Conciliatieprocedure over EU begroting 2012 gestart (en)
On 26th October, Jacek Dominik, Under-Secretary of State at the Finance Ministry, took part in the EP’s plenary session on behalf of the EU Council.
During the plenary session, the stand of the Parliament on the 2012 EU draft budget was voted on.
The Parliament’s position assumes, inter alia, a payment growth of 5.2% and a 3.95% increase in commitments compared with 2011 budget. According to the Parliament’s proposal, in 2012 payments would amount to 133.143 billion euro or 1.01% of the EU’s gross national income, whilst its commitments would come to 147,767 billion euro (1.13% GNI in the EU).
Apart from the Polish Presidency, taking part in the debate were: Janusz Lewandowski i, Budget and Financial Programming Commissioner, European Parliament 2012 budget rapporteurs:
Madam Francesca Balzani i (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament), Mr José Manuel Fernandes i (European People’s Party Groupin the European Parliament) and several dozen MEPs representing parliamentary sector commissions and individual MEPs.
Summing up the debate, Minister Dominik expressed his concern about Parliament’s amendments increasing payments above the draft proposed by the European Commission. He indicated that the Council did not negate the EU’s priorities, but in times of crisis spending should be determined in a way so they are not overestimated and suffice to cover the EU’s most important challenges. He also emphasised that the Parliament’s amendments in the commitment field, depriving the budget of any margins, have made next year’s budget incapable of reacting to unforeseen developments. He concluded by stating that increasing public expenditure on the day the European Council was debating the consequences of the EU’s financial crisis was not the proper solution. He nevertheless was optimistic that over the next few days an agreement between the Council and Parliament could be reached with the cooperation of the European Commission.
After the vote had been taken, the President of the European Parliament in agreement with the Presidency called a conciliation committee to draw up the final version of the 2012 EU budget draft.
The official inauguration of the conciliation procedure will take place on 8th November at the European Parliament in Brussels. If it succeeds, the 2012 EU budget will be adopted at the turn of November and December this year.
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In addition, Minister Jacek Dominik presented the Council’s position at the debate on the European semester and agreed to the Parliament’s EU amending budget No. 5 for 2011. He also expressed the opinion of the Council on the necessity of instituting talks between the Council and Parliament on developing a long-term agreement on budget issues (statement during a debate on discharging the Council from fulfilment of the 2010 EU budget).