Application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the EC Treaty. Codification

The Legal Affairs Committee adopted a report drafted by Diana WALLIS (ALDE, UK) and approved the proposal for a Council regulation on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community (codified version). The Commission’s proposal was approved as adapted to the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the Legal Services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission. The Working Party noted as follows:

-a new Recital 10 should be introduced, which would consist of the text of Recital 10 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2103/2005, which reads as follows: "Eurostat shall be responsible, on behalf of the Commission, for assessing the quality of the data and for providing the data to be used in the context of the excessive deficit procedure, in accordance with Commission Decision 97/281/EC".

-A new Recital 11 should also be introduced, which would consist of the first sentence of Recital 11 of Regulation (EC) No 2103/2005, which reads as follows: "A permanent dialogue should be established between the Commission and the Member States’ statistical authorities in order to ensure the quality both of the actual data reported by Member States and of the underlying government sector accounts compiled in accordance with ESA 95".