Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-14-Speech-3-081-000"
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"en.20110914.4.3-081-000"2
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"Mr President, honourable Members, at today’s sitting of the European Parliament I have the pleasure of presenting to you the position of the Council adopted on 25 July relating to the draft budget for 2012. For the second time, the budget is being accepted in accordance with the procedure outlined in the Treaty of Lisbon, and I hope that this time we will use the experience we gained during the debate on the budget for 2011. Preparing a satisfactory agreement on the matter of the budget for 2012 will require an open and constructive dialogue between both our institutions. I hope in particular that we will be able to avoid any references to issues which are not directly linked to the annual budget.
I would like to finish by stressing the issue I raised at the very beginning of my speech, which is the need to achieve the correct balance between taking into account the difficult economic situation in which the Member States find themselves and providing sufficient means in the budget to support in particular those programmes and measures which can aid economic growth. I am convinced that the budget for 2012, set at the level proposed by the Council, will enable the European Union to fulfil its obligations, and will also be a signal to Europe’s taxpayers that we are acting responsibly and that we are serving the interests of those we represent. I should also like to add that in accepting this draft budget, the Council has also accepted an obligation and adopted a declaration that if during the 2012 budgetary year there is a lack of funds in one of the budget areas and no redeployments can be made, then in that case, on the basis of a proposal made by the European Commission, additional funds will be guaranteed by the Member States.
Mr President, honourable Members, I noted with particular satisfaction the fact that the first round of tripartite talks regarding the budget, which took place on 11 July, was conducted in an atmosphere of fruitful cooperation. I hope this favourable atmosphere will continue to prevail and help us to adopt a realistic and balanced budget for 2012. Please allow me now to present four factors which guided the Council during its analysis of the draft budget presented by the Commission. It is a certain philosophy which was worked out during discussion of the draft budget by the Ministers of Finance, and it reflects the method of assessment and approach to certain expenses which were proposed by the European Commission. I hope that it will enable you to understand the Council’s position better, rather than just presenting you with dry numbers describing the level of expenses in individual areas.
Firstly, the growth of the European Union budget must reflect the situation in the Member States, which are going through a period of weak economic growth and are struggling with serious budgetary restrictions. Special attention should be paid to controlling administrative expenses, so that what we do accords with the efforts of the Member States made in this respect at national level.
Secondly, within the European Union budget, priority should be given to those programmes and measures which help to lift us out of the current crisis, support competitiveness and convergence, give real EU added value, create opportunities for employment and accelerate economic growth.
Thirdly, increasing funds for commitments and payments must be realistic. We should primarily take into account current and future indicators of budget performance and also absorption capacity in order to avoid any overestimates, which would only put unnecessary pressure on national budgets and increase outstanding commitments.
Fourthly, the current levels of the Multiannual Financial Framework should be adhered to in the budget. The budget should also be flexible, thanks to its having the appropriate margins to enable reaction to unforeseen situations or the incorporation of new policy priorities during the budgetary year.
In this context, it gives me pleasure to inform you that in relation to the 2011 budget, the Council’s position on the draft budget for 2012 anticipates an increase of 2.9% in funds for commitments and of 2.02% in funds for payments. I am convinced that this budget will provide an appropriate balance between fiscal consolidation on the one hand and support for those European Union programmes and projects which can be most effective in helping to bring the Union’s economy to life on the other hand. It will also be sufficient to meet financial commitments resulting from current and planned programmes and actions.
In relation to this, I think we are definitely able to explain such a budget to our citizens, who have been hit by the effects of the economic and financial crisis, and in particular that we are able to explain the far-reaching measures for fiscal consolidation in Member States and to demonstrate the legitimacy of such a budget. The Council has agreed specific reductions in funds in many particular budget lines within all budget areas. These reductions have been introduced based on a detailed analysis of budget implementation in previous years, whilst also taking into account the latest budget forecasts. I believe that these reductions are completely justified.
Moreover, in order to assess the actual capability of the Commission and the Member States to realise programmes and actions in a timely manner and make use of appropriate funds during the course of the budgetary year, information available in the descriptions of the work of the Commission was used. Special attention was given to administrative expenses and the level of employment within the institutions. This includes administrative expenses related to operational programmes and executive agencies, as well as funds paid from the European Union budget to decentralised agencies. The Council is of the opinion that in accordance with the direction of measures being put in place at national level, the efficiency of EU administration should be increased. Additional funds and employment plans, both for European Union institutions and for decentralised agencies, were approved only in the case of new bodies and bodies which have been given new responsibilities. The resulting position of the Council, based on a clear method and an objective approach, constitutes a balanced, fair and justified solution."@en1
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