Begrotingscommissie Europarlement zet eerste stap in controle begroting 2009 (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Europees Parlement (EP) i, gepubliceerd op dinsdag 22 maart 2011, 18:40.

Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee on Tuesday approved the spending of the 2009 budgets of the Parliament itself and a range of other EU institutions and agencies - a procedure known as the "budget discharge" - although approval was postponed for the Council of Ministers and the Economic and Social Committee.

Regarding Parliament's own budget, MEP Ville Itälä i (EPP i, FI), who prepared the committee's draft report, said "In this current economic situation, the European Parliament should set an example in cost-cutting. Instead of consuming more, we have to find new ways of doing things. Therefore, it is of vital importance that we ourselves are critical of Parliament's past spending". 

Savings on language services

Amongst other cost-cutting measures, the committee voted to have interpretation services for committee meetings provided automatically in only six languages (French, German, English, Polish, Spanish and Italian), with further languages to be made available only at the specific request of MEPs. Other demands include a survey among MEPs prior to agreeing on additional office space for newly recruited assistants, and rules to limit long-distance drives with Parliament's official cars.

Special rules to prevent MEPs employing members of each other's family as assistants are also urged.  When the Statute for Members was introduced in 2009, a ban was introduced on family members working for MEPs, but those who were already employed as such could stay on for a transitional period.

Parliament's various places of work

The Budgetary Control Committee also calls on EP President Buzek i and the MEPs negotiating the 2012 budget with the Member States to raise with the European Council the issue of Parliament's various workplaces.

The cost of the geographical dispersion of Parliament is estimated at around €160 million per year, about 9% of the EP's total budget. However, the decision on whether to change the current situation, so as to achieve financial savings and reduce Parliament's carbon footprint, is entirely in the hands of the Member States.  The call for negotiations with the Member States on the EP's workplace is contained in an amendment adopted by the committee to the resolution.

The draft resolution proposing to grant discharge to Parliament was adopted by 23 votes to four.

Discharge of Council and Economic and Social Committee postponed

In a series of further votes, the Budgetary Control Committee also decided on the 2009 discharge for other EU institutions and agencies. All institutions were granted discharge, except the Council of Ministers and the Economic and Social Committee. The discharge for the Council of Ministers was unanimously postponed till the autumn as MEPs felt the Council was not sufficiently co-operating in providing information to Parliament. The discharge for the Economic and Social Committee was postponed in view of an ongoing OLAF i investigation.

Next steps

The full Parliament will vote on the discharge for Parliament and other institutions and agencies during its plenary session in May.

22.03.2011

In the chair : Luigi DE MAGISTRIS (ALDE i, IT)