The European Parliament adopted by 608 votes to 41, with 11 abstentions a resolution that approves unamended the Council's position on Draft amending budget 6/2010 of the European Union for the financial year 2010, Section II - European Council and Council Section III – Commission Section X - European External Action Service.
Parliament recalls that this Amending budget is the third and final piece of a set of legislation necessary to implement the political agreement and subsequent Council Decision establishing the EEAS (the other two being a modification of the Financial Regulation and a modification of the Staff Regulation).
It states that the establishment of the EEAS has to be guided by the principles ofcost efficiency, budget neutrality, and sound and efficient management while fully taking into account the impact of the economic crisis in public finances and the need for budgetary stringency.
Parliament underlines that every effort must be made to ensure that any overlapping and potential conflicts of competencies are avoided, especially as this would not only lead to less effective external policies but, also, to ineffective use of scarce budgetary resources.
Parliament recalls that the needs for 2011 are covered by an Amending Letter 1/2010 to the 2011 budget (see BUD/2010/2001) and will be incorporated into the general budget procedure for that year. It recalls that the bulk of resources necessary will simply be transferred from the Sections of the European Council and Council and the Commission, but a limited amount of new resources is also being requested in terms of staff and contract staff.
Lastly, Parliament reiterates that it is crucial for the EU to be able to operate the full range of its external instruments under a coherent structure for the EEAS and that this Draft amending budget No 6/2010 will formally enter this budgetary adjustment into the 2010 budget, including the creation of a new and separate Section X, as well as the provision of 2010 budgetary resources to set up such a structure, in its initial phase.