The European Parliament adopted by 589 votes to 66, with 42 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 6/2014 of the European Union for the financial year 2014, Section III – Commission.
Parliament recalled that Draft amending budget (DAB) No 6/2014 relates to the revision of the forecast of traditional own resources, VAT and GNI contributions, a reduction in the budgetary appropriations for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the reserve for Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements, as well as an increase in the budgetary appropriations for the European Ombudsman.
The overall impact of this DAB on revenue, following the adoption of Amending letter 1/2014 to DAB No 6/2014, is a decrease in the requirements for own resources of an overall amount of EUR 4 095.5 million, comprising a reduction in Member States' GNI contributions of EUR 4 515.5 million and an increase in the amount of Traditional Own Resources of EUR 420 million.
The purpose of DAB No 6/2014 is to formally enter these budgetary adjustments into the 2014 budget.
Parliament noted that the decrease in budgetary appropriations related to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the reserve for Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements amounts to a total decrease of EUR 76.3 million in commitment appropriations and of EUR 6.2 million in payment appropriations, mainly resulting from the later adoption of the legal basis for the Fund and the updated assessment of the status of negotiations linked to the previously mentioned Fisheries Agreements.
Parliament welcomed the proposal to use EUR 6.2 million of the savings in payment appropriations to help finance possible humanitarian aid crises by the end of the year.
Parliament endorsed the Joint conclusions agreed by the Parliament and the Council on 8 December 2014 with the view of accepting DAB No 6/2014 as amended by its Amending letter, including a shift of the expenditure side to DABs No 3/2014 and No 4/2014.
It recalled that the adoption of this DAB No 6/2014 will reduce the need for Member States' GNI contributions by EUR 4 515.5 million and therefore, together with the reduced shares of the GNI contribution from Member States to the Union budget resulting from DAB No 3/2014, DAB No 4/2014 and DAB No 8/2014, will fully compensate for the additional payment needs requested in DAB No 3/2014 as agreed in the Joint conclusions of 8 December 2014.
At the same time, Parliament approved the Council position on Draft amending budget No 6/2014.