EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 249/18

Thursday 16 February 2012

Guidelines for the 2013 budget - sections other than the Commission

P7_TA(2012)0050

European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2012 on the guidelines for the 2013 budget procedure, Section I – European Parliament, Section II – Council, Section IV – Court of Justice, Section V – Court of Auditors, Section VI – European Economic and Social Committee, Section VII – Committee of the Regions, Section VIII – European Ombudsman, Section IX – European Data Protection Supervisor, Section X – European External Action Service (2012/2001(BUD))

2013/C 249 E/05

The European Parliament,

— having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

— having regard to Council Decision 2007/436/EC, Euratom of 7 June 2007 on the system of the European Communities’ own resources (1),

— having regard to Decision 2012/5/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 amending the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management as regards the multiannual financial framework, to address additional financing needs of the ITER project (2),

— having regard to the Annual Report of the Court of Auditors on the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2010, together with the institutions’ replies (3),

— having regard to Rules 23 and 79 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0030/2012),

A. whereas the ceiling for Heading 5 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the EU’s budget in 2013 is EUR 9 181 million in current prices (4);

B. whereas Croatia’s accession will have an impact on the 2013 budget, namely as regards resources for new Members and staff recruitment across the institutions;

C. whereas in a context of a heavy burden of public debt and of restraint in times of ongoing national budgetary consolidation efforts the European Parliament, and all institutions, should show budgetary responsibility and self-restraint; noting the letter dated 23 January 2012 from Commissioner Lewandowski to the Presidents of the European Institutions;

D. whereas at this stage of the annual procedure, Parliament is awaiting the other institutions’ estimates and its own Bureau’s proposals for the 2013 budget;

General framework and priorities for the 2013 budget

1. Believes that the institutions, in the context of continued challenging economic circumstances, should freeze their administrative budgets; emphasises, however, the need to respect legally binding obligations and possible subsequent increases;

2. Calls on the institutions to reinforce their interinstitutional cooperation with a view to sharing best practices, looking for savings and thus modernising their policies on human resources, organisation, technology and buildings;

3. Highlights the importance of interinstitutional cooperation to make Croatia’s accession as smooth as possible;

4. Emphasises the importance of strengthening non-discrimination policies which facilitate the access, recruitment and integration of people with disabilities;

5. Stresses the need for an effective environmental policy across the institutions;

Parliament

6. Recalls the significant savings which were achieved in the 2012 budget thanks to structural changes and reorganisation; encourages the continuation of structural and organisational reforms and supports innovation in other areas; considers that real savings can be made by identifying overlaps and inefficiencies across budgetary lines; requests, therefore, a detailed report from the Secretary-General to the Committee on Budgets containing a clear overview of budget lines that were under-implemented in 2011 and an objective analysis of the reasons for this;

7. Believes that the real and biggest saving could be made by having a single seat for the European Parliament; encourages therefore that the situation be evaluated without further delay;

8. Believes that, in order to make significant long-term savings, an independent evaluation of the EP budget should be considered; believes the setting up of a working group should be considered; calls on the Secretary-General and the Bureau to come forward with concrete proposals on the establishment of such a group as soon as possible and to propose possible savings by no later than the end of 2012; also calls for the speedy implementation of any conclusions reached by the group.

9. Welcomes the enhanced cooperation between the Committee on Budgets and the Bureau during the annual budget procedure; strongly encourages a further strengthening of cooperation between the Secretary-General, the Bureau, and the Committee on Budgets throughout the year to ensure a smooth budgetary process and effective implementation of the budget; expects the Bureau to present prudent needs-based draft estimates that take account of possible subsequent increases arising from legally binding obligations; takes the view that every effort should be made to ensure that any other targeted increases are counterbalanced by savings identified in other areas;

10. Calls for a freeze on budget lines related to all travel in 2013 and no indexation of any of the Members’ individual allowances until the end of the legislature; awaits with interest the Secretary-General's report on travel, due to be delivered to the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets by the 31 March 2012;

11. Believes that savings should not jeopardise the legislative activity of the EP; is convinced that Members’ legislative activities can be enhanced by the completion of the knowledge management system (KMS); welcomes the information provided by the Administration, requests updated information on the state of play of the project and expects the system to be fully operational and accessible to EU citizens; calls for increased efforts to speed up the implementation of this project; recalls its request for information regarding how savings can be made following the implementation of the KMS;

12. Recalls the Parliament’s budgetary resolutions, including its most recent resolution of 26 October 2011 (5), calling for early information, dialogue and a transparent decision-making process in the field of building policy; asks for precise information on the progress in buildings projects and its financial implications to be provided every six months; states that no new unforeseen building projects should be undertaken during the current legislature;

Other institutions

13. Encourages all institutions to look for further savings to maintain budgetary discipline and to freeze their budgets whilst bearing in mind legal obligations and new financial challenges such as the Croatian enlargement;

14. Takes note of the European Court of Justice’s (Section IV) request to amend its Statute in a way which will have a direct impact on the budget; considers that the necessary financing shall be ensured in order to guarantee the smooth running of the institution and consequently a proper judicial protection of EU citizens;

15. Understands the challenges that faced the EEAS in drawing up its first budget for 2011; calls for sound financial budgeting for this new institution and asks the Service to explore opportunities which could create greater budgetary synergies with Member States, where applicable;

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16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, the European Ombudsman, the European Data Protection Supervisor and the EEAS.

(1) OJ L 163, 23.6.2007, p. 17.

(2) OJ L 4, 7.1.2012, p. 12.

(3) OJ C 326, 10.11.2011, p. 1.

(4) The Heading 5 ceiling includes the staff contribution to the retirement scheme.

(5) Texts adopted, P7_TA(2011)0461.