Financial regulation applicable to the general budget: rules for the implementation of Regulation 1605/2002/EC, Euratom

The European Parliament adopted, by 492 for, 3 against and 16 abstentions, the report by Mr Michiel van HULTEN (PES, NL) approving changes to the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities. The amendments proposed by the Parliament concern : - where the statement of expenditure for a section of the budget is set out on the basis of a nomenclature classified according to purpose, within the respective chapters administrative appropriations shall be divided into separate headings by title; - a conflict of interests where the impartial and objective exercise of the functions of a person involved in the implementation of the budget or an internal auditor is comprised for reasons involving family, emotional life, political or national affinity, economic interest or any other interest shared with the beneficiary; - the institution informing the budgetary authority whenever an authorising officer by delegation of grade A1 take up his/her duties for the first time, takes up new duties or terminates his/her duties; - each institution establishing minimum standards for keeping supporting documents and shall place the facilities necessary for the safekeeping at the disposal of the authorising officer; - the term 'Commission' and the obligation to submit a summary report to the budgetary authority shall be interpreted as applying mutatis mutandis to the other institutions; - payment by bank credit transfer, authorising officers may enter into a commitment towards a third party on behalf of their institution only if that third party has provided the documentation required for its entry into the file. Authorising officers shall check that the bank details communicated by the payee are still valid when each payment order is drawn up; - detailed information regarding the Accountability and operational independence of the Accounting Officer: the Accounting officer shall guarantee the correctness of payments, revenue and the recovery of established receivable accounts, bring, if necessary, an action directly before the Court of Justice for any act relating to the performance of his duties; approve the opening and the closure of bank accounts - the deletion of an amendment which refers to authorising officers entering into a commitment towards a third party on behalf of their institution only if that third party has provided the documentation required for its entry in the file; - a report on waivers of recoveries of established debts above a threshold of EUR 100 000 shall be annexed to the summary of annual reports to be sent to each institution to the budgetary authority.�