In Strasbourg on Thursday 5 July, the European Parliament approved the agreement between the institutions on the so-called 'onmnibus' regulation concerning the financial rules of the EU (see EUROPE 12005, 11991).
Parliament adopted the report by Ingeborg Grässle (EPP, Germany) and Richard Ashworth (EPP, UK) on the financial rules applicable to the EU general budget.
This text, which will enter into force after the Council adopts the text, will amend the existing financial regulation and a series of acts governing the multiannual programmes of the EU in specific areas, such as cohesion policy.
It will bring in simplified rules for the use of various types of fund, whether they are managed directly by the Commission, indirectly by various organisations and bodies or jointly with the national authorities.
The key achievements of this revision are: - a wider use of lump sums, flat rates and payments based on results,so that in these cases, there will be no need to provide detailed increases; - the possibility to replace part of the co-financing by volunteer work and contributions in kind; - reduction of the number of required reports and documentation, as well as cross-reliance on audits; - simplifying rules for small projects up to €60,000.
The text may enter into force in the month of July 2018. The EU institutions have been given extra time (1 January 2019). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)