Financial framework 2007-2013: financing energy projects under the European Economic Recovery Plan (amend. Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management)

The European Parliament adopted by 536 votes to 18, with 22 abstentions, a resolution calling on the European Parliament to approve the amended proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management as regards the multiannual financial framework: Financing projects in the field of energy in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan.

With this resolution, Parliament approves the conclusions of the Conciliation meeting of 18 November 2009. The main conclusions are as follows:

·        setting the modalities for providing additional financing, in the framework of the European Economic Recovery Plan, to projects in the field of energy and broadband internet as well as the Common Agricultural Policy ("Health Check");

·        a revision of the multiannual financial framework 2007-2013 in accordance with points 21, 22, and 23 of the Interinstitutional Agreement, so as to raise the ceiling for the year 2010 for commitment appropriations under subheading 1a by an amount of EUR 1 779 million in current prices;

·        the increase of the ceiling for subheading 1a for the year 2010 will be fully offset by decreasing the ceilings for commitment appropriations under headings 1a, 1b, 2, 3a and 5 for the year 2009 as well as the ceilings for commitment appropriations under headings 1a, 2 and 5 for 2010;

·        in order to keep an appropriate relationship between commitments and payments, the annual ceilings for payment appropriations will be adjusted. The adjustment will be neutral.

In the resolution accompanying the IIA amended proposal, Parliament underlines that the agreement reached on the revision of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) is the result of successful interinstitutional cooperation in responding to the financial and economic crisis that Member States are experiencing, and that the agreement builds on the principles declared by the three institutions on 2 April 2009 (at the time of adoption of the previous IIA modification – see ACI/2008/2332).

Parliament accepts the political compromise which mobilises various budgetary means available in the budgetary legal framework, including the revision of the 2007-2013 MFF for the years 2009 and 2010 and the use of the Flexibility Instrument in order to allow the full financing of the Recovery Plan in 2010. It expresses its satisfaction that no financing of the Recovery Plan has been postponed to 2011. On the other hand, it deplores the fact that after the revision of the MFF for the financing of the Recovery Plan, the margins available in headings 1a, 1b, 2, and 5 are extremely tight in 2010, leaving little room for manoeuvre should unexpected financial needs arise during the year. In parallel, Parliament stresses that financing of the decommissioning of Kozloduy should not jeopardise the financing of multiannual programmes and actions under subheading 1a.

Lastly, Parliament considers that the current MFF does not correspond to the financial needs of the European Union. It calls, therefore, on the Commission to submit a proposal for a mid-term review of the current MFF without delay. Parliament approves the annexed decision amending the Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) of 2006 which contains an annex with the revised amounts for the 2007-2013 Financial Framework.