The European Parliament
adopted by 369 votes to 9, with 15 abstentions, a legislative resolution
modifying, under the consultation procedure, the proposal for a Council
regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 332/2002 establishing a facility
providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States’ balances of
payments.
The committee
approves the Commission proposal and makes the following amendments:
- according to
the proposal, the conditions for granting the financial assistance
should be spelled out in a memorandum of understanding to be negotiated
between the Commission and the Member State concerned. MEPs ask the
Commission to communicate the memorandum of understanding to the
European Parliament and the Council;
- the Council
shall decide on any adjustments to be made to the initial economic
policy conditions in line with the main economic objectives of the
Community;
- the
Parliament suggests that, every two years, the Council should examine,
on the basis of a report from the Commission, after consulting the
European Parliament and after the delivery of an opinion by the Economic
and Financial Committee, whether the facility established still meets,
in its principle, arrangements and ceiling, the need which led to its
creation.