European Parliament : Amendments 001-001 - Harmonisation of gross national income at market prices (GNI Regulation) - A8-0009/2018(001-001) - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

23.1.2019

A8-0009/ 001-001

AMENDMENTS 001-001 by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Report

Roberto Gualtieri

A8-0009/2018

Harmonisation of gross national income (GNI) at market pricesProposal for a regulation (COM(2017)0329 - C8-0192/2017 - 2017/0134(COD))

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Amendment 1

AMENDMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT*

to the Commission proposal

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Proposal for a

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the harmonisation of gross national income at market prices (GNI Regulation) repealing Council Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom and Council Regulation (EC,

Euratom) No 1287/2003

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 338 (1) thereof,

*

Amendments: new or amended text is highlighted in bold italics; deletions are indicated by the symbol ▌.

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Whereas:

• (-1) Gross national income at market prices ('GNI') constitutes the basis for calculating the largest share of own resources in the budget of the Union.

• (1) The increasing share of the Union's own resources based on GNI of the Member States makes it necessary to further reinforce the comparability, reliability and exhaustiveness of this aggregate.

• (2) Statistical integrity through respect of the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice, as reviewed and updated by the European Statistical System Committee on 28 September 2011, and of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 , is of particular importance where statistics are being used directly

  for administrative purposes and policymaking at Union, national and regional levels.

• (3) Those data are also an important analytical tool for the coordination of national economic policies and for various Union policies, as well as for research activities.

• (4) In accordance with Article 2 (7) of Council Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom, for own resources purposes, GNI means an annual GNI at market price, as provided by Annex

  A of Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 ('ESA 2010'). ▌In accordance with Article 10(1)

  of Council Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom2, and subject to Article 10(2) thereof, Council Decision 2007/436/EC, Euratom 3 was repealed.

1

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 164).

2

Council Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom of 26 May 2014 on the system of own resources of the European Union (OJ L 168, 7.6.2014, p. 105).

3

Council Decision 2007/436/EC, Euratom of 7 June 2007 on the system of the European

Communities' own resources (OJ L 163, 23.6.2007, p. 17).

• (5) It is essential that GNI data be comparable across Member States and therefore the relevant definitions and accounting rules of ESA 2010 should be complied with. For that purpose, the assessment procedures and the basic data actually used should permit the correct application of the definitions and accounting rules of ESA 2010.

• (6) It is essential that the sources and methods used to compile GNI are reliable. This means that sound techniques should be applied to robust, suitable and up-to-date basic statistics as much as possible.

• (7) It is essential that GNI data are exhaustive▌. Therefore, it should also take into

  account informal, unregistered and other activities and transactions that are not

  reported in statistical surveys or to fiscal, social and other administrative authorities. Improved GNI coverage presupposes developing suitable statistical bases and

  assessment procedures to produce reliable statistics and, where applicable, to make necessary adjustments.

• (8) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation by providing GNI data for own resources purposes, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to take measures concerning the structure of the inventory of the sources and methods used to produce GNI data and its components▌. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council1.

• (8a) In order to ensure the reliability, exhaustiveness, and highest possible degree of comparability of GNI data, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the

  Commission in respect of the definition of the content of the inventory of the sources and methods used to produce GNI data, as well as measures ensuring the reliability, exhaustiveness and comparability of GNI data. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance

1

Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).

with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on

Better Law-Making1. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts.

• (9) Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 608/2014 2 provides for inspections visits in Member States for the purpose of verifying own resources. In addition to those inspections, the Commission should be entitled to carry out GNI information visits in order to ensure that GNI data is comparable, reliable and exhaustive. The participation of representatives of national statistical authorities in GNI information visits to other

  Member States is essential in order to increase the transparency and accuracy of the

  ▌GNI process.

• (10) In accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 the European Statistical System Committee (ESSC) has been asked to provide its professional guidance.

• (11) The GNI Committee referred to in Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1287/20033 has issued opinions, provided advice to, and assisted the Commission in the exercise of its implementing powers. Under the strategy for a new European Statistical System structure to improve coordination and partnership in a clear pyramid structure within the System, the European Statistical System Committee, established by Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, should have an advisory role and assist the Commission in exercising its implementing powers. To that effect, the GNI Committee should be replaced by the ESSC for the purpose of assisting the Commission in the exercise of its implementing powers under the current Regulation. Nevertheless, for the purposes of other functions previously undertaken by the GNI

  Committee under Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1287/2003, and not relating to

1 2

OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p. 1.

Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 608/2014 of 26 May 2014 laying down implementing measures for the system of own resources of the European Union (OJ L 168, 7.6.2014, p. 29).

3

Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1287/2003 of 15 July 2003 on the harmonisation of gross national income at market prices (GNI Regulation) (OJ L 181, 19.7.2003, p. 1).

assistance in the exercise of the implementing powers of the Commission, the Commission should establish a formal expert group to assist it for such other purposes.

(12)

Council Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom1 and Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1287/2003 have set up a procedure to verify and assess the comparability, reliability and exhaustiveness of GNP and GNI within the GNP and GNI Committees in which Member States and the Commission cooperate closely. This procedure should be adjusted to take account of the use of GNI according to ESA 2010 for the purposes of own resources, the revised timetable for making available own resources and recent developments within the European Statistical System. Those acts should therefore be repealed,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Chapter I

Definition and calculation of gross national income at market prices

Article 1

• 1. Gross national income at market prices (GNI) and gross domestic product at market prices (GDP) shall be defined in accordance with the European system of national and regional accounts (ESA 2010), set up by Regulation (EU) No 549/2013.

• 2. In accordance with point 8.89 of Annex A to Regulation (EU) No 549/2013, GDP means the final result of the production activity of resident producer units. It can be defined in three ways:

(a)production approach: GDP is the sum of gross value added of the various institutional sectors or the various industries plus taxes and less subsidies on products (which are not allocated to sectors and industries). It is also the balancing item in the total economy production account;

1

Council Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom of 13 February 1989 on the harmonisation of the compilation of gross national product at market prices (OJ L 49, 21.2.1989, p. 26).