Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 301 thereof,

Whereas:

Council Decision 81/121/EEC^f1 laid down rules on the granting of daily allowances to and the reimbursement of travelling expenses of members of the European Economic and Social Committee (‘the Committee’), alternates and experts.

In its resolution of 10 May 2012^f2, the European Parliament noted that the Bureau of the Committee undertook to reform the system for reimbursing expenses to members of the Committee and their alternates.

On 12 October 2012, the Committee requested the Council to adopt a new Decision on the granting of daily allowances and the reimbursement of travelling expenses of members of the Committee and their alternates, repealing and replacing Decision 81/121/EEC.

The amounts of the daily allowances paid to members of the Committee and their alternates should be adapted. Provision should also be made for a system for the reimbursement of transport expenses on the basis of actual costs, as well as for allowances compensating for the time spent by those members and their alternates in performance of their duties and for related administrative costs.

Where appropriate, detailed rules relating to the granting of allowances, the reimbursement of travelling expenses and the setting of the reimbursement ceilings for travelling expenses should be established at the level of the Committee.

In order to guarantee an appropriate degree of continuity for the members of the Committee and their alternates, transitional rules should be provided for.

Decision 81/121/EEC should therefore be repealed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: