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2013 budget: estimates of revenue and expenditure - section I, Parliament

2012/2006(BUD)

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report drafted by Derek VAUGHAN (S&D, UK) on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2013.

Members recall that the ceiling for Heading 5 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the Union budget in 2013 is EUR 9 181 million in current prices. They note that Croatia’s accession will have an impact on the Parliament's 2013 budget, namely as regards resources for new Members and staff recruitment.

Overall, Members state that, in a context of a heavy burden of public debt and of restraint in times of ongoing national budgetary consolidation efforts, the Parliament should show budgetary responsibility and self-restraint. It is within this context that the following draft estimates are proposed.

General Framework and overall budget: Members reiterate that the Parliament's places of work should be limited to a single seat for Members and officials. They call on the Council to take into account the demands expressed already on several occasions by the Parliament and EU citizens concerning this issue which was further reiterated in the resolution of the European Parliament of 16 February 2012 on the guidelines for the 2013 budget procedure, sections other than the Commission.

The committee notes that the level of the preliminary draft estimates for the 2013 budget, as suggested by the Secretary-General in its report to the Bureau, amounts to EUR 1 768 731 441. It notes the suggested rate of increase of 2.96 % over the 2012 budget.

Welcoming efforts made to present realistic estimates and acknowledging the fact that the Bureau is ready to adopt further savings, Members stipulate that, pursuant to the agreement reached by the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets at the conciliation meeting of 13 March 2012, the overall level of the draft estimates for 2013 is set at EUR 1 759 391 671 corresponding to a rate of increase of 1.9% over the 2012 budget excluding the costs of enlargement to Croatia.

Specific issues: Members welcome suggested savings in connection with staff travel and redeployments in the establishment plan as well as the suggested savings of about EUR 3.5 million in connection with parliamentary assistance.

They also take note of :

  • plans for an information campaign for the 2014 elections;
  • the reorganisation of the translation and interpretation activities, and defending the principle of multilingualism.

Members urge the administration to present an independent evaluation of Parliament's budget with the aim of identifying savings throughout all budget lines, in particular on the issue of the cost of maintaining three places of work. They remind the Secretary-General and the Bureau of its request for the establishment of a working group as soon as possible (which should discuss inter alia the findings of the requested report concerning Members' travels, the results of a comparative study with the budgets of a representative sample of Member States parliaments and with the budget of the United States Congress and the financing of the building policy).

Members request a report on savings achieved during the implementation of the 2012 budget, in line with the call for savings expressed in its position of 26 October 2011 on the 2012 draft budget as modified by Council - all sections and expect such a report to be communicated to the Committee on Budgets by no later than 31st August 2013.

The committee highlights its willingness to contribute actively to maintain budgetary discipline by freezing all budget lines relating to travel and not indexing any of the Members' individual allowances until the end of the legislature.

Members repeat that substantial savings could be made by having a single seat for the European Parliament. They stress that the European Parliament should have the right to decide its own working arrangements and call on the Secretary-General to implement a possible revision of the calendar for committee meetings and delegation missions. The Secretary-General should examine possible further opportunities for savings regarding delegations.

Members note that the high level of appropriations proposed for the continuation of the multiannual ICT strategy.  They welcome the launch of the e-committee programme and the pilot scheme for the e-meetings programme. They request further information about the possible costs of this programme and when it will be fully implemented.  They encourage the administration to pursue the policies which will enable Members to use effective tools based on new technologies and support the legislative process more effectively, in particular through bringing the Knowledge Management System to fruition. They call for the increased use of video conferencing which could help to further reduce the travel costs of both Members and staff.

Members note the conditions set out in the regulation concerning the financing of political parties. They are concerned that "the principles on which the European Union is founded, namely the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law" are not being fully respected. They insist that the granting of European Parliament funding should only go to those parties that rigorously uphold the founding principles of the EU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. They ask therefore for the rules to be revised accordingly.

Members also note that:

  • all the appropriations relating to representation expenses for the budgetary year 2013 should be frozen and kept under strict control;
  • the level of appropriations proposed in the preliminary draft estimates for the EMAS reserve has substantially increased compared to the 2012 level; it requests detailed explanation of this increase by no later than August 2012.

Buildings: Members are aware that the KAD project is a significant undertaking for the Parliament which aims to rationalise Parliament's administration in Luxembourg to obtain synergies. They are concerned that further project delays could lead to significant extra costs. They call therefore for updated information specifying the timetable of the project until its completion (planned for 2017 at the latest) the evolution of the estimated cost of the KAD I and KAD II project since 2008 compared to original estimates as well as the progress of work.

Members welcome the revision of the estimated running costs of the House of the European History. They take note that the 2013 budget will see a substantial increase in its funding given the fact that its opening is foreseen for 2014. They request strict adherence to the minimum costs and not to exceed the figures set out in the estimates. They believe that the Parliament should look for sources of possible financing other than its own budget.

Lastly, Members note that the preliminary draft estimates request a 22% increase compared to 2012 for the implementation of an "enhanced maintenance policy". They request more detail from the Secretary-General with regard to this policy and how the proposed appropriations will be used.