The European Parliament adopted by 524 votes to 103, with 45 abstentions, a resolution on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2014.
Parliament recalls that the level of the preliminary draft estimates for the 2014 budget, as suggested by the Secretary-General in his report to the Bureau, amounts to EUR 1 813 144 206 and takes into account the rate of increase of 3.58% compared with the 2013 budget. It stresses that this proposed increase consists of legal obligations, stemming from the exceptional one-year additional expenses of electing a new Parliament and becoming a truly independent democratic institution by applying its own Statutes for Members and their assistants.
Members recall that in the context of continuing economic and financial difficulties, as reflected in the austerity measures taken by many Member States in response to the debt crisis, Parliament should continue to exercise a high degree of budgetary responsibility, control and self-restraint.
Exceptional expenditure: Parliament emphasises the fact that the financial implications of the European elections and the turnover of Members and their assistants during the changeover between legislative terms are of an exceptional nature. It regrets that those additional costs must be borne in one single budget year and asks the Secretary General to identify a way of ensuring that those costs are spread over the lifetime of the parliamentary term in future. Further efforts must be made to implement further changes, savings and structural reforms, including using the possibilities of the Financial Regulation, with the ambition of keeping the budget increase closer to the rate of inflation.
Parliament also highlights Croatia’s accession and recalls that estimated direct costs may total EUR 13.6 million.
In parallel, Members appreciate the fact that all other expenditure is reduced in total by 0.15%, according to preliminary draft estimates, compared with the 2013 budget. They welcome the efforts made by the Bureau to present realistic preliminary draft estimates which has a particularly low when compared with the corresponding period under the previous MFF (2007-2013).
Draft estimates: the overall level of the draft estimates for 2014 is set at EUR 1 808 144 206 (corresponding to a rate of net increase of 3.29% over the 2013 budget). Whilst highlighting the exceptional expenditure of 2014, Parliament calls for further savings and redeployments via structural reforms to be sought during the Parliament's reading in autumn 2013 in the course of the 2014 budgetary procedure and in the following years, through in particular the scope for inter-institutional cooperation arrangements between Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
Further reductions and savings on the preliminary draft estimates for the financial year 2014 are highlighted in the following areas and for the following amounts: "energy consumption" (EUR -0.5 million), "Official Journal" (EUR -1 million), "parliamentary assistance" (EUR -1 million), "European Parliament carbon offsetting scheme" (EUR – 0.25 million),"fitting-out of premises" (EUR -1.25 million) and "contingency reserve" (EUR -1 million). Members propose to analyse the possibility of moving the article 'Pensions' (article 103) and the transitional allowances for Members out of the sub-ceiling of administrative expenditure during the 2014 annual budgetary procedure.
Parliament recalls the need to pursue structural and organisational reforms that aim to achieve greater efficiencies without endangering legislative excellence and the quality of working conditions. Members note, in that regard, that the provision of independent scientific advice and the capacity to exercise scrutiny should be improved to strengthen Parliament's work as an institution vested with legislative and democratic scrutiny powers.
Specific issues: it insists on the following:
As regards buildings policy, Members believe that in the current climate of austerity, long-term investments such as Parliament's building projects need to be handled prudently and transparently. They reiterate Parliament's request in its resolution of 16 February 2012 on the guidelines for the 2013 budget procedure for precise information on the progress in buildings projects and its financial implication to be provided every six months and the Parliament's statement that no new unforeseen building projects should be undertaken until the end of the current legislature.
At the same time, in an amendment adopted in plenary, Parliament points to the significant savings that could be achieved if Parliament were to have a single seat. Plenary recalls its resolution of 23 October 2012 in the interests of achieving a positive outcome of the MFF 2014-2020 approval procedure, in which Parliament urged the budgetary authority to raise this issue in the negotiations on the next MFF 2014-2020.
Lastly, Parliament takes note of the fact that the opening of the European House of History is foreseen for 2015 and expects an update on the possible cofinancing agreement with the Commission.