On Monday 26 March, the committee on budgetary control (CONT) of the European Parliament voted on the discharge of the EU budget 2016, despite the prior calls of political groups seeking to make this discharge conditional upon clear answers from the European Commission about the express nomination of Martin Selmayr to the position of Secretary General of the Commission (see other article).
“We need to work vigorously to finish the next multiannual financial framework”, said Joachim Zeller (EPP, Germany), who firmly believes that the discharge of the 2016 budget is far too important to be used for other political ends.
The MEPs are calling for the Commission to carry out a spending review, pledge a fundamental review of aid regimes to young farmers and the greening of agricultural aid, speed up the consumption of the structural funds and shed light on funds earmarked to manage the migration challenge.
The parliamentary committee rejected an amendment from the Greens/EFA group by one vote, expressing the concern of the MEPs at the lack of transparency in the procedure that allowed Selmayr to be appointed and noting a possible breach of European rules. Bart Staes (Greens/EFA, Belgium) criticised the refusal of the Christian Democrats, Liberals and Socialists to support the amendment. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)