Brussels, 12/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 12 December, the European Parliament adopted the draft EU budget for 2013, with a total of €132.8 billion in payment appropriations - in other words, 0.99% of the EU27's gross national income - and €150.9 billion in commitment appropriations (1.13% of EU27 GNI). This is less than for the 2012 budget (1.05% and 1.15% of GNI respectively).
Voting through - by 498 to 162 with 12 abstentions - the report by Giovanni La Via (EPP, Italy) on the new draft European Union general budget for 2013, the Parliament approves without amendment the compromise reached with the Council of Ministers. The Parliament points out that after tough talks, the draft agreement had been struck in a three-way meeting on 29 November. It is tripartite - Amending Budget No. 6/2012 for a total of €6.1 billion to partially cover the funding gap in the previous budget until 31 October 2012, the budget for the EU for 2013 (€150.89 billion in commitment appropriations and €132.83 billion in payment appropriations), and three common declarations guaranteeing that real payment needs in 2012 and 2013 would be covered.
Commitment appropriations. The Parliament welcomed the overall level of commitment appropriations agreed upon (a €1.1 billion rise on the Council's original suggestion) and welcomed the fact that most of its political priorities would be guaranteed under the budget, the focus going on properly implementing the EU's commitments to growth and jobs in the EUROPE 2020 strategy.
Payment appropriations. The Parliament points out that the total payment appropriations agreed upon for 2013 are 2.15% down on the 2012 budget once one introduces the figures set out in Amending Budget 6/2012 (€6.1 billion). The Parliament also adopted a report by Francesca Balzani (S&D, Italy) approving Amending Budget 6/2012 (thus €6.1 billion in payment appropriations rather than the €9 billion initially suggested by the Commission).
The Parliament says that given the Council's uncompromising stance in the talks, the overall level of payments is €5.1 billion lower than the payment requirements estimated by the Commission in its draft budget for 2013. It is concerned that the lower budget will not suffice to cover the real payment needs in the next tax year or rapidly introduce the Growth and Jobs Pact decided upon by the European Summit in June 2012, but says that failing to reach agreement would have a far more negative impact when it comes to actually implementing EU action and programmes. The Commission is asked to submit to the Parliament and Council of Ministers every quarter a report on payment requests from the member states (broken down into member state and individual EU funds) for the Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds, along with rural development and fisheries funds, from 31 October 2012 onwards. The Parliament wants an inter-institutional working group on payments to be set up, in which the two arms of the budget authority would issue reports on how to move forward.
The Parliament attaches the greatest political importance to the common statements agreed by the Parliament, Council of Ministers and the Commission, and says it will ensure at all levels, and using all available means, that they are respected and that any extra cash needed is provided by the member states for the 2013 budget so that the EU can pay its bills and preserve its credibility in terms of cash and institutions.
The Parliament made its vote on the 2013 budget conditional upon the introduction, by the heads of each of the three institutions, of special guarantees that financing of payment appropriations to the tune of €2.9 million would be found to cover the 2012 payment gap without this meaning a cut in any way in the 2013 budget.
The MEPs say that the only way to get out of the impasse of budget talks getting tougher and tougher is to urgently and responsibly solve the problem of how to finance the EU by introducing a genuine own resources system - to come into force in the next multi-annual financial framework (seven-year budget) in order to finally lay to rest this constant battle in the EU between net contributors and net recipients. The EP says that in the meantime, the Commission should consider the possibility of ruling out, in a spirit of solidarity and coherence, contributions from individual member states to EU budget calculated in terms of GNI from calculations of the structural deficit used in the two-pack and the treaty on stability, coordination and governance in the economic and monetary union. (LC/transl.fl)