, it was decided to carry\nout targeted reductions on the basis of a similar approach as the\none followed for the institutions.
\nAgencies: as regards the\ndecentralised agencies, the Council also applied a similar approach\nas for the institutions. Therefore, a 1% reduction was retained in\nthe contribution to Titles 1 and 2 of all agencies. As regards\nposts, a 1% reduction to the establishment plan was applied for the\nagencies at \"cruising speed\". Regarding agencies in charge of new\ntasks, only half of the new posts requested were accepted. For\nagencies in the \"start-up\" phase, the accepted new posts were\nlimited to three-quarters of the requests.
\nThe Council adopted its position on the draft budget\nof the European Union for 2013.
\nThe main features of the position are as\nfollows:
\nUnder the Council's position on the draft budget for\n2013, commitment appropriations increase by 1.27% compared to the\n2012 budget and payment appropriations increase by\n2.79%.
\nThe total amount of payment appropriations provided\nfor in the Council's position on the draft budget for 2013\ncorresponds to 0.99% of EU GNI.
\nA. Generalities: the\nCouncil's position on the draft budget for 2013:
\nStatement on payment appropriations: besides the abovementioned principles, the Council\nalso approved a statement on payment appropriations calling on the\nCommission to submit as early as possible the letter of\namendment for agriculture (including information about the\npossible carry-over of assigned revenue) and, if necessary, a\nletter of amendment concerning sub-heading 1b in order to\nappropriately calibrate the level of resources in heading 2\n(Preservation and management of natural resources) and sub-heading\n1b in the 2013 budget.
\nFurthermore, the Council asks the Commission to submit\na draft amending budget if the payment appropriations entered in\nthe 2013 budget are insufficient to cover expenditure\nunder:
\nIt urges the Commission to present as early as\npossible updated figures concerning the state of affairs and\nestimates regarding payment appropriations under sub-heading 1b\nand, if necessary, to present a draft amending budget for this sole\npurpose. The Council will take position on the draft amending\nbudget as quickly as possible in order to avoid any shortfall in\npayment appropriations.
\nB. Expenditure by heading of the financial\nframework: as to expenditure under\nthe different headings of the financial framework the Council's\nposition is as follows:
\nHeading 1: Sustainable growth (EUR 70.055 billion in\ncommitments):
\nSub-heading 1a: as\nregards competitiveness for growth and employment\nexpenditure, the amount of this sub-heading totals EUR\n15.563 billion in commitment appropriations, thus a\nreduction of EUR 469.15 million in the appropriations requested in\nthe DB in respect of a number of specific budget lines under this\nsub-heading, of which EUR 35.51 million resulting from the approach\ntaken in regard to administrative expenditure.
\nThe\nsub-heading is characterised by the following:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1a would be EUR\n560.1 million.
\nSub-heading 1b): expenditures\non cohesion for growth and employment: the Council has\nforeseen an amount of EUR 54.492 billion in commitments. The\nother main points about this sub-heading are the\nfollowing:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 1b would be EUR\n32.45 million.
\nHeading 2: expenditure for preservation and management\nof natural resources: the amount for\nthis heading is set at EUR 59.971 billion in commitment\nappropriations, thus involving a total reduction of EUR 336 million\nin commitment appropriations requested in the DB, of which EUR 67\nmillion in the field of agriculture, EUR 264 million on the budget\nline for clearance of accounts and EUR 4 million on the budget line\nfor public awareness, on the basis of past and current budget\nimplementation.
\nMarket-related expenditures and\ndirect aids are set at EUR 43.795 billion (in commitment\nappropriations) by the Council, i.e. a reduction of 0.4% in\ncomparison with 2012.
\nOther points in regard to this budgetary heading\ninclude:
\nThe margin available under heading 2 would be EUR 1\n317.55 million.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: the allocation for this\nheading has been set at EUR 2.057 billion in commitment\nappropriations, divided between two sub-headings:
\n3a) in regard to\nfreedom, security and justice expenditure (EUR 1.377\nbillion in commitment appropriations), the Council\nrequests:
\nThe margin available under sub-heading 3a would be EUR\n283.72 million.
\n3b) as regards\ncitizenship expenditure (EUR 680 million in\ncommitment appropriations), the Council has sought to:
\nThe available margin under sub-heading 3b would be EUR\n35.10 million.
\nHeading 4: the EU as\na global player, the Council envisages a total amount of EUR\n9.295 billion in commitment appropriations. It thus decided\nto:
\nThe margin available under Heading 4 would be EUR\n563.64 million to cover any additional needs at a later\nstage.
\nHeading 5: administrative expenditure:\nthese amount to EUR 8.398 billion in\ncommitment appropriations. The Council has decided to:
\nThis approach has resulted in an appropriate level of\nadministrative expenditure ensuring a proper functioning of the\ninstitutions. A margin of EUR 782.77 million remains available\nunder the ceiling of heading 5 of the multiannual financial\nframework. The Council also focused on administrative expenditure\nlinked to operational programmes and on administrative expenditure\nof the executive agencies. In this respect, it was decided to carry\nout targeted reductions on the basis of a similar approach as the\none followed for the institutions.
\nAgencies: as regards the\ndecentralised agencies, the Council also applied a similar approach\nas for the institutions. Therefore, a 1% reduction was retained in\nthe contribution to Titles 1 and 2 of all agencies. As regards\nposts, a 1% reduction to the establishment plan was applied for the\nagencies at \"cruising speed\". Regarding agencies in charge of new\ntasks, only half of the new posts requested were accepted. For\nagencies in the \"start-up\" phase, the accepted new posts were\nlimited to three-quarters of the requests.
\nPURPOSE: presentation of Amending Letter No 1 to the\nDraft General Budget 2013 (DB 2013).
\nCONTENT: this Amending Letter No 1 to the Draft\nGeneral Budget 2013 relates to:
\nThe budgetary impact of these adjustments is a\nreduction in commitment and payment appropriations of EUR 25.1\nmillion compared to the Draft Budget 2013.
\nPURPOSE: to present the draft Commission budget for\nthe financial year 2013 (all budget sections).
\nCONTENT: the Commission adopted the draft EU budget\nfor 2013. It will be the last annual budget of the present\nMultiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013. Aware of the current\neconomic situation, the Commission will present a budget fully\ngeared to use its funding potential for growth and jobs in line\nwith the Europe 2020 strategy.
\nInvestment is a crucial component of spurring this\ngrowth; the EU budget, with its high investment focus, has an\nimportant role to play as a leverage tool to Member States’\nrecovery policies, which will benefit economic activity across\nthe Union.
\nIn preparing its Draft Budget the Commission has\nfollowed a rigorous approach, in which:
\nThis approach contributes directly to growth and jobs\nin Europe, and which on the other hand is necessary to allow the EU\nbudget to meet its contractual obligations of current and previous\nyears.
\nIn terms of commitment appropriations, the total expenditure proposed in the draft budget\n(DB) 2013 is EUR 150 931,7 million, corresponding to 1.13 % of\nGNI5, that is EUR 3 031,5 million more than in 2012 (+ 2.0 %). The\nrestriction of the increase in the overall level of commitment\nappropriations to inflation correction (+ 2.0 %) leaves a combined\ntotal margin of EUR 2 420,4 million under the various ceilings of\nthe MFF.
\nFor payment appropriations, the total amounts to EUR 137 924.4 million,\ncorresponding to 1.04 % of GNI. This is an increase of EUR 8 818.3\nmillion compared to payment appropriations in the 2012 budget\n(+ 6.8 %), and leaves a margin of EUR 6 182.6 million under the\nceiling of the MFF.
\nThe main priorities have been established for the 2013\nDraft Budget: in 2013, the EU will pursue its support to\ninvestment and to actions in favour of job-friendly growth.\nThis key political priority is reflected in the level of commitment\nappropriations requested in the Draft Budget. Competitiveness for\ngrowth and employment, with EUR 16 billion in commitment\nappropriations, and Cohesion for growth and employment, with EUR\n54.5 billion in commitment appropriations, support the EU economy\nby shaping the conditions for sustainable growth and\ngrowth-friendly consolidation, both immediately and in the longer\nterm.
\nAt the present final stage of the current financial\nframework, the Draft Budget for 2013 is established on the basis of\na two-fold approach:
\nOther characteristics of the 2013\nbudget:
\nKey aspects of the draft budget 2013 by financial\nframework headings:
\nHeading 1 : Sustainable growth: this heading covers the expenses relating to\ncompetitiveness and employment as well as cohesion:
\nHeading 2: Preservation and Management of Natural\nResources: commitment appropriations of EUR 60 307.5 million\nare proposed for this heading. This level of funding represents an\nincrease of 0.6 % compared to 2012 and leaves a margin of EUR 981.5\nmillion under the ceiling. Payment appropriations amount to EUR 57\n964.9 million, which is an increase of 1.6 % compared to 2012.\nWithin this heading the amount foreseen for market related\nexpenditure and direct aids reaches EUR 44 130.3 million in\ncommitment appropriations, and EUR 44 112.9 million in payment\nappropriations.
\nHeading 3: Citizenship, freedom, security and\njustice: this heading is split into\ntwo sub-headings:
\nHeading 4: the EU as a Global Player: this heading sees an increase in commitment\nappropriations of 0.7 % to EUR 9 467.2 million, leaving an\nunallocated margin of EUR 391.9 million available under the\nceiling. Payment appropriations on the other hand increase by 5.1 %\nto EUR 7 311.6 million, mostly due to increases under IPA, ENPI,\nHumanitarian aid and CFSP, at a time when many instruments are\nreaching cruising speed.
\nHeading 5: Administrative expenditure: both commitment and payment appropriations for this\nheading for all Institutions combined increase by 3.2 %, with\ncommitments set at EUR 8 544.4 million and payments at EUR 8 545.5\nmillion. This increase includes additional administrative\nexpenditure related to Croatia’s accession, amounting to EUR\n32.9 million for all Institutions. The administrative expenditure\nrelated to Croatia is included as from the beginning of 2013, so as\nto allow recruitments in due time. This remaining margin amounts to\nEUR 636.6 million.
\nThe Commission continues its efforts to limit its own\nadministrative expenditure by reducing expenditure less affected by\nautomatic adjustments. Moreover, further to its proposals to reduce\nthe staffing numbers of all Institutions and bodies by 5 % over the\nyears 2013-2017, the Commission has reduced by 1 % the number of\nposts in its establishment plans and has contained\nappropriations for its external personnel financed under all\nheadings (including in the six executive agencies), leading to a\ntotal staff reduction of 1 %. As a result, when excluding pensions\nand European schools (both of which concern interinstitutional\nexpenditure), the increase in the Commission’s\nadministrative expenditure has been limited to 1.2 % (1.5 % when\nincluding Croatia’s accession) i.e. well below\ninflation.
\nThe Commission’s strict approach to\nadministration is to a large degree followed by the other\nInstitutions, leading to an overall increase of\nadministrative appropriations for the other Institutions of 2.6\n% (3.3 % including Croatia). The requested increases in\nexpenditure for 2013 (including Croatian enlargement) compared to\nthe 2012 budget range from 1.2 % for the Council to 8.4 % for the\nCourt of Justice, with most Institutions having an increase\nexcluding Croatia around or below inflation. Similar to the\nCommission’s approach, a 1 % reduction in human resources is\nalso incorporated by the Council, the Court of Justice and the\nCourt of Auditors. When preparing the Draft Budget, the Commission\nhas modified the request of the Committee of the Regions, so as to\nalign its requested increase (excluding the impact of the accession\nof Croatia) to the expected rate of inflation (+ 1.9 %). This has\nresulted in a reduction of EUR 0.4 million, as compared to the\ndraft statement of estimates of the Committee of the\nRegions.
\nIn conclusion, the\nCommission’s approach represents a responsible and coherent\nbudgetary proposal which is refocused on Growth and Jobs. It is\ncoherent with current restraints, efficient spending and the\nobligations of the Union. It provides a proposal which is both\ncredible for a smooth and timely adoption of the 2013 budget and\nresponsible for the future by containing the accumulation of\noutstanding commitments.
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 492 to 123 votes,\nwith 82 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on the\ndraft general budget of the European Union for the financial year\n2013 (all Sections).
\nParliament stresses that the priorities expressed in\nthe opinions given by its specialised committees, as well as those\nwhich emerged on the occasion of the meetings with the Rapporteurs\nspecialising in budgetary matters, have as far as possible been\ntaken into account in this resolution.
\nNoting the Amending\nLetter No 1 to the Draft General Budget 2012, Parliament sets\nthe overall level of appropriations for 2013 at:
\nParliament’s resolution may be summarised as\nfollows:
\nSection III – Commission:
\nParliament recalls that its priorities for the 2013\nbudget, as detailed in its resolution\nof 4 July 2012 have been taken into account: they consist in:\nsupport for sustainable growth, competitiveness and employment,\nparticularly for SMEs and youth. It welcomes the fact that the\nCommission's draft budget (DB) reflects Parliament's priorities and\nis aware of the severe difficulties arising from the state of the\nnational economies and of the need for a responsible and realistic\nreading.
\nParliament cannot accept, however, the approach\naccording to which the EU budget is made the source for possible\nsavings with the same proportion and logic applied to the national\nbudgets, given the substantial difference in nature, objectives\nand structure. It considers that decreasing EU resources will\nsurely result in a lack of investment and liquidity in the Member\nStates.
\nIn Parliament’s view, the EU budget is to be\nseen as a complementary instrument of support for Member States'\neconomies, capable of concentrating initiatives and investment\nin areas strategic for growth and the creation of jobs as well as\nand of bringing about a leverage effect in sectors overcoming\nnational boundaries. Such a role is legitimised by the same Member\nStates, who, together with Parliament, are responsible for the\ndecisions from which most of the EU law stems.
\nRecalling that 2013 is the last year of the current\nmultiannual financial framework (MFF), Parliament deplores the\ndecision of the Council to proceed again this year with the\nusual approach of horizontal cuts to the DB, aimed at\nartificially reducing the level of the EU's resources for 2013 by\nan overall total of EUR 1 155 million (-0.8%) in commitment\nappropriations (CA) and EUR 5 228 million (-3.8%) in payment\nappropriations (PA).
\nParliament is also surprised that the Council has not\ntaken into account the latest Commission's forecasts for programme\nimplementation, based on estimates of the same Member States. It\nwarns about the severe risk of shortages of payments, in\nparticular under Headings 1a, 1b and 2, entailing a risk that\nsufficient funds are not made available to enable the EU to honour\nits debts.
\nReductions damaging for growth: underlining that the current procedures for assessing\nthe real needs for payment appropriations for Member States take\nplace in total obscurity, Parliament has examined the\nCouncil’s cuts, noting that Headings 1a and 1b are\nparticularly affected as regards payments (-EUR 1.9 billion and\n-EUR 1.6 billion respectively as compared to the DB), i.e. the\nheadings under which most of the programmes and initiatives\nresponsible for delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020\nstrategy are concentrated. It underlines that these cuts are\nfully at odds with the conclusions of the June 2012 European\nCouncil, which identified the EU budget as \"a catalyst for\ngrowth and jobs across Europe\" and decided to concentrate\nresources, including EUR 55 billion coming from the Structural\nFunds, on growth-enhancing measures. Parliament considers that that\ndecision, taken at the highest political level of the EU, needs to\nbe translated into a sufficient level of payments for 2013 in\nfavour of programmes and actions underpinning this\npriority.
\nParliament also rejects the Council's argument that\nthese cuts correspond to under-implemented or low-performing\nprogrammes, (e.g. the Lifelong Learning Programme and the\nCompetitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) under\nHeading 1a and the Competitiveness and Employment objective under\nHeading 1b), since such criteria completely disregard the\nmultiannual character of the EU's policies, and of cohesion policy\nin particular, characterised by a rising profile of payments\ntowards the end of the MFF.
\nFurthermore, the substantial reduction in the level of\npayments as compared to commitments set by the Council would\nlogically result in a further increase of the RAL by EUR 4.1\nbillion, especially considering that the largest shares of the RAL\nrelate to cohesion policy (65.6%) and to R&D sector\n(10.5%).
\nRestoring at the level of DB payment appropriations to\nenable the main EU programmes to function: Parliament doubts that the increase in payments by\n6.8 % proposed in the DB will be sufficient to cover\nreimbursements of payment claims awaited by Member States under the\nvarious headings – and in particular for Headings 1a and 1b\n– in the absence of an amending budget covering payment needs\nfor 2012. It will therefore reject any attempt to reduce the\nlevel of payment appropriations as compared to the DB proposal.\nFrom experience, Parliament does not deem the declaration of\npayments proposed by the Council in its reading as a sufficient\nguarantee that an adequate level of payments will eventually be\nmade available for all headings. It therefore takes the general\napproach, therefore, of restoring, at the level of DB payments cut\nby Council in all headings and increasing payment\nappropriations over DB on a selected number of lines characterised\nby high levels of implementation within each heading, in particular\nHeadings 1a and 4, to cover the real needs of the corresponding\nprogrammes, as identified by the Commission. It calls on the\nEuropean Parliament to mandate its delegation for the Budget\n2013 conciliation not to accept any level of payments both for\nthe Amending budget 6/2012 and the Budget 2013 that does not\nfully cover the payment needs for 2012 and 2013, as estimated\nby the Commission. It recalls that Council completely disregarded\nParliament's priorities that it expressed in the trilogue and that\nParliament's reading is based instead upon the latest figures and\nrelevant benchmarks.
\nMore Europe and not less Europe: Parliament underlines that the answer to the crisis\nmust be ‘more Europe and not less Europe’ in order to\nrestart investment, boost the creation of jobs and help rebuild\nconfidence in the economy. It cannot, therefore, accept Council's\ndecision to reduce commitment appropriations further down to 1.27%\ncompared to budget 2012. It even intends to increase commitment\nappropriations above the DB on a few selected budget lines directly\nrelated to the delivery of the Europe 2020 priorities and in line\nwith traditional Parliament's priorities;
\nAs far as each of the budgetary headings is concerned,\nParliament’s views are as follows:
\nHeading 1a: Parliament\nregrets that Heading 1a bears practically the totality of the\nCouncil's cuts in commitments (-2.9% compared to DB in Heading 1)\nand is the most affected as regards decreases in payments (-EUR 1.9\nbillion or -14% compared to the DB). It has decided to\nreverse almost all cuts by Council. It introduces the following\namendments to the budget:
\nHeading 1b: once again,\nParliament strongly regrets the substantial cuts in payments (-EUR\n1.6 billion or -3.3% as compared to the DB) by the Council\naffecting the Regional Competitiveness and Employment objective\n(-12.9%), the European Territorial Cooperation objective (-18.7%)\nand the Cohesion Fund (-4.7%). According to Parliament, such cuts\nwould definitely hamper the correct execution of projects during\nthe last year of the programming period, with dramatic\nconsequences, especially for the Member States which are already\nunder social, economical and financial constraints, thereby\nsubstantially increasing the RAL.
\nRecalling the doubts expressed in its mandate for the\ntrilogue as to whether the level of payments proposed in the DB\nwill be sufficient to reimburse the totality of the expected\npayment claims in the absence of an amending budget this year,\nParliament rejects the cuts introduced by the Council on Heading\n1b, which would lead to a much more serious shortage in payments\nthan already expected and would also lead to a strong increase in\nthe level of RAL by the end of next year. It does not consider the\nCouncil's declaration asking the Commission to submit a draft\namending budget in case of insufficient payments under Heading 1b\nas a sufficient guarantee that an adequate level of payments will\nbe made available in 2013, given that similar commitments have been\nalready undertaken and disregarded by the Council in the past two\nyears. In this context, Parliament asks the Council Presidency\nto make a public statement and explain the discrepancy between the\nCouncil's reading on payments and the actual needs of Member\nStates, as expressed in their estimates. In sum, Parliament\ndecides to restore the DB in commitments and in payments for all\nbudget lines cut by Council under this heading. It urges the\nCouncil to agree on Draft amending budget 6/2012 with the aim to\ncompensate the shortage of payment appropriations this year and to\navoid blocking the execution of running projects at the end of the\nprogramming period.
\nParliament also decides to increase commitment and\npayment appropriations above the DB for the technical assistance to\nthe Baltic Sea Strategy.
\nHeading 2: Parliament\nconsiders that the Commission’s estimates of budgetary needs\nare more realistic than the Council’s forecast figures, and\nrestores, therefore, Council's cuts under this Heading to a level\nof EUR 60 307.51 million, which is 0.6% above the 2012 budget. In\nan amendment adopted in Plenary, Parliament calls on the Commission\nto increase its efforts to define clear priorities under this\nHeading that favour sustainable farming systems which preserve\nbiodiversity, protect water resources and soil fertility, respect\nanimal welfare and support employment. It rejects the increase of\nthe so-called negative expenditure line (clearance of accounts) as\nthis appears to be set artificially high compared to Heading 2\nappropriations and partly restores the Commission's\nproposal.
\nParliament also makes the following budgetary\nadjustments:
\nParliament supports the sharp reduction of some budget\nlines on refunds, and in some cases even to zero, as this\ninstrument is politically controversial.
\nHeading 3a: Parliament\nrejects the cuts performed by the Council in payment appropriations\nin the following areas:
\nIt decides, therefore, to restore the level of the DB\non the corresponding lines. It also increases the payment\nappropriations of the DAPHNE programme above the level of the DB,\nemphasising the positive role of the programme.
\nParliament also rejects the Council's unilateral decision to change\nthe legal basis of the proposal on the \"Schengen evaluation\nmechanism\" from the ordinary legislative procedure to Article\n70 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It\nsupports the Conference of Presidents' decision to block\ncooperation with the Council on the 2013 budget as regards internal\nsecurity aspects and confirms it will place in the reserve some\nbudgetary lines in Title 18 which relate to internal security (in\ncommitment and payment appropriations) until a satisfactory outcome\nis achieved on the Schengen governance package.
\nHeading 4: Parliament\nhighlights that cut in payments brought by the Council to Heading 4\n(-EUR 1 billion or -14.1% as compared to DB) represent\napproximately 20% of the overall cuts across all headings. It\nconsiders that such a massive reduction would impede the Union\nto respect the commitments to which it has committed itself on the\nworld scene. It decides, therefore, to restore the level of\nboth commitment and payment appropriations in most budget lines to\nthe levels proposed in the DB.
\nIt considers, however, that some decreases compared to\nthe DB can be accepted in some budget lines, such as
\nIt proposes a small increase in the level of\ncommitment and payment appropriations above the DB for budget lines\nin the areas of geographical development cooperation, as well as\nfor the Electoral Observation Mission and the Global Fund to Fight\nAids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
\nPointing out that increased funding for Palestine and\nUNRWA is crucial for ensuring that UNRWA is given the necessary\nresources it needs to provide the essential services for which it\nhas been mandated by the UN General Assembly and to safeguard the\nsafety and livelihood of refugees, Parliament increases the\nrelevant funding. It also increases appropriations for the support\nto the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot\nCommunity.
\nHeading 5: taking note\nof the Council's position decreasing the Commission's proposal on\nHeading 5 by EUR 146 million overall, despite the institutions'\nefforts towards budget consolidation of administrative expenditure,\nParliament welcomes the efforts of the institutions, including the\nCommission, which complied with and even overstepped their\ncommitment to restrict their administrative budgets to an increase\nbelow the expected inflation rate.
\nFor all the institutions, apart from the Council, as\nwell as for the European Schools, Parliament decides to restore (or\nin the case of the Court of Justice, add) in reserve the amounts\ncorresponding to the 1.7% 2011 salary adjustment for budget year\n2013, pending the Court's ruling. This is sound budgeting, given\nthe likelihood of a ruling in favour of the Commission. Parliament\nwarns the Council that, in this event, the budgetary authority will\nneed to accommodate the retroactive effect of such ruling for years\n2011 and 2012, including late interest. Parliament also undoes\nother cuts brought by the Council on specific items of\nadministrative expenditure, notably, within the Commission, on ICT\nequipment and services and some offices.
\nWhile restoring or maintaining the Commission's and,\nin part, other institutions' requests for posts on the basis of a\ncase-by-case approach, Parliament calls for an in-depth impact\nassessment to be carried out on the planned staff reductions by\n2018, taking full account of, inter alia, the Union's legal\nobligations and the institutions' new competences.
\nParliament notes with concern that staff cuts were\nmade within the Commission and asks the Commission to include in\nits annual staff screening report an assessment of the impact. It\nalso sets a number of reserves on some budget lines with a view to\nobtaining specific information. Lastly, deploring the cuts made by\nthe Council on the administrative and research support lines,\nParliament considers underlines that these would be likely to\naffect the swiftness and quality of budgetary implementation of the\nmulti-annual programmes to which they are related. It decides\ntherefore to restore the DB for those lines.
\nAgencies: Parliament\nendorses, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of\nagencies' budgetary and staff needs and notes that the Commission\nhad already considerably reduced the agencies' initial requests.\nParliament considers that any further cuts as proposed by the\nCouncil would endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and\nwould not allow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned.\nThey decide to increase the 2013 budget appropriations for the\nthree financial supervision agencies. Aware that certain agencies\n(such as Europol, EASA, ACER) have to implement additional tasks in\n2013 which might not be reflected in the allocated budget or\nestablishment plan for 2013, Parliament requests the Commission, in\ncase of necessity, to propose timely an Amending Budget for the\nrelevant agency. It also expects the Commission to present a new\nfinancial statement when a legislative procedure has been finalised\nby Parliament and the Council extending the mandate of an\nagency.
\nOther sections
\nParliament is generally concerned by the Council's\nposition of a nominal freeze across all EU institutions, believing\nthat each institution should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis,\ntaking into account the needs and specific situation of each\ninstitution. It welcomes efforts made by the institutions to find\nadditional savings and restrict their budgets bearing in mind the\ncosts of the enlargement to Croatia.
\nEuropean Parliament: concerning its own budget, Parliament points out that\nthe level of its 2013 budget is 1.9% above the 2012 budget\nincluding the costs for Croatian accession but that due to the\ncurrent inflation rate of 1.9%, there is a real decrease of the\noperating budget, despite recently added competences, new posts and\nactions, the financing of Croatia's accession and the costs for\npreparing the 2014 elections. Parliament’s budget is thus set\nat EUR 1 750 463 939 for 2013.
\nParliament approves the following adjustments to the\nestimates:
\nOther specific demands are made in regard to the\ninternal organisation of Parliament’s work, travel and ICT and\ntranslation expenditures.
\nThe question of Parliament’s seat:\nParliament
\nParliament believes that, like every directly elected\nparliament, the European Parliament should have the right to\ndecide on its own seat and working place arrangements. It\ndeclares, therefore, that Parliament's seat and places of work for\nMembers and officials should be decided upon by Parliament itself.\nIt urges the two arms of the budgetary authority (the Council and\nParliament), in order to make financial savings and to promote a\nmore sustainable climate- and environmentally-friendly solution,\nto raise the issue of a single seat and Parliament's working\nplaces for Members and officials in the upcoming negotiations on\nthe next MFF for 2014-2020. It urges the Member States to\nrevise the issue of Parliament's seat and working places in the\nnext revision of the Treaty by amending Protocol 6. Furthermore, it\ncalls on the Council to start elaborating a road-map with the\nParliament towards a single seat and a more efficient use of\nParliament's working places, taking into account specific\nup-to-date figures detailing the cost of each place of work and\nworking conditions for staff, as well as economic, societal and\nenvironmental factors – to be presented in a report by 30 June\n2013.
\nOther institutions: lastly, Parliament makes a series of recommendations\non the other institutions and bodies of the EU calling generally\nfor the restoration of certain appropriations allocated to each in\norder to enable them to carry out their tasks and meet the needs of\nenlargement to Croatia.
\nThe Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the\nreport by Gerald HAFNER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the conclusion of an\ninterinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament and\nthe Council concerning the forwarding to and handling by the\nEuropean Parliament of classified information held by the Council\non matters other than those in the area of the common foreign and\nsecurity policy.
\nIt should be recalled that the Treaty of Lisbon\nextended the European Parliament’s powers in the field of\ninternational agreements. The requirement for the Council to keep\nParliament immediately and fully informed at all stages of the\nprocedure is explicitly laid down in Article 218(10) of the\nTFEU.
\nIn order to effectively exercise its prerogatives and\ncompetences, Parliament must therefore be able to access\nclassified information held by the Council.
\nUntil now, Parliament’s access to all classified\ninformation which relates exclusively to the common foreign and\nsecurity policy will continue to be governed by arrangements under\nan ad hoc Council decision or under the Interinstitutional\nAgreement of 20 November 2002 concerning access by the European\nParliament to sensitive information of the Council in the field of\nsecurity and defence policy (\"the\n2002 Interinstitutional Agreement\") until other arrangements\nare agreed.
\nIn view of the\nentry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, these rules should be\nreviewed in order to lay down arrangements for cooperation between\nCouncil and Parliament. Article 295 TFEU allows\nfor the conclusion of an Interinstitutional agreement for that\npurpose. The Conference of Presidents decided to nominate a\nEuropean Parliament negotiating team to conduct talks with the\nCouncil of Ministers on this matter. After several months of\ndiscussions, the team approved the result of the interinstitutional\nnegotiations and referred the draft IIA to the Committee on\nConstitutional Affairs pursuant to Rule 127 of Parliament’s\nRules of Procedure. It is the result of these negotiations which is\nnow before Parliament for its approval and signature.
\nMembers welcome the following aspects contained\nin the agreement:
\nMembers draw attention to the statement by the\nEuropean Parliament and the Council attached to the agreement,\nwhich states that a review of the 2002 Interinstitutional Agreement\nshould begin in the course of 2012 and should take account of the\nexperience gained in implementing both the agreement and the 2002\nInterinstitutional Agreement.
\nThey regret the following, however:
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 587 votes to 7,\nwith 6 abstentions, a decision on the conclusion of an\nInterinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament and\nthe Council concerning the forwarding to and handling by the\nEuropean Parliament of classified information held by the Council\non matters other than those in the area of the common foreign and\nsecurity policy.
\nBACKGROUND: it should be recalled that the Treaty of\nLisbon extended the European Parliament’s powers in the field\nof international agreements. The requirement for the Council to\nkeep Parliament immediately and fully informed at all stages of\nthe procedure is explicitly laid down in Article 218(10) of the\nTFEU.
\nIn order to effectively exercise its prerogatives and\ncompetences, Parliament must therefore be able to access\nclassified information held by the Council.
\nUntil now, Parliament’s access to all classified\ninformation which relates exclusively to the common foreign and\nsecurity policy will continue to be governed by arrangements under\nan ad hoc Council decision or under the Interinstitutional\nAgreement of 20 November 2002 concerning access by the European\nParliament to sensitive information of the Council in the field of\nsecurity and defence policy (\"the 2002 Interinstitutional Agreement\") until other arrangements are agreed.
\nIn view of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty,\nthese rules should be reviewed in order to lay down arrangements\nfor cooperation between Council and Parliament. Article 295 TFEU\nallows for the conclusion of an Interinstitutional agreement for\nthat purpose. The Conference of Presidents decided to nominate a\nEuropean Parliament negotiating team to conduct talks with the\nCouncil of Ministers on this matter.
\nAfter several months of discussions, the team approved\nthe result of the interinstitutional negotiations which resulted in\na final agreement which is the subject of this decision.
\nMain points of the Interinstitutional\nAgreement:
\nParliament welcomes the statement attached to the\nagreement concerning the classification of documents amending the\n2002 Interinstitutional Agreement to reflect both the reforms\ncarried out since it was concluded and the current situation. It\nregrets however that, unlike the Framework Agreement between the\nCommission and Parliament, the agreement does not lay down a\ndetailed procedure to be followed in cases of doubt regarding the\nconfidential nature of an item of information or its\nappropriate level of classification.
\nThe Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the\nreport by Gerald HAFNER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the conclusion of an\ninterinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament and\nthe Council concerning the forwarding to and handling by the\nEuropean Parliament of classified information held by the Council\non matters other than those in the area of the common foreign and\nsecurity policy.
\nIt should be recalled that the Treaty of Lisbon\nextended the European Parliament’s powers in the field of\ninternational agreements. The requirement for the Council to keep\nParliament immediately and fully informed at all stages of the\nprocedure is explicitly laid down in Article 218(10) of the\nTFEU.
\nIn order to effectively exercise its prerogatives and\ncompetences, Parliament must therefore be able to access\nclassified information held by the Council.
\nUntil now, Parliament’s access to all classified\ninformation which relates exclusively to the common foreign and\nsecurity policy will continue to be governed by arrangements under\nan ad hoc Council decision or under the Interinstitutional\nAgreement of 20 November 2002 concerning access by the European\nParliament to sensitive information of the Council in the field of\nsecurity and defence policy (\"the\n2002 Interinstitutional Agreement\") until other arrangements\nare agreed.
\nIn view of the\nentry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, these rules should be\nreviewed in order to lay down arrangements for cooperation between\nCouncil and Parliament. Article 295 TFEU allows\nfor the conclusion of an Interinstitutional agreement for that\npurpose. The Conference of Presidents decided to nominate a\nEuropean Parliament negotiating team to conduct talks with the\nCouncil of Ministers on this matter. After several months of\ndiscussions, the team approved the result of the interinstitutional\nnegotiations and referred the draft IIA to the Committee on\nConstitutional Affairs pursuant to Rule 127 of Parliament’s\nRules of Procedure. It is the result of these negotiations which is\nnow before Parliament for its approval and signature.
\nMembers welcome the following aspects contained\nin the agreement:
\nMembers draw attention to the statement by the\nEuropean Parliament and the Council attached to the agreement,\nwhich states that a review of the 2002 Interinstitutional Agreement\nshould begin in the course of 2012 and should take account of the\nexperience gained in implementing both the agreement and the 2002\nInterinstitutional Agreement.
\nThey regret the following, however:
\nThe Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the\nreport by Gerald HAFNER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the conclusion of an\ninterinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament and\nthe Council concerning the forwarding to and handling by the\nEuropean Parliament of classified information held by the Council\non matters other than those in the area of the common foreign and\nsecurity policy.
\nIt should be recalled that the Treaty of Lisbon\nextended the European Parliament’s powers in the field of\ninternational agreements. The requirement for the Council to keep\nParliament immediately and fully informed at all stages of the\nprocedure is explicitly laid down in Article 218(10) of the\nTFEU.
\nIn order to effectively exercise its prerogatives and\ncompetences, Parliament must therefore be able to access\nclassified information held by the Council.
\nUntil now, Parliament’s access to all classified\ninformation which relates exclusively to the common foreign and\nsecurity policy will continue to be governed by arrangements under\nan ad hoc Council decision or under the Interinstitutional\nAgreement of 20 November 2002 concerning access by the European\nParliament to sensitive information of the Council in the field of\nsecurity and defence policy (\"the\n2002 Interinstitutional Agreement\") until other arrangements\nare agreed.
\nIn view of the\nentry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, these rules should be\nreviewed in order to lay down arrangements for cooperation between\nCouncil and Parliament. Article 295 TFEU allows\nfor the conclusion of an Interinstitutional agreement for that\npurpose. The Conference of Presidents decided to nominate a\nEuropean Parliament negotiating team to conduct talks with the\nCouncil of Ministers on this matter. After several months of\ndiscussions, the team approved the result of the interinstitutional\nnegotiations and referred the draft IIA to the Committee on\nConstitutional Affairs pursuant to Rule 127 of Parliament’s\nRules of Procedure. It is the result of these negotiations which is\nnow before Parliament for its approval and signature.
\nMembers welcome the following aspects contained\nin the agreement:
\n