A4-0074/95

Resolution on draft supplementary and amending budget No 1 for the 1995 financial year - Section III - Commission

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the EC Treaty, and in particular Article 203 thereof,

- having regard to the interinstitutional agreement of 29 October 1993 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure ((OJ C 331, 7.12.1993, p. 1.)),

- having regard to the 1995 budget adopted on 15 December 1994 and the accompanying resolution ((Minutes of that date, Part II, Item 1(a).)),

- having regard to preliminary draft supplementary and amending budget of the European Communities No 1/95 submitted by the Commission on 21 February 1995 (SEC(95)0233),

- having regard to draft supplementary and amending budget of the European Communities No 1/95 established by the Council on 14 March 1995 (C4-0083/95),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinions of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, the Committee on External Economic Relations and the Committee on Regional Policy (A4- 0074/95),

General remarks

1. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has submitted a preliminary draft budget which allows for the definitive integration of the new Member States, thereby complying with Parliament's wishes as first expressed in March 1994 and confirmed during the final adoption of the budget on 15 December 1994;

2. Urges the Commission to table a proposal aimed at solving the technical problems of its financial contribution to the aids to fishermen out of work due to compulsory moorings and the interruption of fishery activities as a result of the delay in renewing international agreements;

On agriculture

3. Regrets that the Council has failed to comply with the vote adopted at second reading on agriculture by changing the differentiated status of certain budget lines; therefore approves the decision to reinstate the preliminary draft budget provision for the budget lines under title B1-5, which were considered to be differentiated appropriations when the 1995 budget was adopted;

4. Regrets that the Council has refused to open the ad hoc procedure provided for by the interinstitutional agreement whilst departing from the Commission proposal, a further indication of its reluctance to enter into dialogue on this question;

On the Structural Funds

5. Approves the decision to distribute the reserve for Community initiatives on the basis of a forecast of the requirements for the regions of the new Member States, but remains open to the possibility of adjusting the amounts entered by means of a transfer in the light of the interest shown in the different programmes;

On internal policy

6. Considers that some of the Commission's proposals are not fully justified by the requirements of enlargement and approves the reduction in the appropriations for the specialized agencies, in the interests of budgetary rigour; further recognizes the need to bring forward a recommendation before the end of June 1995 on this matter;

7. Notes the Council's decisions to reduce some of the appropriations in this category, but believes it necessary to strengthen certain sectors such as employment and the environment, as well as the financial instrument for the environment, where the effects of enlargement have not been properly taken into account; asks the Commission to provide the proposals for trans- European networks in the light of budget figures already agreed, in particular for those projects that are essential for economic and regional development, as well as for ecological sustainability;

8. Approves the Council's decision to reduce the appropriations for the JRC, but considers that overall research appropriations should not be cut, and therefore approves the strengthening of certain research activities in the field of nuclear safety;

On external action

9. Approves the decision to strengthen some of the budget lines for NGOs which are being affected by enlargement but which were not included in the preliminary draft budget;

10. Approves the decisions to maintain the appropriations requested in the preliminary draft budget for a number of measures in the field of emergency aid and cooperation with the countries of Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean; approves the increase in budget lines whose effectiveness has been proved hitherto, and particularly actions to assist refugees, such as protection of mothers and children and war-affected children and orphans;

11. Welcomes the Council's decision to increase the payment appropriations for the Mostar operation and also notes that the Council has agreed to the creation of a new budgetary item (B7-5202) without a legal basis;

On administrative expenditure

12. Accepts the Council's decisions on administrative appropriations and the establishment plan and considers that the creation of new posts should speed up the integration of the new countries into the Union's policies;

13. Approves the decision to increase the establishment plan of the Office for Official Publications by five posts;

14. Recalls that when the 1995 budget was adopted the appropriations for the creation of 210 posts were entered in the reserve; points out that these appropriations will be released only when the Commission has:

- submitted proposals for each of the institutions concerned providing for early retirement;

- taken steps to open two new offices, one in Sri Lanka and one in Nicaragua;

- provided satisfactory information on the need for six D posts for the language service;

- submitted a proposal amending the regulation establishing the Translation Centre, as announced by the Commissioner responsible;

15. Recalls that, in accordance with its wishes expressed during the hearings of the Commissioners in January 1995, it has stated its intention of restricting the number of posts earmarked for each Commissioner's private office to a maximum of 6 A-grade officials;

16. Confirms its position on interinstitutional cooperation and recalls that during adoption of the 1995 budget appropriations were entered in the reserve pending operational proposals in the legislative, administrative and budgetary fields; also considers it necessary to establish a set of common recruitment criteria;

17. Invites the institutions, including the Council, to present an institutional programme reorganizing and regulating their translation services; considers that this programme should involve the Translation Centre, create economies of scale on staff and require decentralized forms of management, including work from home, while guranteeing that each institution functions properly;

18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.