A4-0499/98

Decision on the results of conciliation on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) amending the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (COM(98)0206 - C4-0290/98 - 98/0130(CNS))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal ((OJ C 149, 15.5.1998, p. 21.)),

- having regard to its opinion of 15 September 1998 thereon ((OJ C 313, 12.10.1998, p. 34.)),

- having regard to the amended Commission proposal COM(98)0676,

- having regard to the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 4 March 1975 establishing a conciliation procedure, and in particular paragraphs 2 and 7 thereof,

- having regard to conciliation on the above proposal,

- having regard to Rule 63(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of its Committee on Budgets (A4-0499/98),

1. Approves the outcome of conciliation, the details of which are attached;

2. Accepts the need for the Council to adopt forthwith those elements of the Commission proposal relating to the creation, from 1 January 1999 onwards, of the euro and to the application of the Stability Pact;

3. Notes the undertaking by the Council to leave other elements of the Commission proposals to one side for the time being in order for a Conciliation Committee to be held at a later date on these elements and on the amendments adopted by Parliament;

4. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.

ANNEX

European Union

The Council

Draft minutes of the

meeting of the Conciliation Committee

of 24 November 1998

1. The Conciliation Committee met on 24 November 1998 to consider the joint guideline adopted by the Council on 23 November 1998 with a view to adoption of the regulation amending the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

2. The meeting was chaired jointly by Mr Ruttenstorfer, President of the Council, Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry of Finance of the Austrian Republic, and Mr Samland, chairman of the European Parliament delegation. The latter delegation consisted also of Mrs Dührkop Dührkop, Mrs Müller, Mrs Theato, Mr Samland, Mr Bösch, Mr Bourlanges, Mr Brinkhorst, Mr Colom I Naval, Mr Elles, Mr Garriga, Mr Polledo, Mr Giansily, Mr Miranda, Mr Tillich, Mr Viola and Mr Wynn. Mr Liikanen, Member of the Commission, took part in the conciliation meeting.

3. Mr Samland outlined the European Parliament's position on the text submitted for conciliation.

4. Following an exchange of views, it was agreed by the Parliament delegation and the Council, acting unanimously, that:

- the provisions contained in the Council joint guideline on the establishment and implementation in euros of the general budget of the European Communities and on the creation of a budgetary structure to accommodate deposits and fines paid by Member States affected by a decision establishing the existence of an excessive public deficit will be the subject of a separate ad hoc proposal;

- the provisions contained in the Commission's initial and amended proposals concerning the Ombudsman and the joint organisational structure of the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions will be dealt with in a second proposal. Consideration will also be given to the question whether provisions relating to the decentralised agencies should also be included, as requested by Parliament;

5. As regards the first proposal, the Parliament delegation and the Council agreed to endorse the relevant provisions introduced by the Commission's amended proposal, relating in particular to the publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities of daily exchange rates for the euro, the forwarding to all Member States of a statement of transfers effected between the various currencies and the insertion of provisions on sanctions in a new Title XIa of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

6. The Council President and the chairman of the Parliament delegation then noted that the meeting of the Conciliation Committee had made it possible, in respect of this first proposal, for the positions of the two institutions to be brought sufficiently close for the conciliation procedure to be concluded. The European Parliament delegation pointed out that the internal rules required it to inform the Institution of the outcome of the conciliation.

7. As regards the second proposal referred to under point 4 above, the Council and the Parliament delegation agreed that the Council would resume consideration thereof when the Court of Auditors had submitted its opinion.