Brussels, 12/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has approved the separation of the functions of financial control and audit in the European Institutions (Commission, Parliament and Council). The adoption last week of the report by van Hulten (PES, Netherlands) by the plenary marks very broad support by the Parliament for this first part of the proposal for revision of the financial regulation. The resolution was adopted with 468 votes for, 2 against and 14 abstentions. In its resolution, the Parliament insists on the fact that the financial controller, responsible so far for the ex ante financial control function as well as the internal audit function, should continue to fully exercise, with every means necessary, the function of ex ante control. This amendment is suggested by the Parliament in order to avoid any confusion concerning the role of financial controller during the transitional period between the separation of financial control and internal audit, set out in the proposal of revision in question, and the abandon of the ex ante system by the financial controller, which is the subject of another, more comprehensive, proposal of revision of the financial regulation.
The EP was only consulted on this proposal of revision. The Council, which has the responsibility of adopting the proposal, should give its position during the Budget Council on 23 November.