The Parliament imposes a certain transparency of the “Defence” budget of the EU

(B2) We knew that the European Union's CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policy) budget had already caused some tension between the European Parliament and the Council, particularly under Javier Solana. Parliament had started by refusing to grant its budgetary discharge (read: Parliament unhappy with the lack of transparency of the CFSP/ESDP budget). On May 19, he ended up granting the precious "discharge" so longed for by any European political leader. But the deputies do not let go. In a resolution which has just been adopted (June 15), they reiterate their request for more information from the Council and welcome the promise of the Spanish Presidency to review the "gentlemen's agreement".

A dated agreement

According to this gentleman's agreement dating from 1970 (at a time when Europe was above all that of Agriculture, Coal and Steel), each of the legislative institutions responsible for the budget (the Council for the Member States; the European Parliament on the other) undertook not to stare into the administrative expenses of the other. But with the development of "increasingly operational" Council spending activities in foreign affairs, security and defense policy (as well as justice and home affairs), MEPs consider this agreement obsolete. There is also a divergence of interpretation. The Council, for its part, stresses that MEPs should not examine the implementation of the Council's budget. The Parliament considers that this agreement of non-intervention was valid, if necessary, for the approval of the budget but not for the ex post control of expenditure.

Recommendation 1: Review the "gentlemen's agreement"

Under pressure from MEPs, the Council, represented by the Spanish Presidency, agreed to re-examine the "gentlemen's agreement". The purpose of this resolution is thus to lay down the conditions of the European Parliament (in the meantime). So far the only
Meetings between the two institutions on the discharge consisted of informal lunches with the President of the committee, the rapporteur and representatives of the Council. A little light for the Parliament! In 2009, the Council agreed to meet with representatives of the Parliament... in September (actually at the last moment). In 2010, another progress, the meeting with the General Secretariat of the Council, the Spanish Presidency and representatives of the EP took place in March. And, the Spanish Secretary of State, Diego López Garrido, takes part in the public debate on the discharge in plenary in Strasbourg in April. Parliament would like this to become the rule: prior presentation and public debate.

Claim 2: More information, in general

The European Parliament therefore demands that this expenditure be "verified in the same way as that of the other institutions of the European Union".
To carry out this control, the Parliament considers that it needs more information:
- the accounts for the past financial year relating to budget operations;
- a financial statement describing the assets and the liabilities;
- an annual activity report concerning their budgetary and financial management;
- the annual report of the internal auditor;
- an oral presentation made at the meeting of the Budget Control Committee.

Recommendation 3: Full control of (civilian) defense spending

The European Parliament "invite"thus the Council to present to it, by the end of the 2008 discharge procedure (NB: October), "concrete, detailed and comprehensive plans for the staffing, organizational chart and control structures of the EEAS, including EU military personnel, the Situation Center (Sitcen), the Crisis Management and Planning" of the General Secretariat of the Council (CMPD), the Civilian Planning and Conduct of Operations Capability (CPCC), as well as all the staff of the General Secretariat working on foreign and security policy files, which put in particular highlights both the increase and breakdown of the workforce and the anticipated budgetary implications".

Comment: In short, the sector of operations of the PeSDC leaves the terrain of obscurity for that of a certain transparency and a minimum of democratic control.

Text of the resolution to download

(photo credit: European Parliament)