MIL-OSI Europe: RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget – A9-0262/2020

(Ordinary legislative procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Council position at first reading (09980/1/2020 – C9‑0407/2020),

– having regard to the opinion of the Court of Auditors of 17 August 2018[1],

– having regard to the opinion of the Commission (COM(2020)0843),

– having regard to its position at first reading[2] on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2018)0324),

– having regard to Article 294(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committees responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0262/2020),

1. Approves the Council position at first reading;

2. Approves the joint statement by Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed to this resolution;

3. Takes note of the Commission statement annexed to this resolution;

4. Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

5. Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

6. Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

7. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Joint statement by Parliament, the Council and the Commission

Without prejudice to the Commission’s right of initiative, the European Parliament, the Council and Commission agree to consider including the content of this Regulation into Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 (the “Financial Regulation”) upon its next revision.

Commission statement

The Commission agrees to consider accompanying the report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of this Regulation by appropriate proposals where necessary.

The Council position at first reading reflects the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council in interinstitutional negotiations at early second reading stage, after legal-linguistic verification. Since the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), at their vote of 12 November 2020, already confirmed the outcome of those interinstitutional negotiations, as your rapporteurs we are proposing that BUDG-CONT recommend that the Plenary confirms the position of the Council at first reading, without amending it.