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having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015 (1),

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having regard to the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2015 (COM(2016) 475 — C8-0278/2016) (2),

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having regard to the Court of Auditors' annual report on the implementation of the budget concerning the financial year 2015, together with the institutions' replies (3),

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having regard to the statement of assurance (4) as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2015, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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having regard to Article 314(10) and Articles 317, 318 and 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (5), and in particular Articles 55, 99 and 164 to 167 thereof,

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having regard to the Special Report No 7/2016 of the Court of Auditors: ‘The European External Action Service's management of its buildings around the world’,

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having regard to Rule 94 of and Annex IV of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control and the opinion of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A8-0122/2017),