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System of own resources of the EU

2011/0183(CNS)

The Committee on Budgets adopted, in the framework of a special legislative procedure (Parliament consultation), the report by Jean-Luc DEHAENE (EPP, BE) and Anne E. JENSEN (ADLE, DK) on the draft Council decision on the system of own resources of the European Union.

The committee approved the draft Council decision whilst proposing a number of amendments to it in order to reinstate the long-standing political position of the Parliament on own resources.

Members stressed that the European Parliament has continuously called for the Union budget to be financed wholly by own resources, as stipulated in the Treaty, and has regularly highlighted the shortcomings and limits of the existing system of own resources, which is non-transparent, unfair, not subject to parliamentary control, highly complex and totally incomprehensible to European citizens. Members recalled that the European Parliament has strongly advocated in favour of an in-depth reform of the own resources system that should return to a system of genuine, clear, simple and fair own resources.

The European Parliament regretted that the Council was unable to make any progress on the reform of the own resources system on the basis of legislative proposals presented by the Commission in June 2011.

These amendments also aim at reflecting the high importance that the Parliament attaches to the establishment of the High-Level group on own resources and the future steps that need to be taken towards a successful reform of the own resources system for the period covered by the next multiannual financial framework.

Members called on the High Level Group on Own resources to deliver its first assessment of the own resources system by the end of 2014. They expect that this Group will deliver proposals for overcoming the deficiencies of the current system in order to pave the way for a reform -guided by the overall objectives of simplicity, transparency, equity and democratic accountability- to become operational in the next MFF.