P6_TA(2004)0002

Draft amending budget No 7/2004

European Parliament resolution on Draft amending budget No 7/2004 of the European Union for the financial year 2004, Section III — Commission (11041/2004 — C6-0108/2004 — 2004/2039 (BUD))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 272(4), penultimate paragraph thereof,

- having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 177 thereof,

- having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities [1], and particularly Articles 37 and 38 thereof,

- having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2004, as finally adopted on 18 December 2003 [2] and as adjusted in line with the enlargement of the European Union [3],

- having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure [4],

- having regard to the Preliminary draft amending budget No 7/2004 of the European Union for the financial year 2004, which the Commission presented on 12 May 2004 (SEC(2004) 0593),

- having regard to Draft amending budget No 7/2004 of the European Union for the financial year 2004, which the Council established on 16 July 2004 (11041/2004 — C6-0108/2004),

- having regard to Rule 69 of and Annex IV to its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A6-0004/2004),

A. whereas the aim of Draft amending budget No 7/2004 is to enter in the 2004 budget the surplus of the 2003 financial year, amounting to EUR 5470 million,

B. whereas this surplus consists of various elements, the most important being the under-spending of EUR 4729 million,

C. whereas the highest difference between result and initial budget in 2003 once again occurred in the Structural Funds with the balance of expenditure amounting to EUR 3134 million,

D. whereas there have been improvements in the uptake of the funds in the fields of agriculture, the cohesion fund, trans-European networks, external action and administration,

E. whereas in internal policies, generally, the percentage uptake has also risen although, in spite of this, a total of EUR 159 million was left over,

1. Expresses its dissatisfaction with the additional surplus of EUR 5470 million for the 2003 budget;

2. Recalls that, in addition to this amount, the 2003 budget was previously reduced by an amount of EUR 5000 million by Amending Budget No 6/2003 following a large overestimation of payments in the Structural Funds; notes that Member States' contributions to the EU budget have therefore already been reduced by that amount; points out that in consequence the real surplus of the 2003 budget due to under-spending amounts to nearly EUR 10500 million;

3. Deeply regrets the fact that with this the positive development of the last years, the surplus having fallen from EUR 15000 million in 2001 to EUR 7000 million in 2002, has come to an end;

4. Approves the Council's Draft amending budget No 7/2004 unamended;

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

[1] OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.

[2] OJ L 53, 23.2.2004.

[3] OJ C 105, 30.4.2004, p. 9.

[4] OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1. Agreement as amended by Decision 2003/429/EC (OJ L 147, 14.6.2003, p. 25).

--------------------------------------------------