Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today is a good day, because we as Parliament have together, and as citizens' advocates, gained something for the frontier regions that the Commission at first denied them, and I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart those Members who helped to make political reality of this important concern that the Heads of State and of Government had articulated in Nice. My thanks are especially addressed to the Belgian Presidency of the Council, who took the concern of the regions' peoples on board and here provided the financial means it demands. Commissioner, I now of course expect the Commission to table proposals with all speed. You have demonstrated that you are in a position to do this where fisheries policy is concerned, and I hope that you will present programmes for the frontier regions within a comparable timescale, so that the money can be tied up as quickly as possible and be spent on the ground on worthwhile projects. Secondly, I would like to point out that we must, of course, ensure that political priorities and the Budget process are synchronised in the future. It was this morning that we first had the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the Commission's political priorities for 2002. I find that quite unacceptable. The former Commission, which also had to step down because of problems with the Budget, was significantly quicker and more efficient than the present one when it came to setting priorities and discussing them with Parliament. As the Commission always needs some supplementary tuition, we will happily provide it. The best way of doing this is to keep in reserve those positions that the Commission urgently needs. I hope that will help to make the setting of political priorities and the Budget process go more in step with one another. I find it unacceptable that we should be told the political plans for the coming year only on the day we are debating the Budget at second reading. I will also take the opportunity to thank Mr Turchi for his report on the Trans-European Networks. Here, too, I would like to ask the Commission to see to it that, where funds for stages or parts of networks are made available from the EU's Budget, care is also taken that the whole network is also constructed. Let me give just one example from my own country, the important transport link from Berlin to Verona via the Brenner Tunnel. The German federal government readily undertook to finance the construction of the stretch from Berlin to Erfurt, but struck the Erfurt-Nuremberg portion from its list of priorities. Now, either the money must be repaid, as a stage is no use on its own, or pressure must be brought to bear to get the next stage built. Let me end by saying something about Parliament and its budget. I think it is a bit close to Christmas to be drawing up Christmas lists of possible new buildings that we will need if we are to have the space to cope with enlargement. I think there must be serious examination of whether there is real need for additional space for offices and meeting rooms. Christmas lists are nice, but the Christ child does not grant us all wishes, and nor should we. Let me thank everyone, the rapporteurs and especially the Belgian Presidency of the Council, for their cooperation. Many thanks.

Political group: PPE-DE