Ok to the budget, in spite of everything else

Focus on internal problems and international events. The plenary meeting of the European Parliament, held July 1-4, focused on the outcomes of the latest European Council and the multi-annual budget. MEPs welcomed their Croatian colleagues, they confronted the Lithuanian presidency-in-office of the Council, addressed the question of the respect of fundamental rights of the Union in the light of the ongoing reforms in Hungary and in the light of the delicate situation in Bulgaria and Greece, conveyed their concerns regarding the situation in Egypt, tackled the question of Turkey and sent a message to the United States regarding the reports of alleged spying on EU institutions and Member States.MFF with clauses. It was a busy week the European Parliament, which had among the highlights on the agenda the vote on the Multiannual Financial Framework (Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF), adopted with 474 ayes, 193 noes and 42 abstentions. "The agreement on the multi-annual budget is the best possible result given the current circumstances", said the President of the EP Martin Schulz (Germany). The agreement with the Council "is far from perfect", but the result of the vote indicates that the Parliament considers that it has made "significant achievements". Despite widespread perplexities, MEPs approved the 2014-2020 budget proposal. In fact, Parliament considered Member States’ appropriations – representing the EU budget – for Community policies in the next seven years insufficient. Finally, an inter-institutional agreement adjusted downwards only satisfied those countries, (notably Germany and the United Kingdom), who have been calling for a reduced expenditure ceiling. Two successes can be ascribed to the MFF: the flexibility clause, allowing unused margins as well as unused funds to be transferred onto the following year or into different areas of the budget; and a revision clause, enabling the new Parliament and the next Commission to revise an otherwise immutable budget until the end of their mandate. No concrete step was made to introduce a system of own resources within the budget, which would have thus replaced appropriations at national level. Various decisions. During the plenary – after a hot debate with the premier of Budapest Viktor Orban – MEPs adopted a resolution urging Hungarian authorities to remedy any "breaches of EU fundamental rights" concretized in the reforms introduced by the present government. "Constitutional changes in Hungary have been systemic and they have a general trend that moves away from EU values enshrined in EU Treaty, said rapporteur Rui Tavares, Portuguese MEP. Other relevant documents approved during the plenary regard the role of cooperatives in the framework of continental economy, taxing financial transactions, improving the EU’s response to health threats, the upcoming 2014 elections of the European Parliament, enhancing the role of European political parties, the transnational debate on political programs, and listing candidates for president of the EU Commission on ballot papers.First woman to become Ombudsman. The EP appointed the new European Ombudsman: on six candidates a large majority voted for Emily O’Reilly, current Ombusdman in Ireland. O’Reilly will take office on October 1st, replacing Greece jurist Nikiforos Diamandouos, former political journalist. Ms O’Reilly is the first woman to become European Ombudsman. The role of the Ombudsman "is to investigate cases of maladministration by the EU institutions" to protect the rights of its citizens. "The citizens of EU Countries are increasingly administered via decisions taken at EU level – said O’Reilly after her election -. That’s why all decisions should be geared at protecting European citizens’ higher interest". The new Ombudsman acknowledged that the post has been strengthened in the Lisbon Treaty and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. She added: "institutions’ transparency is all the more needed today, given a crisis in confidence in the enlargement process on the part of EU citizens".