23.12.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 434/192

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having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

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

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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 (2),

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having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management (3),

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having regard to the European Council Decision EUCO 76/12 of 28 and 29 June 2012 on the Compact for Growth and Jobs, agreed by the Member States,

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having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2012 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2013 budget — Section III — Commission (4),

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having regard to its resolution of 29 March 2012 on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2013 (5),

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having regard to its resolution of 4 July 2012 on the mandate for the trilogue on the 2013 draft budget (6),

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having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2012 on Council's position on the 2013 draft budget (7),

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having regard to the fact that the Conciliation Committee did not agree on a joint text within the twenty-one days referred to in Article 314(6) of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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having regard to the new draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013, which the Commission adopted on 23 November 2012 (COM(2012)0716),

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having regard to the conclusions of the budgetary trilogue on 29 November 2012,

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having regard to the position on the new draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013, which the Council adopted on 6 December 2012 and forwarded to Parliament the same day (17195/2012 — C7-0399/2012),

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having regard to Rule 75b of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0410/2012),

1.

Recalls that the ‘draft package’ agreed on, after difficult negotiations, by Parliament and Council during the Trilogue of 29 November 2012 consists of three elements: Amending budget No 6/2012 for EUR 6 billion, partially covering the shortage of payments up to 31 October 2012; the Union budget for the year 2013 set to a level of EUR 1 50  898,391 million and EUR 1 32  836,988 million respectively in commitment and payment appropriations; and three joint statements ensuring that the actual payment needs in 2012 and 2013 will be duly covered;

2.

Welcomes the overall level of commitment appropriations agreed, which represents an increase of EUR 1,1 billion compared to the original reading of the Council; is pleased that the biggest part of its political priorities is secured in next year's budget, with particular emphasis on the proper implementation of Union commitment to growth and jobs, as identified in the Europe 2020 strategy;

3.

Notes that the overall level of payment appropriations agreed for 2013 decreases by 2,15 % compared to Budget 2012, following the adoption of EUR 6 billion in Amending budget No 6/2012;

4.

Notes that, due to the intransigent position of the Council in the negotiations, the overall level of payments set is EUR 5 billion lower than the Commission's estimates for payment needs in their draft budget for 2013; is concerned that this level of appropriations will be insufficient to cover the actual payments needs of next year and to swiftly implement the ‘growth and jobs’ compact agreed by the European Council in June 2012; is convinced, however, that the cost of a non-agreement would have much more serious consequences and a much more negative impact on the implementation of Union actions and programmes; requests the Commission to provide monthly reports to Parliament and Council on the evolution of Member States' (breakdown per Member State and per fund) payment claims for structural funds, cohesion funds, rural development and fisheries funds from 31 October 2012 onwards; calls for an interinstitutional working group on payments to be set up, where the two arms of the budgetary authority should present joint conclusions on how to proceed;

5.

Attaches, therefore, the highest political importance to the joint statements annexed to this resolution and agreed between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission; will monitor at all levels and by all means for these declarations to be respected and the necessary additional resources to be provided by Member States next year in order for the Union to be able to pay its bills and to preserve its institutional credibility and solvability;

6.

Makes its favourable vote on the Budget 2013 conditional on the attainment of specific guarantees at the highest political level of the three institutions on the financing of the EUR 2,9 billion payments lacking for 2012, which shall by no means lead to a reduction of payment appropriations for 2013;

7.

Reaffirms that the only way to overcome this impasse, which renders the budgetary negotiations each year more difficult, is to urgently and responsibly solve the issue of the Union's financing through a genuine system of own resources to come into force as from the next Multiannual Financial Framework, removing once and for all the division of the Union between net contributors and net beneficiaries;

8.

Approves without amendment the new draft budget for 2013, as modified by Council;

9.

Instructs its President to declare that the budget has been definitively adopted and to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

10.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.