On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section II – European Council and Council
AFCO-AD-766587
Committee on Constitutional Affairs · Rapporteur: Sven Simon
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The Committee on Constitutional Affairs opinion on the 2023 budget discharge for the European Council and Council calls for full respect of Parliament's prerogatives and regrets the Council's refusal to cooperate in the discharge procedure for over a decade.¶¶ It asks the Council to implement Parliament's recommendations, resume negotiations on a memorandum of understanding, split the budgets of the two institutions, and support Treaty changes to give Parliament explicit discharge powers over all institutions.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Constitutional Affairs proposes that the Committee on Budgetary Control incorporate these calls into its motion for a resolution on discharge for 2023.¶
Key points
- Calls for full respect of Parliament's prerogatives in the annual budgetary procedure and insists on the full application of Article 14(1) TEU.¶
- Regrets the Council's continuing refusal to engage in sincere cooperation in the discharge procedure for more than a decade, which prevents Parliament from carrying out its duties properly.¶
- Regrets that this lack of cooperation is also reflected in other files, such as Treaty revision, Parliament's right of inquiry, and reform of European electoral law.
- Considers that the lack of cooperation from the European Council and Council sends a negative signal to citizens of the Union.¶
- Calls on the Council to implement Parliament's recommendations on the budget discharge procedure and to resume negotiations on the memorandum of understanding on interinstitutional cooperation.¶
- Reiterates that the budgets of the European Council and Council should be divided into two separate budgets to improve transparency, expenditure efficiency, and accountability.¶
- Stresses that the next Treaty revision should render the discharge procedure clearer and more transparent, explicitly empowering Parliament in Article 319 TFEU to grant discharge to all institutions individually.¶
- Urges the Council to actively engage with Parliament to improve the current situation through better interinstitutional cooperation within the existing framework.