Parliament could set up a special committee to prepare the EU's next long-term budget, its Conference of Presidents proposed today. Starting in July 2010, this committee could define Parliament's budget priorities and propose how the EU budget should be financed in the future. However, the proposal would first need to be formally endorsed by Parliament as a whole, probably in June.

The proposed committee could prepare the work for EU's next long-term budget framework (also known as the "financial perspective" or multiannual financial framework, MFF). The current long-term budget framework covers 2007-2013.

The formal plenary decision to create the 50-strong committee of MEPs could be taken in June, enabling it to start work in July.

The committee would work on "the policy challenges and budgetary resources for a sustainable European Union after 2013", and have six tasks:

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  define Parliament's priorities for EU's next long-term budget framework, in both political and budgetary terms,
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  estimate how much money the EU will need to achieve its objectives,
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  define the duration of the next long-term budget framework (this has traditionally been seven years, but MEPs want to adjust it to match the mandates of the Parliament and the Commission),
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  propose a structure for the future long-term budget frameworks,
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  draw up guidelines on  how  resources should be distributed within and between different parts ("headings") of the EU budget, and
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  specify the link between a reform of EU's financing system and a review of expenditure, so as to provide the Budgets Committee with a basis for the forthcoming MFF negotiations.

The committee would present the results of its work in a report, to be approved by Parliament before July 2011, when the Commission is to present its proposal for the next MFF.

Background

The European Parliament currently has 20 permanent committees, two sub-committees and one special committee - the special committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis. One role of the new committee would be to follow up the work of the special committee on the crisis.

During preparations for the current long-term budget framework, in 2004/2005, MEPs also set up a temporary committee. Parliament also set up two other temporary committees during its last term of office: one on climate change (2007) and another on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the illegal transport and detention of prisoners (2006).

The Conference of Presidents consists of Parliament's  President  and political group chairs. It prepares Parliament’s timetable and plenary sitting agendas and allocates seats in the chamber.

Further information :

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  Rule 184: Setting-up of special committees (Parliament's rules of procedure)
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  Home page of the temporary committee preparing the 2007-2013 long-term budget framework
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  List of committees

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