24.11.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 436/47

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having regard to the draft interinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management,

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having regard to Articles 310, 311, 312 and 323 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

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having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2012 in the interests of achieving a positive outcome of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 approval procedure (1),

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having regard to the conclusions of the European Council adopted on 8 February 2013,

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having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2013 on the European Council conclusions of 7-8 February 2013 concerning the Multiannual Financial Framework (2),

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having regard to the conclusions of the European Council adopted on 28 June 2013,

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

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having regard to Rule 127(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0337/2013),

A.

Whereas a political agreement was reached on 27 June 2013 at the highest political level between the European Parliament, the Irish Presidency of the Council and the Commission on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 and on a new interinstitutional agreement;

B.

Whereas new provisions relating to the MFF as introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon, in particular with regard to the greater role and prerogatives granted by them to the European Parliament, were used for the first time;

C.

Whereas it is appropriate to adopt, in the context of the MFF, an interinstitutional agreement for implementing budgetary discipline and for improving the functioning of the annual budgetary procedure and cooperation between the institutions on budgetary matters;

1.

Accepts the political agreement reached on the MFF for 2014-2020 and on a new interinstitutional agreement; is determined to make full use, in the course of forthcoming budgetary procedures, of the new instruments established, notably as regards flexibility;

2.

Highlights that the long and laborious process of negotiations, both within Council and at interinstitutional level, together with its outcome constitute an unsatisfactory implementation of the new provisions relating to the MFF as introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon, in particular with regard to the greater role and prerogatives granted by them to the European Parliament;

3.

Denounces the negotiating strategy of the Council, in which its negotiators were bound by conclusions of the European Council of 8 February 2013 in matters falling under the ordinary legislative procedure, such as detailed allocation criteria, envelopes by programmes or beneficiary, and discretionary financial allocations adjusting the level of national returns from the Union budget, thus preventing both legislative arms from conducting proper negotiations;

4.

Regrets, moreover, that the numerous contacts and meetings held over the past few years between its delegation and the successive presidencies of the Council had no impact on the spirit, calendar or content of the negotiations or on the Council’s position, including the need to distinguish the legislative from the budgetary aspects of the agreement on the MFF;

5.

Concludes that, in line with Article 312(5) TFEU, alternative working arrangements should be defined in the future to facilitate the adoption of the MFF, ensuring that Parliament’s legislative and budgetary powers, as granted by the TFEU, are fully respected, that the Council actually negotiates any so-called ‘MFF-related’ parts of the legal bases for the programmes also, and that the European Council refrains from acting as a legislator, in breach of the TFEU;

6.

Calls for its Committee responsible for budgets, in cooperation with its Committee responsible for constitutional affairs, to draw the necessary conclusions and come forward with new proposals, in due time ahead of the 2016 post-electoral revision, on the modalities of MFF negotiations, so as to ensure the democratic and transparent nature of the whole budget-setting process;

7.

Approves conclusion of the agreement below;

8.

Instructs its President to sign the agreement with the President of the Council and the President of the Commission and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

9.

Instructs its President to forward this decision, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission for information.