REPORT on the recommendation for a Council decision concerning the accession of Croatia to the Convention of 26 July 1995, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, the Protocol of 27 September 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, the Protocol of 29 November 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by way of preliminary rulings, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests and the Second Protocol of 19 June 1997, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests

1.2.2016 - (COM(2015)0458 – C8‑0296/2015 – 2015/0210(NLE)) - *

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Rapporteur: Tomáš Zdechovský

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the recommendation for a Council decision concerning the accession of Croatia to the Convention of 26 July 1995, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, the Protocol of 27 September 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, the Protocol of 29 November 1996, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by way of preliminary rulings, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests and the Second Protocol of 19 June 1997, drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, to the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests

(COM(2015)0458 – C8‑0296/2015 – 2015/0210(NLE))

(Consultation)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission recommendation to the Council (COM(2015)0458),

–  having regard to Article 3(4) and (5) of the Act of Accession of Croatia, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C8‑0296/2015),

–  having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A8-0019/2016),

1.  Approves the Commission recommendation;

2.  Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

3.  Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The 2011 Accession Treaty of the Republic of Croatia has introduced a simplified system for the accession of Croatia to the conventions (and protocols) concluded by the Member States on the basis of Art. 34 TEU (previously Art. K.3 TEU). Article 3(4) and 3(5) of the Act provides that Croatia accedes to these conventions and protocols by virtue of the Act of Accession.

Article 3(5) of the Act of Accession provide that, to that effect, the Council shall adopt a decision in order to determine the date on which these conventions shall enter into force for Croatia and to make all the necessary adjustments to these conventions required by reason of the accession of the new Member State (which would include, in any event, the adoption of the conventions in the Croatian language, so that these versions can be "equally authentic"). The Council shall act on a recommendation of the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament.

Annex I to the Act of Accession gives the list of the conventions and protocols concerned. That list includes the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests of 26 July 1995, its Protocol of 27 September 1996, its Protocol of 29 November 1996 and the second Protocol of 19 June 1997, all adopted under Title VI EU Treaty, set out to establish a common base for the criminal-law protection of the EC’s financial interests.

The Convention and its Protocols of 27.9.1996 and of 29.11.1996 entered into force on 17 October 2002 following ratification by the then 15 Member States, the Protocol of 19. 6. 1997 entered into force on 19 May 2009 following ratification by the then 27 Member States.

There is no need for this Commission Recommendation to make the adjustments required by reason of the accession of Croatia to the aforementioned Convention and its Protocols, in accordance with Article 3(5) of the Act of Accession The Commission recommends that the Council takes a decision in order to determine the date on which these conventions shall enter into force for Croatia.

Therefore, your Rapporteur recommends approving this Commission recommendation.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted	25.1.2016
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	48 2 1
Members present for the final vote	Jan Philipp Albrecht, Malin Björk, Michał Boni, Caterina Chinnici, Rachida Dati, Frank Engel, Cornelia Ernst, Laura Ferrara, Lorenzo Fontana, Kinga Gál, Ana Gomes, Jussi Halla-aho, Sophia in ‘t Veld, Eva Joly, Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, Barbara Kudrycka, Kashetu Kyenge, Marju Lauristin, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Roberta Metsola, Louis Michel, József Nagy, Péter Niedermüller, Soraya Post, Judith Sargentini, Birgit Sippel, Branislav Škripek, Helga Stevens, Traian Ungureanu, Bodil Valero, Udo Voigt, Beatrix von Storch, Josef Weidenholzer, Cecilia Wikström, Kristina Winberg, Tomáš Zdechovský
Substitutes present for the final vote	Marina Albiol Guzmán, Carlos Coelho, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Pál Csáky, Gérard Deprez, Anna Hedh, Marek Jurek, Jeroen Lenaers, Andrejs Mamikins, Emilian Pavel, Morten Helveg Petersen, Barbara Spinelli, Jaromír Štětina, Axel Voss
Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote	Jeppe Kofod

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

48	+
ALDE	Gérard Deprez, Louis Michel, Morten Helveg Petersen, Cecilia Wikström, Sophia in 't Veld
ECR	Jussi Halla-aho, Marek Jurek, Branislav Škripek, Helga Stevens, Beatrix von Storch
EFDD	Laura Ferrara
GUE/NGL	Marina Albiol Guzmán, Malin Björk, Cornelia Ernst, Barbara Spinelli
PPE	Michał Boni, Carlos Coelho, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Pál Csáky, Rachida Dati, Frank Engel, Kinga Gál, Barbara Kudrycka, Jeroen Lenaers, Roberta Metsola, József Nagy, Jaromír Štětina, Traian Ungureanu, Axel Voss, Tomáš Zdechovský
S&D	Caterina Chinnici, Ana Gomes, Anna Hedh, Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, Jeppe Kofod, Kashetu Kyenge, Marju Lauristin, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Andrejs Mamikins, Péter Niedermüller, Emilian Pavel, Soraya Post, Birgit Sippel, Josef Weidenholzer
VERTS/ALE	Jan Philipp Albrecht, Eva Joly, Judith Sargentini, Bodil Valero

2	-
EFDD	Kristina Winberg
NI	Udo Voigt

1	0
ENF	Lorenzo Fontana

Key to symbols:

+  :  in favour

-  :  against

0  :  abstention