PART I
TITLE VII - THE UNION'S FINANCES
ARTICLE I-53
Budgetary and financial principles
1. All items of Union revenue and expenditure shall be included in estimates
drawn up for each financial year and shall be shown in the Union's budget, in
accordance with Part III.
2. The revenue and expenditure shown in the budget shall be in balance.
3. The expenditure shown in the budget shall be authorised for the annual budgetary period in accordance with the European law referred to in Article III-412.
4. The implementation of expenditure shown in the budget shall require the prior adoption of a legally binding Union act providing a legal basis for its action and for the implementation of the corresponding expenditure in accordance with the European law referred to in Article III-412, except in cases for which that law provides.
5. With a view to maintaining budgetary discipline, the Union shall not adopt any act which is likely to have appreciable implications for the budget without providing an assurance that the expenditure arising from such an act is capable of being financed within the limit of the Union's own resources and in compliance with the multiannual financial framework referred to in Article I-55.
6. The budget shall be implemented in accordance with the principle of sound financial management. Member States shall cooperate with the Union to ensure that the appropriations entered in the budget are used in accordance with this principle.
7. The Union and the Member States, in accordance with Article III–415, shall counter fraud and any other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union.
ARTICLE I-54
The Union's own resources
1. The Union shall provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies.
2. Without prejudice to other revenue, the Union's budget shall be financed
wholly from its own resources.
3. A European law of the Council shall lay down the provisions relating to the
system of own resources of the Union. In this context it may establish new categories
of own resources or abolish an existing category. The Council shall act unanimously
after consulting the European Parliament. That law shall not enter into force
until it is approved by the Member States in accordance with their respective
constitutional requirements.
4. A European law of the Council shall lay down implementing measures of the Union's own resources system insofar as this is provided for in the European law adopted on the basis of paragraph 3. The Council shall act after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament.
ARTICLE I-55
The multiannual financial framework
1. The multiannual financial framework shall ensure that Union expenditure develops in an orderly manner and within the limits of its own resources. It shall determine the amounts of the annual ceilings of appropriations for commitments by category of expenditure in accordance with Article III-402.
2. A European law of the Council shall lay down the multiannual financial framework.
The Council shall act unanimously after obtaining the consent of the European
Parliament, which shall be given by a majority of its component members.
3. The annual budget of the Union shall comply with the multiannual financial
framework.
4. The European Council may, unanimously, adopt a European decision authorising
the Council to act by a qualified majority when adopting the European law of
the Council referred to in paragraph 2.
ARTICLE I-56
The Union's budget
A European law shall establish the Union's annual budget in accordance with Article III-404.