CFSP: financing the Common foreign and security policy

By adopting the report by Mr Detlev SAMLAND (PSE, D), the European Parliament approved the Interinstitutional Agreement on provisions regarding financing of the Common Foreign and Security Policy(CFSP). The Agreement basically establishes a procedure for the formal consultation of Parliament about the main aspects and fundamental decisions involved in the CFSP. In particular, it requires the Council to provide detailed costings of actions, in particular those regarding time-frame, staff employed, use of premises and other infrastructure, transport facilities, training requirements and security arrangements. The Agreement is also intended to prevent disagreement between the two arms of the Budgetary Authority concerning expenditure on the CFSP by facilitating the rapid release of funds when needed. It calls on the Commission to inform Parliament at least once per quarter about the implementation of CFSP action and to supply financial forecasts for the rest of the year. In the event of the annual ceiling for CFSP expenditure being exceeded, an ad hoc concertation procedure between the Council and Parliament is provided for.