1.   

Notes that on the basis of its audit work, the Court of Auditors concluded that the payments as a whole for the year ended on 31 December 2014 for administrative and other expenditure of the institutions and bodies were free from material error;

2.   

Takes note that in its 2014 annual report, the Court of Auditors observed that a small number of errors relating to the calculation of staff costs and some weaknesses in the management of family allowances were detected in respect of the audited topics for the European Council and the Council;

3.   

Calls on the European Council and the Council to improve the management of the identified weaknesses and to correct the errors observed by the Court;

4.   

Notes that in 2014, the European Council and the Council had an overall budget of EUR 534 200 000 (EUR 535 511 300 in 2013), with an implementation of 91,3 %; notes the increase of the utilisation rate in 2014;

5.   

Takes note of the decrease of EUR 1,3 million (– 0,2 %) in the Council’s budget for 2014;

6.   

Continues to be concerned at the high underspending rate that covers almost all categories; reiterates its calls for the development of key performance indicators to improve the budgetary planning;

7.   

Is concerned at the very high number of appropriations being carried over from 2014 to 2015, particularly those on property, plant and equipment; firmly believes that the repeated trend of carrying over appropriations is against the principles of annuality and sound financial management of the Financial Regulation;

8.   

Finds that the Council’s major transfers within budget lines could be avoided with better budgetary programming;

9.   

Reiterates that the budget of the European Council and the Council should be separated to contribute to the transparency of the financial management of the institutions and to improve the accountability of both institutions;

10.   

Insists that the Council must be accountable and transparent, as are the other institutions, and calls on the Council to join the Union transparency register;

11.   

Reiterates its call on the European Council and the Council to send Parliament their annual activity report with a comprehensive overview of all human resources available to both institutions, broken down by category, grade, sex, nationality and vocational training;

12.   

States that the annual reports of the Union institutions and agencies could play an important role in compliance regarding transparency, accountability and integrity; calls for the Union institutions and agencies to include a standard chapter on these components in their annual reports;

13.   

Considers it regrettable that the Council has still not adopted a code of conduct; is of the opinion that all the Union institutions and agencies should agree on a common code of conduct, which is indispensable to the transparency, accountability and integrity of those institutions; calls on those Union institutions and bodies which still do not have a code of conduct to develop such a document as soon as possible;

14.   

Calls on the Council to implement internal whistle-blowing rules without further delay;

15.   

Calls for a clear declaration of financial interests of the Members of the Council to be published on the internet;

16.   

Notes with concern that there are no integrity rules, conflicts of interest declarations and detailed biographical information for the President of the European Council and his cabinet members; further notes that there are no common integrity rules for national representatives in the Council; calls on the Council to put in place measures that will remedy the situation and to report on this to the discharge authority;

17.   

Welcomes the Council’s draft regulation determining the emoluments of high-level Union public office holders and the savings planned under that regulation;

18.   

Calls on the Council to develop detailed anti-corruption guidelines and independent policies within its structures;

19.   

Notes with concern that there is a worrying lack of transparency with regard to the legislative process, negotiations, Member States’ positions and meetings within Council; urges the Council to disclose the relevant documents and to put in place a clear reporting system that will enable the public to follow the legislative procedures in an open and transparent manner;

20.   

Is concerned at the lack of transparency of the trilogues and conciliation meetings; calls on the Council to systematically increase transparency and integrity with regard to the negotiations;

21.   

Acknowledges the results achieved by the inter-institutional agreement committee for translation and interpretation in settling a harmonised methodology which enables direct comparisons of the translation costs of all the institutions; welcomes the fact that the Council is providing data according to this methodology;

22.   

Stresses that one of the main financial objectives of the General Secretariat of the Council for 2014 — the delivery of the Europa building by the end of 2015 — was not achieved; regrets the delay and asks to be informed of the financial consequences of the postponement;

23.   

Reiterates its call for the Council’s buildings policy to be attached to its annual activity report, especially given that it is important that the costs of such a policy be properly rationalised and not excessive;