Legal bases and maximum amounts. Communication and interinstitutional statements

The rapporteur, Mr CHRISTODOULOU, called for a dual approach to the rules for defining a legal basis for legislative acts with a financial impact. In the long term, a definitive solution would only be found by revising the financial provisions of the Treaty on European Union, which was the responsibility of the IGC. In the short term, the rapporteur called for a trialogue between the Council, the Commission and Parliament. As far as the substance was concerned, he proposed that the pilot or preparatory projects should aim at developing multiannual programmes and that the period of time required for the adoption of the legal basis should not exceed three financial years. As regards the indicative amount to be provided for the financing of a particular project, this should be contingent on the scope afforded by the financial perspective. Moreover, the entering of appropriations without a legal basis should be subject to rigid and clear conditions. Commissioner LIIKANEN agreed to the proposal to set up an institutional trialogue.