9.3.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 93/365

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having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 106a of the Euratom Treaty,

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having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (1),

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having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013, as definitively adopted on 12 December 2012 (2),

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having regard to the joint declarations on the payments for 2012 and 2013 signed by the Parliament, the Council and the Commission in December 2012,

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having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management (3),

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having regard to Council Decision 2007/436/EC, Euratom of 7 June 2007 on the system of the European Communities' own resources (4),

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having regard to Draft amending budget No 2/2013, which the Commission submitted on 27 March 2013 (COM(2013)0183),

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having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 2/2013 which the Council adopted on 9 July 2013 (11693/2013 — C7-0245/2013),

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having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2013 on the European Council conclusions of 7/8 February concerning the Multiannual Financial Framework (5)

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having regard to its resolution of 3 July 2013 on the political agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 (6),

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having regard to Rules 75b and 75e of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0287/2013),

A.

whereas Draft amending budget No 2/2013 to the general budget 2013 proposes to increase both the forecast of revenue stemming from fines and penalties by EUR 290 million and the payments appropriations by EUR 11,2 billion (11 200 million) across headings 1a, 1b, 2, 3a, 3b and 4 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF), with the aim of meeting payment needs until the end of the year by covering obligations stemming from past and current commitments;

B.

whereas the overall amount of payment claims pending at the end of 2012 for cohesion policy (2007-2013), amounting to EUR 16,2 billion, had to be rolled over to 2013, consequently reducing the level of payments available in the budget 2013 to cover the payment needs of this year;

C.

whereas Parliament, the Council and the Commission engaged through a joint declaration in December 2012 to cover all unpaid payment claims for 2012 through an Amending budget at an early stage in 2013;

D.

whereas the political agreement reached on 27 June 2013 at the highest political level between Parliament, the Council Presidency and the Commission on the MFF for the period 2014-2020 included a political commitment from the Council to take all necessary steps to ensure that the Union's obligations for 2013 are fully honoured, to formally adopt Draft amending budget No 2/2013 for EUR 7,3 billion, as well as to adopt without delay a further draft amending budget to be proposed by the Commission in early autumn to avoid any shortfall in justified payment appropriations;

E.

whereas the Council formally adopted its position on Draft amending budget No 2/2013 on 9 July 2013 for an amount of EUR 7,3 billion that will cover outstanding payment needs across headings 1a, 1b, 2, 3a, 3b and 4;

F.

whereas Parliament in its resolution of 3 July 2013 links the adoption by the Council of the further Draft amending budget in early autumn with the adoption of the MFF Regulation or the budget 2014;

1.

Takes note of Draft amending budget No 2/2013 as proposed by the Commission and of Council's position thereon, which is consistent with the political agreement achieved during the MFF 2014-2020 negotiations;

2.

Understands that the overall increase of EUR 11,2 billion was originally proposed by the Commission at this level in order not to challenge the 2013 MFF payment ceiling and, therefore, avoid a revision of the current MFF; expresses fear, however, that it might not be sufficient to cover all payment claims submitted until the end of 2013; reiterates, in particular, that the bulk of invoices under heading 1b are traditionally submitted by Member States towards the end of each financial year in order to prevent possible de-commitments due to the application of n+2 and n+3 rules;

3.

Emphasises the fact that the joint declarations of December 2012 were an integral part of the agreement on the Budget 2013, and represent a formal engagement on the side of the three institutions which must be fully respected as a sign of mutual trust and loyal cooperation; understands, however, the financial constraints which the Member States are subject to and accepts, therefore, that outstanding needs in payments until the end of 2013 (EUR 11,2 billion as estimated by the Commission) are covered in two consecutive steps;

4.

Reminds the Council of the formal commitment it made as part of the political agreement on the MFF 2014-2020 at the explicit request of Parliament to also ensure coverage for the second tranche of outstanding payments that will guarantee the settlement of the payments issue before the new MFF period begins; urges the Commission to present in the early autumn a further Draft amending budget solely devoted to this issue;

5.

Reiterates its position as set out in its resolution of 3 July 2013 on the political agreement on the MFF 2014-2020 that Parliament will not give its consent to the MFF Regulation or will not adopt the Budget 2014 until this new Amending budget, covering the remaining 2013 deficit in payments as identified by the Commission, has been adopted in full by the Council;

6.

Considers the amount of EUR 11,2 billion as a bare minimum to cover the actual needs until the end of 2013; calls on the three institutions to come up with a concrete, binding solution, should the reinforcements proposed in the two tranches of Draft amending budget No 2/2013 prove not to be enough and not fully prevent any shifts of payments to the next MFF;

7.

Considers the Commission as the only institution that can provide the budgetary authority with accurate data on the expected payment needs based on the Member States' claims from year n and their estimates for year n+1; points out that the Council lacks any objective basis to question the figures presented by the Commission, which are based on the aggregation of data from 27 Member States; recalls that each Member State is only responsible for its own data, which are therefore the only figures it can contest;

8.

Reminds that the adoption of Draft amending budget No 3/2013 would reduce the share of the GNI contribution by Member States to the Union budget and therefore partly compensate their contribution to Amending budget No 2/2013; emphasises the fact, therefore, that the two dossiers are subject to a common calendar for adoption, since they are strictly linked from a political point of view;

9.

Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 2/2013;

10.

Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 2/2013 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

11.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.