REPORT on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 7/2013 of the European Union for the financial year 2013, Section III – Commission

6.11.2013 - (14180/2013 – C7‑0350/2013 – 2013/2160(BUD))

Committee on Budgets
Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 7/2013 of the European Union for the financial year 2013, Section III – Commission

(14180/2013 – C7‑0350/2013 – 2013/2160(BUD))

The European Parliament,

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

–   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],

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

–   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],

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

–   having regard to Draft amending budget No 7/2013, which the Commission submitted on 25 July 2013 (COM(2013)0557),

–   having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 7/2013 which the Council adopted on 7 October and forwarded to Parliament on 14 October 2013 (14180/2013 – C7‑0350/2013),

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

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0367/2013),

A. whereas Draft amending budget No 7 for the year 2013 (DAB 7/2013) covers an increase of commitment appropriations of EUR 150 million in heading 1b of the multi-annual financial framework (MFF), with the aim of addressing “certain issues” resulting from the final outcome of the negotiations of the MFF for the years 2014-2020, affecting France, Italy and Spain,

B.  whereas this additional allocations should contribute to tackling specific situations of unemployment, in particular youth unemployment, and of poverty and social exclusion in these Member States,

C. whereas the Commission considers that the most appropriate way to assist these Member States is by increasing the European Social Fund (ESF),

D. whereas the reinforcement of EUR 150 million in commitment appropriations will be covered by the margin under the expenditure ceiling of heading 1b (EUR 16 million), and by the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument (EUR 134 million) targeted to this specific action,

1.  Takes note of DAB 7/2013, presented by the Commission on 25 July 2013, which covers an increase of commitment appropriations of EUR 150 million in heading 1b of the multi-annual financial framework (MFF), with the aim of addressing “certain issues” resulting from the final outcome of the negotiations within the European Council, of the MFF 2014-2020, affecting France, Italy and Spain;

2.  Endorses the Commission’s proposal to dedicate this additional allocation to existing ESF programmes in the affected Member States, in order to address the specific situation of unemployment, in particular youth unemployment, and of social exclusion; expects that the Commission will report back to the European Parliament in due time on the concrete measures and actions financed with this allocation;

3.  Notes moreover that the additional EUR 150 million will be mostly financed through the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument;

4.  Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 7/2013;

5.  Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 7/2013 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

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

• [1]  OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.
• [2]  OJ L 66, 8.3.2013.
• [3]  OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.
• [4]  OJ L 163, 23.6.2007, p. 17.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted	5.11.2013
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	28 2 2
Members present for the final vote	Marta Andreasen, Richard Ashworth, Reimer Böge, Zuzana Brzobohatá, Göran Färm, José Manuel Fernandes, Eider Gardiazábal Rubial, Salvador Garriga Polledo, Jens Geier, Ivars Godmanis, Ingeborg Gräßle, Lucas Hartong, Anne E. Jensen, Ivailo Kalfin, Sergej Kozlík, Jan Kozłowski, Alain Lamassoure, Giovanni La Via, Claudio Morganti, Jan Mulder, Andrej Plenković, Alda Sousa, László Surján, Helga Trüpel, Derek Vaughan, Angelika Werthmann, Jacek Włosowicz
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Maria Da Graça Carvalho, Jan Olbrycht, Paul Rübig, Georgios Stavrakakis, Catherine Trautmann