Amending budget 6/2012: revenue; reinforcement of payment appropriations; reductions in commitment and payment appropriations

The European Parliament adopted by 514 votes to 68, with 20 abstentions, a resolution approving unamended the Council position on Draft amending budget (DAB) No 6/2012 of the European Union for the financial year 2012, Section III – Commission.

Parliament recalls that the draft amending budget No 6/2012 to the general budget 2012 covers, inter alia, an update in the forecast of revenue after the latest revision of the forecasts of own resources and other revenue and an increase of payment appropriations of nearly EUR 9 billion across headings 1a, 1b, 2, 3a and 4 of the multi-annual financial framework, with the aim of meeting outstanding needs to the end of the year.

Parliament also mentions other payment needs that have already been addressed in part through the global transfer in payment appropriations for a total amount of EUR 419.7 million, as well as sources of redeployment for a total of EUR 47.4 million, which were included in DAB 6/2012.

Parliament also highlights the fact that the variations observed in own resources, together with a significant increase in the revenue from fines and interest payment of EUR 3 525 million, lead to a total net increase in revenue of EUR 3 080.8 million, which will lessen the effect of DAB 6/2012 on Member States' GNI-based contributions.

Trilogue: both Parliament and Council delegations agreed, during the budgetary trilogue of 29 November 2012, to pay only EUR 6.1 billion of the EUR 9 billion necessary to meet the 2012 payment needs.

To ensure that the remaining invoices for 2012 are paid as soon as possible, the three institutions undertook - and this is an integral part of the agreement – to adopt, at the beginning of 2013, a new amending budget the sole aim of which is to cover the EUR 2.9 billion outstanding. This amending budget should be understood as a political agreement and is aimed at providing additional appropriations as compared to the payment appropriations adopted in the 2013 initial budget, without prejudice to the proper implementation of the 2013 budget.

Parliament therefore approves, without amendment, the Council’s position on Draft Amending Budget No 6/2012.