2016 discharge: EU general budget, European Committee of the Regions

PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2016.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/1331 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016, Section VII — Committee of the Regions.

CONTENT: the European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2016.

This decision is accompanied by a resolution of the European Parliament containing the observations which form an integral part of the discharge decision in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016 (please refer to the summary dated 18.4.2018).

Parliament welcomed the Committee’s overall prudent and sound financial management in the 2016 budget period while expressing support for the successful paradigm shift towards performance-based budgeting in the Commission’s budget planning.

In 2016, the Committee had an approved budget of EUR 90 500 000, of which EUR 89 400 000 were commitment appropriations with a utilisation rate of 98.7 %.

The Parliament stressed the importance of deepening cooperation between the Committee and the Parliament, on the basis of the cooperation agreement that these institutions have concluded. It also welcomed the administrative cooperation agreement between the Committee and the European Economic and Social Committee, which entered into force in 2016. It called for the Committee's strategy to strengthen connections first of all with Parliament, but also with other Union institutions in order to increase the involvement of the regions in the Union legislative process.

Parliament deplored the decrease in the number of women in management positions while welcoming the adoption of a new five-year strategy for equal opportunities. It supported the organisation of citizen dialogues and advocated a steady increase in the power of these initiatives.

Lastly, it asked for further rationalisation measures to be put in place with regard to translations.