Parliament decides on 2008 budget discharge

MEPs will look at the way the EU budget was spent in 2008 and then decide whether to approve the financial management of each EU institution and agency that year, under the "budgetary discharge procedure".

The Budgetary Control Committee has made recommendations to the institutions and agencies on how they can improve their budgetary management and is proposing that the discharge be granted to all except the Council of Ministers and the European police college.

Once a year, Parliament scrutinises how the different EU institutions spend their money. Since November last year, when the European Court of Auditors presented its report for the year 2008, members of the Budgetary Control Committee have studied documents, interviewed Commissioners and directors and discussed how the EU's money was spent.

The committee not only voted on whether to give the institutions discharge but also adopted draft resolutions with recommendations on how to improve EU spending controls. The bulk of the EU's budget, including agriculture and regional funding, is managed by the European Commission.

Procedure: DischargeDebate: 21 April 2010Vote: 21 April 2010

Iveta Ķelpe
www.europarl.lv

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