(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2011)0842),

–  having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 209(1) and 212(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C7‑0494/2011),

—  having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

—  having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 9 October 2012(1),

–  having regard to the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 4 December 2013 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Development, the Committee on International Trade and the Committee on Budgets (A7-0447/2013),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Approves the statement by Parliament annexed to this Resolution;

3.  Takes note of the Commission statements annexed to this resolution;

4.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

5.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ C 391, 18.12.2012, p. 110.

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EU) No 236/2014.)

Declaration of the European Commission on the use of implementing acts for laying down provisions for the implementation of certain rules in Regulation No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument and in Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II)

The European Commission considers that the rules for implementing cross-border cooperation programmes as set out in Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action and other specific, more detailed implementing rules in Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument and in Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II), aim at supplementing the basic act and should therefore be delegated acts to be adopted on the basis of Article 290 TFEU. The European Commission will not oppose the adoption of the text as agreed by the co-legislators. Nevertheless, the European Commission recalls that the question of delimitation between Articles 290 and 291 TFEU is currently under examination by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the ‘biocides’ case.

European Commission declaration concerning ‘reflows’

In line with the obligations set out in Article 21(5) of the 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, the European Commission will include in the draft budget a line accommodating internal assigned revenues and wherever possible, it will indicate the amount of such revenue.

The budgetary authority will be informed about the amount of the accumulated resources every year during the planning process of the budget. Internal assigned revenues will be included in the draft budget only to the extenet that their amount is certain.

Statement by the European Parliament on the suspension of assistance granted under the financial instruments

The European Parliament notes that Regulation (EU) No 233/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation for the period 2014-2020, Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument, Regulation (EU) No 234/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries and Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing an Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) do not contain any explicit reference to the possibility of suspending assistance in cases where a beneficiary country fails to observe the basic principles enunciated in the respective instrument and notably the principles of democracy, rule of law and the respect for human rights.

The European Parliament considers that any suspension of assistance under these instruments would modify the overall financial scheme agreed under the ordinary legislative procedure. As a co-legislator and co-branch of the budgetary authority, the European Parliament is therefore entitled to fully exercise its prerogatives in that regard, if such a decision is to be taken.