Budgetary discharge — cooperation with the discharge authority

28.10.2016

Question for written answer E-008145-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Barbara Kappel (ENF)

As Union institutions and recipients of funding from the EU’s general budget, the European Council and the Council are democratically accountable to EU citizens. The European Parliament has already criticised the two institutions for their reluctance to cooperate with the discharge authority.

1. Does the Commission agree with Parliament that the European Council and the Council should make their annual activity reports immediately available in the context of the discharge procedure, in order to uphold EU citizens’ rights to information and transparency?

2. Does the Council’s failure to adopt a code of conduct and join the Union transparency register constitute a serious breach of its Treaty obligations?

3. What is the Commission doing to overcome reluctance to cooperate with the discharge authority and to eliminate the existing information deficit?