Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this Budget process has many problems which we know of old, and new challenges which we cannot yet, in the course of this first reading, conclusively evaluate and deal with. I wish at this point to return explicitly to something about which there are some rather vague conceptions in this House, namely that, since 1992, there has been a fundamental change in the common agricultural policy. Commissioner, in announcing a letter of amendment, you reminded me that this is the same procedure as every year, with, first, the spectre of a budgetary crisis being conjured up, and then the discovery of room for manoeuvre in the agriculture budget. At this point, I say an emphatic ‘Yes’ to a contingency reserve, but when there really is a crisis, this reserve must actually be used, for many sectors currently find themselves fighting for their very existence. I would very much like to take up the debate on the eastward enlargement, in order to make one thing clear: I have no problem whatever with the full integration of the acceding countries' agriculture into the Common Market by 2004, if at the same time the free movement of persons, capital, services and goods, which is part of full membership, is also made a reality, so that there can at last be a fair debate on the whole context of this topic. The conclusions of the Heads of State and of Government at Nice have, on the one hand, highlighted the need to start restructuring the Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets. I support this, but would point out at the same time that we cannot, on the other hand, let a very restrictive approach in the next two years keep the remaining European fishing fleets at arms length and wasting away. We must have discussions with the Commission about this. Let me say quite explicitly that the 25 July communication from the Commission on the frontier regions was held by Parliament, in its resolution of 5 September, not to comply with the requirements laid down by the European Council. For that reason, Commissioner, we call upon the Commission to produce definite proposals for a regulation on the frontier regions. Let me now address one further point. We made 400 posts available in the 2001 Budget. We are now talking in terms of 317, which are still being kept in reserve. Commissioner, please just take a look at the posts in the Commission which have not yet been filled. I will remind you, in addition to the points we have mentioned in connection with the release of the reserve, that we spent last year reiterating that reform includes the simplification of the acquis communautaire, without the Community patrimony being substantially affected thereby. There is, in my judgment, a need for further negotiation on this point. One final point, Mr President: We expect, before the second reading, to have a comprehensive report by the Commission on the re-examination of the fundamental concepts of foreign policy, so that we have, with reference to current demands, a conclusive plan for combining conflict prevention, decisive humanitarian aid and the alliance against terrorism in a rational Community package, which we will be able to adopt at second reading.

Political group: PPE-DE