B4-0465, 0472, 0474, 0480 and 0482/94

Resolution on the recommendations of the Council to the Member States on excessive government deficits

The European Parliament,

-having regard to oral questions B4-0206 and B4-0226/94,

-having regard to the Council's recommendations of 7 November 1994 addressed to 10 Member States for putting an end to situations of excessive government deficit,

-having regard to Article 104c of the EC Treaty concerning excessive government deficits, and underlining in general the importance of the excessive deficit procedure,

- having regard in particular to the provision of paragraph 7 thereof that Council recommendations to Member States "shall not be made public",

A.having regard to the desire for transparency expressed by Commissioner Christophersen and the finance ministers of several Member States in October 1994, when ECOFIN discussed its recommendations on excessive deficits for the first time,

B.having regard to the commitment of several governments to communicate to their national parliaments the texts of the recommendations concerning their particular countries,

C.having regard to the desirability of democratic accountability in the use of economic policy instruments,

D.whereas the latest Council recommendations to Member States have been discussed at parliamentary level in some Member States and have been partially approved and published by them,

1.Points to this first experience of recommendations under Article 104c as a clear demonstration that the secrecy provisions are not viable in practice and should be revised;

2.Considers that, in the interests of democracy and accountability, it is essential that both the European Parliament and national parliaments should have the opportunity for timely discussion of recommendations which potentially affect the whole direction of economic policy and, consequently, prospects for growth and employment;

3.Therefore calls on the Commission and Council to accept an interim inter-institutional procedure to give effect to these principles until the issue is settled on the occasion of the revision of the Treaty in 1996;

4.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and national parliaments of Member States.