A4-0003/96

Resolution on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1995, following submission of the Commission's letter of amendment on 11 January 1996

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the judgment handed down by the Court of Justice in Case C 41/95 in which the act adopted by the President of Parliament on 15 December 1994 was declared void,

- having regard to the EC Treaty, in particular Articles 188, 176, and 203 thereof,

- having regard to the letter of amendment of 11 January 1996 in respect of the financial year 1995,

- having regard to its resolution of 24 March 1994 on the guidelines for the 1995 budget - Section III - Commission ((OJ C 114, 25.4.1994, p. 31.)), its deliberations at first reading ((OJ C 323, 21.11.1994.)), and its resolutions of 15 December 1994 on the draft general budget of the European Communities for the financial year 1995 - Section III - Commission, as amended by the Council ((OJ C 18, 23.1.1995, p. 145.)) and 26 April 1995 on the modifications made by the Council to Parliament's amendments to draft supplementary and amending budget No 1 for the financial year 1995 - Section III - Commission ((OJ C 126, 22.5.1995, p. 13.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0003/96),

A. whereas the 1995 budget should be endorsed in order to comply as quickly as possible with the Court ruling, thus ensuring that procedures connected with the 1995 budget can be continued,

B. whereas the Court of Justice did not comment on the substance of the dispute relating to classification, but called on the two arms of the budgetary authority to resume the procedure leading up to the signing of the act by the President of Parliament,

C. whereas at a trialogue meeting held on 21 December 1995 the three institutions agreed upon an overall solution,

1. Notes that the new amounts proposed by the Commission for certain headings correspond to actual outturn under those headings;

2. Notes that the rate of implementation for those headings is in many cases close to the forecasts entered by means of adjustments at second reading and that the letter of amendment does not concern all the headings adjusted at second reading;

3. Notes that deletion of remarks as proposed by the Commission is acceptable to the extent that this solution, laid down in the joint declaration adopted by the institutions at the trialogue meeting of 21 December 1995, is entirely without prejudice to the specific views of the individual institutions;

4. Takes the view that the decision by the Court of Justice has now required the Council to agree to a detailed debate on the problem of classification;

5. Considers that the outcome of the interinstitutional discussions should enable an agreement to be reached in the first half of 1996, thereby ensuring that the 1997 budgetary procedure can run smoothly;

6. Has decided to refrain from tabling amendments or modifications, thereby endorsing the substance of the letter of amendment;

7. Considers that all the conditions for concluding the budgetary procedure will be fulfilled once the Council adopts without adjustments the amending letter presented by the Commission;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council.