The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT) on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 9/2013 of the European Union for the financial year 2013, Section III – Commission.
The report recalled that Draft amending budget (DAB) No 9 for the year 2013 covers the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 400.5 million in commitment and payment appropriations, in favour of:
The purpose of DAB No 9/2013 is to formally enter this budgetary adjustment into the 2013 budget.
Members took note of DAB No 9/2013, as submitted by the Commission and called on the Council to cease presenting its positions under Article 314(3) TFEU in the form of legal acts (“Decision”), since this is not in conformity with Article 314 TFEU. They recalled that a position under Article 314(3) TFEU is a preparatory act and is valid as from its date of adoption.
They stressed that they would reject and ignore any clause by which the Council purports to make the validity of its position in a budgetary procedure conditional on the prior approval by the Parliament of a different budget, amending budget or legislative act.
Furthermore, they deplored Council’s position on DAB No 9/2013, which amends the Commission’s proposal with a view to fully finance the mobilisation of the Fund through redeployments from budget lines for which under implementation is expected by the end of 2013, as identified by the Commission in its proposal for 2013 global transfer (DEC 26/2013).
On the other hand, they endorsed the agreement reached on 12 November 2013 in the framework of the Conciliation Committee (2013/2145(BUD) with a view to financing this mobilisation up to a level of EUR 250.5 million in payment appropriations in 2013 through redeployments, and EUR 150 million in 2014 through fresh appropriations.
Members stressed, however, that they maintained their position of principle that the financing of special instruments, like the EU Solidarity Fund, should be entered in the budget over and above the MFF ceilings. They do not support Council's unilateral statement on payment appropriations annexed to the joint conclusions on Budget 2014.
Therefore, Members called on the European Parliament to make a number of budgetary amendments to the Council’s position on DAB 9/2013 as follows:
- Increasing payment appropriations of the following budget lines:
- Reducing payment appropriations of the following budget lines:
A series of specific expenses in the field of research were also reduced both in payment and commitment appropriations.
Overall, the draft amending budget 9/2013 proves to be neutral from a budgetary point of view regarding payment appropriations but has led to a reduction as regards commitment appropriations of approximately EUR 26 884 000.