The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 272(4), penultimate subparagraph, thereof,

–   having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 177 thereof,

–   having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities(1), and in particular Articles 37 and 38 thereof,

–   having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2006, as finally adopted on 15 December 2005(2),

–   having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure(3),

–   having regard to Preliminary draft amending budget No 6/2006 of the European Union for the financial year 2006, which the Commission presented on 31 October 2006 (SEC(2006)1410),

–   having regard to Draft amending budget No 6/2006, which the Council established on 30 November 2006 (15635/2006 – C6-0441/2006),

–   having regard to Rule 69 of and Annex IV to its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A6-0444/2006),

A.   whereas Draft amending budget No 6/2006 aims at budgeting an increase in the forecast of revenue and a decrease in payment appropriations in the budget lines for Headings 1, 2 and 7, as well as modifying the remarks of budget Article 1 1 1 concerning sugar storage and of Article 13 03 08,

B.   whereas the increase in the forecast of revenue of EUR 2 667 million and the decrease in payment appropriations of EUR 4 706 million are quite substantial,

C.   whereas an adoption of Amending Budget No 6/2006 will thus result in the Member States' contributions for 2006 decreasing by a total of EUR 7 373 million,

D.   whereas the regular and systematic underestimation of revenue with all its effects should be considered as an issue deserving further scrutiny,

E.   whereas the low level of implementation of payments that were adopted in the annual budgetary procedure remains a constant cause for concern,

F.   whereas the two arms of the budgetary authority have come to an agreement on the Budget for 2007, including the level of payments,

G.   whereas Amending Budget No 6/2006, due to its effects on the level of payments in the Budget for 2007, has been included in this agreement,

1.  Reminds the Commission of its responsibility to do its utmost to implement payments as adopted by the budgetary authority within the framework of the annual budgetary procedure;

2.  Has decided to accept Council's Draft Amending Budget unamended;

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

(1) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1. (2) OJ L 78, 15.3.2006. (3) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1. Agreement as last amended by Decision 2005/708/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 269, 14.10.2005, p. 24).