Presentation and competencies

Welcome words

Dear visitor,

Welcome to the site of the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets.

Budgetary powers were among the first to be acquired by the Parliament and have been further strengthened with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. The European Parliament now approves, on an equal footing with the Council, all the expenditure contained in the annual budget of the European Union.

With 43 members and the same number of substitute members, the Committee on Budgets is mainly responsible for drafting the Parliament's position on the EU's annual budget (EUR 147.2 billion in commitments and EUR 129.1 billion in payments for the financial year 2012).

In addition to that, the Budgets Committee is also in charge of preparing the negotiations of the Multiannual Financial Framework (or financial perspective) which determines the framework for the annual budgetary procedures for a period of 7 years. Following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, where it was once again reiterated that the EU Budget has to be fully financed by own resources, the Budgets Committee is now working on some important legislative proposals aiming at reintroducing genuine revenue into the EU public purse.

You will find on these pages useful and regularly updated information on the work of the Committee on Budgets. You are also welcome to follow our meetings on EP live.

Enjoy your visit.

Alain Lamassoure

Presentation and competencies

Committee responsible for:

the multiannual financial framework of the Union's revenue and expenditure and the Union's system of own resources;
Parliament's budgetary prerogatives, namely the budget of the Union as well as the negotiation and implementation of interinstitutional agreements in this field;
Parliament's estimates according to the procedure defined in the Rules;
the budget of the decentralised bodies;
the financial activities of the European Investment Bank;
the budgetisation of the European Development Fund, without prejudice to the powers of the committee responsible for the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement;
financial implications and compatibility with the multiannual Financial Framework of all Community acts, without prejudice to the powers of the relevant committees;
keeping track of and assessing the implementation of the current budget notwithstanding Rule 78(1), transfers of appropriations, procedures relating to the establishment plans, administrative appropriations and opinions concerning buildings-related projects with significant financial implications;
the Financial Regulation, excluding matters relating to the implementation, management and control of the budget.