The European Parliament adopted by 601 votes to 40, with 12 abstentions, a resolution approving the Council's position on draft amending budget No 1/2019 of the European Union for the financial year 2019: Entering the surplus of the financial year 2018.
Parliament took note of Draft amending budget (DAB) No 1/2019 as presented by the Commission, which is devoted solely to the budgeting of the 2018 surplus, for an amount of EUR 1 803 million. The main components of this surplus are:
- a positive revenue execution of EUR 1 274.6 million and
- an under-execution of expenditure of EUR 527.8 million.
On the revenue side, the largest difference stems from default interest and fines (EUR 1 312.6 million), the outturn being composed of competition fines and default interest, other penalty payments and interest linked to fines and penalty payments.
On the expenditure side, under-implementation in payments by the Commission reaches EUR 322.2 million for 2018 (of which 120 million from the Emergency Aid Reserve) and EUR 68 million for 2017 carryovers, and under-implementation by the other institutions EUR 75.9 million for 2018 and EUR 61.6 for 2017 carryovers.
Recalling that, according to the Commission, the competition fines in 2018 accounted for EUR 1 149 million, Members reiterated their view that, besides any surplus resulting from under-execution, the EU budget should be allowed to reuse any revenue from fines or late payments without reducing GNI contributions by a corresponding amount.
Parliament recalled its position in favour of increasing the proposed Union reserve in the next Multiannual Financial Framework by an amount equivalent to the revenue resulting from fines and penalties.