RAPPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management as regard adjustment of the multiannual financial framework

16.4.2008 - (COM(2008)0152 – C6-0148/2008 – 2008/2083(ACI))

Kumitat għall-Affarijiet Kostituzzjonali
Rapporteur: Reimer Böge

PROPOSTA GĦAL DEĊIŻJONI TAL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW

on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management as regard adjustment of the multiannual financial framework

(COM(2008)0152 – C6-0148/2008 – 2008/2083(ACI))

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2008)0152),

–   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[1], and in particular point 48 thereof,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A6-0157/2008),

1.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

2.  Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

3.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and Commission.

• [1]  OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p.1. Agreement as amended by Decision 2008/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 6, 10.1.2008, p. 7).

ANNEX: DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of

amending the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management as regard adjustment of the multiannual financial framework

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management[1], and in particular to Point 48 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)      As a result of delays in the adoption of certain operational programmes of Headings 1b and 2, EUR 2 034 million in current prices of the allocation provided for the Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund, Rural Development and the European Fund for Fisheries could not be committed in 2007 nor carried over to 2008. Under point 48 of the Interinstitutional Agreement, this amount must be transferred to subsequent financial years by increasing the corresponding expenditure ceilings for commitment appropriations.

(2)      Annex I of the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline and sound financial management should therefore be amended accordingly[2],

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

Annex I to the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline and sound financial management is replaced by the Annex to this Decision.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament                      For the Council

The President                                                The President

FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK 2007 -2013

• [1]  OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1. Agreement as amended by Decision 2008/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 6, 10.1.2008, p. 7).
• [2]  For that purpose, the figures in current prices are converted into 2004 prices.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Background: The Commission's examination of implementation in 2007 (see final Implementation report as by 31 December 2007 - transmitted to EP by Commissioner Grybauskaite on 27 February 2008) prompts it to present a proposal for the adjustment of the financial framework in respect of point 48 IIA to the budgetary authority.

The present proposal to take account of implementation is applied on expenditure ceilings at current prices (after application of the 2 % deflator provided for in point 16 IIA).

Article 48 of the IIA of 17 May 2006 reads as follows:

48. In the event of the adoption after 1 January 2007 of new rules or programs governing the Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund, Rural Development and the European Fund for Fisheries, the two arms of the budgetary authority undertake to authorize, on a proposal from the Commission, the transfer to subsequent years, in excess of the corresponding expenditure ceilings, of allocations not used in 2007.

The European Parliament and the Council will take decisions on Commission proposals concerning the transfer of unused allocations for the year 2007 before 1 May 2008, in accordance with Point 3.

As a result of delays in the adoption of certain operational programmes of Headings 1b and 2, EUR 2 034 million in current prices of the allocation provided for the Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund, Rural Development and the European Fund for Fisheries could not be committed in 2007 nor carried over to 2008. Under point 48 of the Interinstitutional Agreement, this amount must be transferred to subsequent financial years by increasing the corresponding expenditure ceilings for commitment appropriations.

The following table shows the proposed reprogramming proposed for heading 1B and heading 2.

Moreover, point 18 of the IIA foresees that the Commission, at the same time than notifying the two arms of the budgetary authority of the technical adjustments to the MFF, shall present proposals for adjustment of Payments which it considers necessary in the light of implementation, in order to ensure an orderly progression in relation to commitments (before 1 May).

For the Rural Development programmes (heading 2) the reprogramming increases the expected payments in 2008 by EUR 1 014 million, an amount that had originally been foreseen for 2007. The impact for the years 2009-2013 will only be marginal, according to the Commission.

In view of the fact that the budget 2008 leaves a sufficient margin below the financial framework ceiling, the Commission does not consider it necessary to propose an adjustment of the ceilings for Payments for 2008 as a result of the proposed reprogramming under point 48 of the IIA. The reprogramming under heading 1B has no significant impact on the expected profile of payments throughout the period.

Your Rapporteur agrees with the proposal for a Decision, but wishes to raise the issue of sufficient level of Payments. Your Rapporteur is aware that it is difficult at this stage to evaluate the situation of payments, but as a principle in case of problem in payments - the margin between commitment and payments ceiling in 2010 is relatively reduced - the adjustment of the ceiling related to the condition of implementation should be considered automatically in case of problems.

The Commission should give a more detailed programming if the payments appropriations scheduled are sufficient and help to find a common understanding on the level of payments for the following years. Furthermore supplementary guarantees could be asked that the level in coming years will be raised automatically in order to be consistent with the rescheduling of commitments.

Calendar: The Slovenian Presidency will have a mandate for the Trilogue of 16 April. Subject to an agreement with EP, the proposal would pass on to EP Plenary of April II and COREPER of 24 April and Council of 27/28 April. This calendar is the only feasible in order to respect the deadline of 1 May 2008 provided for in Article 48 of the IIA.

RIŻULTAT TAL-VOTAZZJONI FINALI FIL-KUMITAT

Data ta’ l-adozzjoni	8.4.2008
Riżultat tal-vot finali	+: –: 0:	22 0 0
Membri preżenti għall-vot finali	Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Richard James Ashworth, Reimer Böge, Szabolcs Fazakas, Salvador Garriga Polledo, Ingeborg Gräßle, Louis Grech, Nathalie Griesbeck, Jutta Haug, Anne E. Jensen, Vladimír Maňka, Cătălin-Ioan Nechifor, Margaritis Schinas, Nina Škottová, Theodor Dumitru Stolojan, László Surján, Helga Trüpel, Kyösti Virrankoski, Ralf Walter
Sostitut(i) preżenti għall-vot finali	Thijs Berman, Richard Corbett, Libor Rouček