The Committee on Budgets unanimously approved the report by Reimer BÖGE (EPP-ED, DE) on the amended 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 regards the multiannual financial framework.
Overall, MEPs approved the conclusions of the Conciliation committee of 23 November 2007 (see BUD/2007/2017). The agreement reached on the revision of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) is the result of a highly successful interinstitutional cooperation and a politically relevant step towards the development of the European satellite radio navigation programme. MEPs welcomed the use of the instruments provided for by Points 21, 22 and 23 of the Interinstitutional Agreement to raise the ceilings for commitment appropriations under sub-Heading 1a for the years 2008 to 2013 by an amount of EUR 1 600 million in current prices. This raising will be offset by lowering the ceiling for commitment appropriations under Heading 2 for the year 2007 by the same amount.
MEPs do recall, however, that following the agreement on the MFF 2007-2013 and the related Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006, a number of deficits were left unsolved in the outcome of the negotiations.