ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
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COM (83) 671 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 244 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
G EN E R A L B U D G E T F O R  1983 
SECTION I I I  - COMMISSION - P A R T BCOM(83) 671 final  
Brussels, 8 November 1983
TR ANSFER O F  APPROPRIATIONS N O  26/83 
(Non-compuLsory expenditure)
F R O M  C H A P TE R  94 - SPECIFIC M E A S U R E S  F O R  CO O PERATIO N 
W ITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A rtic le  945 Cooperation with the Arab countries 300 000 E C U  
at regional level
F R O M  C H A P TE R  101 - CO NTING ENCY R E S E R V E 400 000 E C U
T O  C H A P TE R  98 OPERATION O F  COMMISSION DELEGATIONS 
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A rtic le  981 Commission delegations in the 
southern Mediterranean countries 700 000 ECU
The Financial C o n troller approved th is  proposal on 25 October 1983 in 
accordance with A rtic le  21(4) of the Financial Regulation and c e rtifie d  
tha t the appropriations are a va ila b le .
COM( 83) 671 final

•rie rind;-
G R O U N D S
1. By Council decisions dated 17 and 18 October 1977 the European Association 
fo r Cooperation was given the task of opening and running Commission delegations 
in the Maghreb co un trie s, the Mashreq countries and Is ra e l (MMI).
Eight delegations were opened in the years which follow ed: six in 1979, 
one in 1980 and one in 1981.
2. The s ta ff of these delegations, which was very small i n i t i a l l y  (1 delegate 
+  1  a d vise r), has had to be increased to cope with a  growing workload. This 
is why the growth rate of expenditure is considerably higher than is normal 
fo r a w e ll-esta blishe d  delegation.
Expenditure since 1980 is shown below:
Approps
requestedApprops
entered in the 
budgetApprops 
fo l lowing 
tra n s fe rExpenditure
1980 2 .802 000 2 590 900- 2  590 900
1981 ? 845 000 2 800 000 - 2  800 000
1982 3 100 000 3 000 000 3 750 000 3 750 000
1983 3 731 600 3 500 000 - -
The table shows tha t actual expenditure increased by 34%  in 1982. The reason 
fo r th is  is  tha t 1982 was the f i r s t  year in which a ll eight delegations 
were operational fo r a f u l l  year.
Estimates fo r 1982, made in February 1981, proved to be on the low side.
The s h o r tfa ll of appropriations became apparent in the autumn of 1982 and 
a tra n s fe r of 750 000 E C U  was made. ' .r .  ^
The s h o r tfa ll fo r 1983 is  of the same order (700 000 ECU). Foreseeable
' M - · ' · -i
expenditure amounts to 4.2 m illio n  E C U  and a vailab le  appropriations to ta l «  
3 .5 m illio n E C U . . · ,
A  12%  increase on 1982 may seem excessive. I t  must be pointed o u t, however, 
that i t  is te c h n ic a lly  impossible to keep the increase in expenditure by 
the M M I delegations to a predetermined fig u re  of less than 10%, as is  the 
p ra ctice  fo r expenditure in Europe. A  number of local parameters must be 
borne in mind, fo r example:
in fla tio n  rates (S yria: 24%; A lgeria: 12%; Tunisia 9%);
high rents and the considerable increase in costs associated with leases 
e x p irin g . Thirteen leases expired in 1982 and 14 w ill expire in 1983. 
Rents account fo r 30%  of to ta l expenditure; between 1982 and 1983 rents 
in Algeria went up by 30%, in Is ra e l by 13%  and in the Lebanon by 37%;

-  movements of local currencies against the E C U  which are re fle cte d  
in higher budgetary costs than forecast.
Between the beginning and the end of 1982 local currencies moved 
as follow s against the ECU: the Algerian d inar: + 8.6%; the dirham: + 0.2%; 
the Tunisian d in ar: -  2.8%; the Egyptian pound: + 19.7%; the Lebanese 
pound: + 35.1%; the Jordanian d in ar: + 11.3%; and the Syrian pound: + 20.8%.
These movements meant increased costs of the order of 300 000 E C U  to 
be absorbed by A rtic le  981. In the f i r s t  six months of 1983 local 
currencies moved as follow s against the ECU: the Algerian d in ar: + 1.8%; 
the dirham: + 3.3%; the Tunisian d in ar: - 1.8%; the Egyptian pound: + 6.8%; 
the Lebanese pound: -  3.0%; the Jordanian dinar: + 7.2%; and the 
Syrian pound: + 44.6%.
The budgetary im p lica tio n s fo r 1983 are a d d itio n a l costs of approximately 
186 000 ECU.
3. Each delegation now has one delegate and two advisers, a ll 
of them e xpa tria te  s ta ff. The recruitm ent of local s ta ff is  largely 
confined to s k ille d  s ta ff (fo r s e c re ta ria l, a d m in istra tive  and 
book-keeping dutie s) whose sa la rie s are re la tiv e ly  high. Expenditure 
is broken down as fo llo w s:
Appropriations
allocatedExpendi ture 
(6 months)Estimated 
expenditure 
(12 months)
S ta ff expenditure
Expatriate s ta ff 
Local s ta ff
Travel and mission expenses, allowances, 
expenses on tra n s fe r960 000 
940 000
100.000528 017 
513 178
51 9931  117 000 
1  123 000
112 000
TOTAL 2 000 000 1  093 188 2 352 000
Operating expenditure « /
Rents and associated charges 
Expenditure on inventoried equipment 
O ffice expenses 
Other operating expenses
P a rity differences . .  4970 000 
400 000 
100 000 
30 000 
p.m.636,923 
152 696 
80,771 
7 353 
88 9281  140 000 
329 000 
180 000 
13 000 
186 000
TOTAL 1  500 000 966 671 1  848 000
G R A N D  TO TAL 3 500 000 2 059,859 4 700 G G O
The table reveals tha t expenditure d ire c tly  linked to the operation \
of the delegations and the posting of s ta ff to the M M I is  re la tiv e ly  
high. Furthermore, the incidence of local in fla tio n  on a ll expenditure 
in local currency is immediately re fle cte d  in higher budgetary 
costs.

4. The Commission postponed presentation of th is  request fo r
a  tra n sfe r u n til a  precise fig u re  could be put on the s h o rtfa ll 
in appropriations on the basis of actual expenditure in the f i r s t  
h a lf of the year and u n til the a v a ila b ility  of appropriations 
under other budget headings became clear.
The Commission now proposes that the follo w in g  amounts be transferred 
to A rtic le  981 :
- 300 000 E C U  from A rtic le  945 (Cooperation with the Arab countries
at regional le v e l); appropriations availab le  under th is  heading 
m ay lapse since no financing decision under the Euro-Arab dialogue 
is lik e ly  between now and the end of the year;
400 000 E C U  from Chapter 101 (Contingency reserve).
5. The budgetary a u th o rity  is therefore requested to authorize 
the tra n s fe r of 700 000 E C U  from A rtic le  945 and Chapter 101 to 
A rtic le  981 of the budget.
SITUATION IN CHAPTER B-101 A T 20 O C TO B E R  1983
1. I n i t i a l  appropriations 5000 000 E C U
2. Transfers pending
- Item A2721 : 1  300 000 E C U
- Item A2988 : 53 950 E C U
-  Item B6704 : 200 000 E C U 1553 950 E C U
3. Transfer made : Item B7718 2000 000 E C U
4. Appropriations a vailab le 1446 000 E C U