the conditions laid
down in this Statute, the EMI shall:
- deliver opinions
- make recommendations;
- adopt guidelines, and take decisions, which shall be addressed to
the national central banks.
15.2. Opinions and recommendations of the EMI shall have no binding
force
15.3. The Council of the EMI may adopt guidelines laying down the
methods for the implementation of the conditions necessary for the
ESCB to perform its functions in the third stage. EMI guidelines shall
have no binding force; they shall be submitted for decision to the ECB.
15.4. Without prejudice to Article 3.1, a decision of the EMI shall be
binding in its entirety upon those to whom it is addressed. Articles 190
and 191 of this Treaty shall apply to these decisions.
ARTICLE 16
Financial resources.
16.1. The EMI shall be endowed with its own resources. The size of
the resources of the EMI shall be determined by the Council of the EMI
with a view to ensuring the income deemed necessary to cover the
administrative expenditure incurred in the performance of the tasks
and functions of the EMI.
16.2. The resources of the EMI determined in accordance with Article
16.1 shall be provided out of contributions by the national central
banks in accordance with the key referred to in Article 29.1 of the
Statute of the ESCB and be paid up at the establishment of the EMI.
For this purpose, the statistical data to be used for the determination
of the key shall be provided by the Commission, in accordance with
the rules adopted by the Council, acting by a qualified majority on a
proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European
Parliament, the Committee of Governors and the Committee referred to
in Article 109c of this Treaty.
16.3. The Council of the EMI shall determine the form in which
contributions shall be paid up.
ARTICLE 17
Annual accounts and auditing
17.1. The financial year of the EMI shall begin on the first day of
January and end on the last day of December.
17.2. The Council of the EMI shall adopt an annual budget before the
beginning of each financial year.
17.3. The annual accounts shall be drawn up in accordance with the
principles established by the Council of the EMI. The annual accounts
shall be approved by the Council of the EMI and shall thereafter be
published.
17.4. The annual accounts shall be audited by independent external
auditors approved by the Council of the EMI. The auditors shall have
full power to examine all books