Ivaylo Kalfin, rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on Budgetary Control. – (BG) Mr President, Commissioner, Baroness Ashton, one of the main problems which we faced in recent months entailed Parliament being able to receive all the instruments necessary to exert tight control over the expenditure for the European external action budget.

The particular institutional nature of the European External Action Service raised numerous issues relating to the transparency, cost-saving nature and effectiveness of its budget.

I am pleased that, thanks to the numerous active efforts from colleagues in the Committee on Budgetary Control, from the European Commission and from you personally, Baroness Ashton, we managed to find the best solutions enabling Parliament to adopt the decision for creating the service.

The clear responsibility and model for the whole budgetary procedure inspire confidence in us that the European Union’s foreign policy will be drafted and implemented in a sufficiently effective manner by all the institutions committed to this, in keeping with clear rules of accountability.

We endeavoured with our work to give the green light as quickly as possible to the creation of the European External Action Service. I hope that we will demonstrate as soon as possible that the mechanisms which have been adopted are working well. In practical terms, this means that the interests of European taxpayers are fully protected.