Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC, ECSC, EURATOM) adjusting the daily subsistence allowance rates for officials on mission in Austria, Finland and Sweden laid down in Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. Background

(1) Under Article 13 of Annex VII the daily subsistence allowance rates [1] referred to in that Article may be adjusted by the Council acting by qualified majority on a Commission proposal.

[1] For officials on mission within the European territory of the Member States of the European Union.

(2) The current allowances for Austria, Finland and Sweden are still those set by the Council on 18 January 1991 following a survey of hotel rates and restaurant prices.

(3) On 22 March 1999 the Council adopted Regulation No 620/99 adjusting as of 24 March 1999 the allowances for the other 12 Member States, which had also been set in 1991.

(4) It was not possible to adjust the allowances for Austria, Finland and Sweden at that time because the rates had not yet been included in the Staff Regulations. On 14 June 1999 the Council adopted Regulation No 1238/1999 [2] including the allowances for these three countries in the Staff Regulations, so that they can now be adjusted.

[2] OJ L150, 17.06.1999.

(5) The rates fixed then no longer reflect prevailing economic conditions and therefore no longer fulfil their role.

(6) As instructed by the Council, the Commission has launched a study to compare the arrangements for reimbursing mission expenses in the Member States with those applied by the European Union.

(7) Without anticipating the results of that study, and in the interests of ensuring equal treatment, there is an urgent need to adjust the daily subsistence allowance rates and the ceilings for the reimbursement of hotel expenses for missions to Austria, Finland and Sweden using the same method and indexing date as for the twelve other Member States.

2. Proposed decision

The Commission has therefore decided to present, on the basis of Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations, the attached proposal dealing solely with the adjustment of the scales for Austria, Finland and Sweden (on the basis of price trends [3] and exchange rates).

[3] As reflected in the harmonised price indices for the hotel and catering industries and the exchange rates applied in November 1997.

Proposal for a

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC, ECSC, EURATOM)

adjusting the daily subsistence allowance rates for officials on mission in Austria, Finland and Sweden laid down in Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing a single Council and a single Commission of the European Communities,

Having regard to the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities laid down by Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 [4], as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom, ECSC) No 1238/1999 [5], and in particular Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations and Articles 22 and 67 of the Conditions of Employment,

[4] OJ L 56, 4.3.1969, p. 1.

[5] OJ L 150, 17.6.1999.

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas the rates of the daily subsistence allowance for officials on mission should be adjusted in order to take account of the changes in prices and exchange rates recorded in Austria, Finland and Sweden since 1991,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations is amended as follows:

1) The amounts for Austria, Finland and Sweden in the scale in paragraph 1(a) are replaced by the following:

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2) The amounts for Austria, Finland and Sweden in the first sentence in paragraph 2 are replaced by the following:

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Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

ANNEX

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FINANCIAL STATEMENT

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