Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, as Jutta Haug’s co-rapporteur, I had a rather easier task with the Draft Supplementary and Amending Budget. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the rapporteur for her outstanding work on the Draft Supplementary and Amending Budget. The purpose of my report, which I am honoured to present here, is to prolong two temporary posts, 1 A7 and 1 B5, and create two new temporary posts, 1 A5 and 1 A7, for the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Naturally, I fully support this proposal in terms of content; this is a very serious matter as it concerns the refurbishment ... (Laughter) ... of the Belliard building. After all, it is also in the European Parliament’s interests to ensure that sensible use can be made of this building in Brussels in the long term. I would particularly like to stress the fact that the two Committees are making the necessary resources available through savings in the personnel field, which I think is very positive. This shows that the willingness to make savings, which is something we have demanded from all the institutions, is being implemented very effectively by the two Committees. I therefore recommend that items VI and VII of Draft Supplementary and Amending Budget no. 3 be adopted. However, I should also like to make some general comments, as my group has kindly granted me a few minutes so that I can conclude my part as rapporteur. First of all, I welcome the fact that this House is debating two Draft Supplementary and Amending Budgets simultaneously. This is a contribution towards saving tax-payers’ money while taking matters forward on a simpler administrative basis. I think this is also worth mentioning. I would point out that on the revenue side of the 2000 budget – as Ms Haug has already mentioned – the surplus of EUR 11.5 billion shows that there is still quite a lot of scope here. I remember the ritual – which we will have the honour of continuing in July – when we fight over every euro, with the Council sinking to its knees and accusing us of supping from a horn of plenty. Finally, by developing a serious Commission budget policy, but also through Parliament’s constant monitoring and support to ensure a prudent use of budget resources, we are now managing to generate surpluses which might actually make some of these rituals unnecessary in future. I should mention in passing that the finance ministers of the Member States are delighted to receive a generous rebate towards the current budget. I am sure this will be reflected in the Member States’ eternal gratitude to us. I should also like to make several comments on the issue of own resources. Ms Haug, according to my information, a separate European tax was already being debated before my time, namely in April 1994. It would seem that even then, people were making music that nobody danced to. I am not sure whether it is useful at this stage to initiate a debate at European level on financing through taxation. Let me say this quite clearly: we have other priorities first. The first task which Europe must address is the issue of a more precise delimitation of powers between the European Union and the Member States. The public would also like to have some answers. What is Europe responsible for, and why does it need money? In a second step, we must of course discuss what kind of long-term institutions are required in Europe so that the tasks entrusted to Europe can be performed in a democratic and transparent way. Finally, at the end of this process, decisions must be taken on how the necessary resources can be made available. I think that if we approach matters on this basis, we will be on the right track. By supporting a European tax at this stage, Europe’s citizens are more likely to be frightened off by what is happening here. It will not help us to achieve lasting acceptance among citizens in the European Union. Finally, as he is the next to rise, I should like to express my warm thanks to Mr Costa Neves who had the difficult task of setting out the parameters for the forthcoming deliberations with the Council. Yet again, there are a number of problems for next year. The Committee on Budgets can look forward to some lively debates. However, I think that Mr Costa Neves has carried out his task with the necessary care and wisdom for a serious proposal to be put forward to the tax-payers, whom we – in our role as part of the budgetary authority – are representing here. I am pleased that the German Social Democrats are also very receptive to the proposals from Bavaria. This also opens up entirely new perspectives for the coming year. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE