Brussels, 28/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - New legislative and budget powers for the European Parliament if the Lisbon Reform Treaty is ratified, new membership of the European Commission and the EP - next year looks like it will go down in history. In Strasbourg on Monday 21 April, the European Parliament will examine a report by Jutta Haug (PES, Germany) on the budget framework and priorities for 2009.
If the Lisbon Reform Treaty has been ratified by then, the newly elected European Parliament will have to follow a totally reworked budget procedure in the autumn of 2009 in order to draw up the EU's 2010 budget, in line with a draft budget drawn up by the current European Commission but deciding on the budget with the new European Commission, which takes office in November 2009. The EP therefore believes it is vital for all the new procedures to be approved by the end of this year to enable all the stakeholders involved in the 2010 budget to have clear, open and structured rules to follow.
Adopted on Thursday 27 March by the EP's budgets committee, the report by Jutta Haug take account of all the changes likely to come into force in 2009 and expected to impact hugely on the budget procedure. Some are contingent on the entry into force of the Lisbon Reform Treaty, like a shift in the EP-Council balance of budgetary power in the EP's favour and the scrapping of the distinction between compulsory and non-compulsory expenditure. Others will follow from the 2009 European elections and the end of the present European Commission's mandate. The MEPs elected in 2009 will have to be ready to use the new budget procedure in time for the 2010 budget.
Reduced budget margins. The MEPs on the budgets committee have taken note of the priorities proposed by the Commission for 2009, namely climate change and sustainable development, but they express surprise that at this early stage, the Commission 'has already embarked on a reprioritisation exercise,' in headings of the multiannual financial framework (budget) which have 'a particularly small margin'. The MEPs urge the Commission to present a 'clear and transparent' preliminary draft budget that can be understood by the public, is realistic and enables the EP and Council to 'thoroughly scrutinise' the implementation of the different EU programmes and policies.
Jutta Haug explains that the MEPs are concerned that it is now more difficult to distinguish between the European Commission's operational and administrative expenditure. In its negotiations with the Council, the EP is planning to make use of all the powers conferred on it under the inter-institutional agreement, including the new 5% flexibility instrument if required. The report stresses the importance of the solidarity principle, arguing that 'it must remain one of the EU's guiding principles.'
Expenditure by the institutions. A report by Janusz Lewandowski (EPP-ED, Poland) adopted on Thursday 27 March by the budgets committee deals with the guidelines that MEP would like to establish for the expenditure of the EU institutions other than the Commission in 2009. The report refers to the issue of the 20% ceiling of total EU administrative expenditure voluntarily imposed on itself by the European Parliament, given that the EP's powers and legislative activity will expand if the Lisbon Reform Treaty comes into force.
The new MEPs' terms and conditions (which will require the EP to pay most of MEPs' pay and allowances) and the 2009 European elections will also have an impact on the EP's budget, but MEPs believe it will be possible to meet these needs without going over the 20% limit.
Among the priorities for the EP's budget are the EP's communication and information policies (a visitors' centre, an audiovisual media centre and the web TV project); rapid adoption of terms and conditions for MEPs' assistants; and environmental issues (buildings policy, environmentally friendly vehicles, and solar panels on the roofs of EP buildings). (L.C.)