P5_TA(2004)0118
2005budgetguidelines(othersections)
EuropeanParliamentresolutionontheguidelinesforSectionsII,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII(A)andVIII(B)
andontheEuropeanParliament’spreliminarydraftestimates(SectionI)forthe2005budgetary
procedure(2004/2002(BUD))
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtoArticle272oftheECTreaty,
/dash havingregardtotheInterinstitutionalAgreementof6May1999betweentheEuropeanParliament,
theCouncilandtheCommissiononbudgetarydisciplineandimprovementofthebudgetarypro-cedure(
1),
/dash havingregardtothegeneralbudgetoftheEuropeanUnionforthefinancialyear2004(2),
/dash having regard tothe annualreport ofthe CourtofAuditorsforthe 2002financial year onthe
activitiesfinancedfromthatbudget,togetherwiththeinstitutions’replies(3),
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonBudgetsandtheopinionoftheCommitteeon
Citizens’FreedomsandRights,JusticeandHomeAffairs(A5-0062/2004),
A. whereasthetechnicaladjustmentofthefinancialperspectiveprojectsafigureofEUR6185millionat
currentpricesforheading5(Administrativeexpenditure)inthe2005budget(4),
Politicalpriorities
EuropeanUnionof25MemberStates
1. Recallsthatthefinancialyear2005willbethefirstfullbudgetaryyearfortheEuropeanUnionof
25MemberStates;recallsthattheyear2005willbethefirstfullyearofactivityforthenewly-electedEuropeanParliament,thenewly-appointedCommission,thenewMembersoftheCourtofJustice,the
CourtofAuditors,theEconomicandSocialCommittee,theCommitteeoftheRegionsandtheEuropean
DataProtectionSupervisor;recallsthatthe2005budgetwillbefirstfullyearofimplementationofthenewStaffRegulations;
2. UnderlinestheimportanceofsatisfyingtheneedsoftheenlargedUniondespitetheexistingfinancial
constraints;callsontheinstitutionstoapplysoundfinancialmanagementandbudgetaryrigour,andtoensurevalueformoneyfortheEuropeantaxpayer;
Generalframework
3. Takesnoteofthe financial constraintsforeseenforheading 5in2005;underlinesthe factthat
the technical adjustment reduces the ceiling of the financial perspectives of heading 5 for 2005 by
EUR94millionatcurrentprices;
4. Islookingforwardtothenewreportonthedevelopmentsinheading5bytheSecretariesGeneral
envisagedforFebruary2004,proposinganewfinancialprogrammingfor2005-2006totakeintoaccountthenewfinanciallimitationsofheading5;invitestheinstitutions,takingintoaccountthebudgetarycon-straintsanduncertaintiesrelatingtothe2005budget,topresentrealisticrequestscorrespondingtotheirrealneedsinthe2005estimates;
(1) OJC172,18.6.1999,p.1.
(2) OJL53,23.2.2004.
(3) OJC286,28.11.2003,p.1.
(4) Calculatednetofstaffcontributionstothepensionscheme(EUR175millionat2005prices).23.4.2004EN C98E/171 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004
5. Takes note of the efforts made so far by the institutions to respond to the challenges of the
enlargement;recallsthattheamountofstaffinmostoftheinstitutionshasbeenincreasingrapidlytocaterfortheneedsoftheenlargement;considersthatthemainbulkoftheadditionalneedsrelatedtotheenlargementarecoveredinthe2002-2004budgets,albeitthatanumberofmeasuresremaintobetaken;
6. RegretsthedelaysintheselectionproceduresorganisedbytheEuropeanPersonnelSelectionOffice
(EPSO),whichmaynotallowtheinstitutionstofillallthepostsgrantedbythebudgetaryauthorityinthe2004budget;considersitessentialtomakeathoroughassessmentoftherecruitmentsituationinviewofthe2005budget;reiteratesitsviewthatallstaffrequestshavetobebasedonrealneedsandrealisticrecruitmentestimations;
7. Estimatesthatthefinancialimpactofexpandingtheinstitutions’premiseswilloccurmainlyafter
2005;callsontheinstitutionstoprovideanupdateontheirbuildingprojectsincludinginformationontheincreaseinthenumberofofficesduetoenlargement;
8. Takestheviewthatthereformoftheinstitutionscontinuestobeoneofthekeyissuesforthe2005
budgetaryprocedure;callsontheinstitutionstocontinuetheiradministrativereformstoimprovetheirmanagementandmodernisestaffpolicy;expectsallinstitutionstoincreaseefficiencybyrationalisingtheirworkingmethods,makingbetteruseofmoderntechnology,definingnegativepriorities(activitiesthatcanbediscontinuedorre-organised)andfocusingmoreonthecoreactivities;
9. Callsontheinstitutionstoanalysetheirbudgetarystructureswhilemakingtheadjustmentsrequired
bythenewStaffRegulations,andtoensurethatactivity-basedpresentationisattachedtothedraftesti-matesinordertoenhancetransparency;
10. Encouragesinter-institutionalco-operationinordertoreducecostsandincreasevalueformoney
whileensuringtheinstitutionalindependenceofeachinstitution;welcomestheestablishmentofinter-
institutionaloffices,suchasthe European PersonnelSelectionOffice, aswellasthesetting-up ofthe
Commission’s administrative offices (Paymaster’s Office, Infrastructure Offices in Brussels andLuxembourg);isoftheopinionthatfurtherco-operationbetweenlinguisticservicescouldbeenvisaged;
11. Pointsoutthat,duetothebudgetaryconstraintsin2005,newentitiesmayhavetobedelayed
unlesssavingsaremadebylaunchingsuchbodies;
12. Welcomes the Commission communication on building policy and infrastructures in Brussels
(COM(2003)755);invitestheotherinstitutionstoencouragegreateruseofpublictransportandalternativemeansoftransportation,andtoupdatetheirmobilityplans;pointsoutthatcertainconcretemeasurescanbetakenpromptly,suchasprovidinginformationviatheIntranetonsustainablemobilityconnections;
13. StressesthattheconditionsfortheenvironmentalpermitandthecommitmentsenteredintobySEL
toprovideneworrenovatedhousingfortheinhabitantsofthedistrictmustbecompliedwith;
Parliament(SectionI)
14. Isawareoftheseveraluncertaintiesrelatingtothesetting-upofParliament’sbudgetfor2005,such
asthecurrentlackofagreementonaMember’sStatute,theactualoutcomeoftheenlargement-relatedrecruitmentsin2004,anddevelopmentsofseveralbuildingprojects;thereforereservesatthisstageitspositionregardingtheself-imposedlimitof20%oftheexpenditureunderheading5;
15. AwaitstheresultsofthestudyonEMASandinvitesitscompetentbodiestoexplorepracticalways
ofincludingsocialandenvironmentalcriteriainitsprocurementpolicy,learningfromtheexperiencesofotherorganisations,citiesandlocalauthorities;C98E/172 EN23.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004
16. RegretsthattheMemberStateshavenotbeenabletoagreeonaMembers’Statuteandhopesthat
progresscanbemadeinthisregardduring2004;
17. ExpressesitscontinuedsupportfortheadoptionofaStatuteofMembers’assistants;18. FollowscloselythedevelopmentsrelatingtotheEuropeanpoliticalpartiesandconsidersthat,in
principle,thisexpenditureshouldremainoutsideParliament’sself-imposedceilingof20%ofheading5asitdoesnotfallwithintheambitoftheadministrativeexpenditureoftheinstitution;isprepared,however,tolookatthepossibilityoffinancingthisexpenditurewithinthe20%ceilinginviewofthebudgetaryconstraintsfortheyear2005;
19. AwaitsfromitsBureau’sSteeringGrouponEnlargementtheupdatedrealisticestimatesonthe
remainingneedsfortheenlargement;regretsthedelaysinrecruitmentproceduresforstafffromthenewMemberStatesandthedifficultiesencounteredinrecruitingespeciallylinguisticstafffromcertainnewMemberStates,whichcreateuncertaintiesregardingtherateatwhichnewpostscanbefilledin2004;considers,therefore,thatadecisiononmakingappropriationsavailableforadditionalenlargement-relatedstaffcanonlybetakenatthefirstreadingofthe2005budget;
20. Considersthatamid-termplanforbuildingprojectsisnecessaryinordertodefinethelevelof
Parliament’sbudgetin2005withaviewtopossiblecapitalinjectionsneededtopursuethepropertypolicy;
21. Isdetermined,asthedrivingforcebehindthemovementtosetupaWTOParliamentaryAssembly,
toensurethatsufficientappropriationsbecomeavailabletoprovidefortheadequateparticipation,withthenecessaryinfrastructure,ofitsdelegationsinallmeetingsoforleadinguptosuchanassembly;
AssistancetoMembers
22. CallsonitsBureautoassessthepilotprojectonexpertisebudgetsonthebasisoftheexperience
gainedbytheCommitteesconcerned;takestheviewthatinthelightoftheresultsofthepilotproject,theBureaushouldconsideradoptingmodalities,includingclearandobjectivecriteria,forthepossiblefutureallocationofresearchfundingtoparliamentarycommittees;
23. Requests its Secretary General to submit a report by 1September 2004 on all aspects of the
‘RaisingtheGame’reform;
Multilingualism
24. LooksforwardtoitsBureau’sCodeofConductonmultilingualism;stressestheimportanceofmulti-
lingualisminaParliamentof21languages,inordertoensureprovisionofthenecessarytranslationandinterpretationservicesforitsMembers,whilekeepingthecostsofthelanguageregimeproportionatetothebenefitsthereof;
25. PointstoitscallforthediversityoftheEuropeanUnion,whichenlargementwillincreasestill
further,tobemadevisibleaspartofParliament’simage;expectswhattheworkinggrouponvisiblemulti-lingualismhasproducedtobeputintopracticepromptlyintheinterestsofMembers,visitorsandmediarepresentatives;
Informationpolicyandnewtechnologies
26. Underlines the importance of web-publishing in disseminating information, including internet
broadcastingofplenarysittings;considersthatitsinternetsite‘Europarl’iscrucialinbringingtheParlia-mentclosertoitselectorate;
27. Encouragesitsparliamentarybodiesanditsadministrationtomakegreateruseofvideo-conferenc-
ing, when appropriate; notes that wireless computer access is already in place in several nationalparliaments; points out that offering possibilities for remote access to Parliament’s network for bothMembersandstaffwouldincreaseefficiencyandaccessibility;23.4.2004EN C98E/173 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004
Staffpolicy
28. RequestsitsSecretaryGeneraltosubmitareportby1September2004ontheeffectsofthenew
StaffRegulationsonParliament’sstaffevaluationandpromotionpolicyaswellasanevaluationofthemobilitypolicy;
Security
29. NotesitsBureau’sproposalsonsecuritystrategy;stressestheneedtotargetandmanageefficiently
thehumanandmaterialresourcesavailableforenhancingsecurity;
CarService
30. Underlinestheneedtore-evaluatethefunctioningofthecarservicetoMemberssoastoguarantee
valueformoney;
Council(SectionII)
31. InvitestheCounciltoconsiderpresentingitsestimateswiththePDBinsteadofatfirstreading,soas
to increase transparency; continues to monitor the Council’s operating budget, while respecting thegentlemen’sagreementasregardstheadministrativeexpenditure;
CourtofJustice(SectionIV)
32. NotesthattheCourtofJusticehasexperiencedinthelastcoupleofyearshighergrowthratesin
staffthanmostotherinstitutions;recallsthattheCourtofJusticecontinuestoimplementfullmultilingual-ism;
CourtofAuditors(SectionV)
33. RecallsthattheCourtofAuditorshasspreaditsenlargement-relatedstaffincreaseoverthe2004
and2005budgets;
EconomicandSocialCommittee(SectionVI)andCommitteeoftheRegions(SectionVII)
34. Callsonthetwocommitteestopursuebudgetaryrigourintheirestimates,especiallyasregards
staffingrequests andbuilding projects, and toimprove the cooperation between them asregards thejointservices,soastobenefitfullyfromthenewjointpremises;expectsthatthemovetotheBelliardbuildingandthevacationofthecurrentbuildingswilltakeplaceasplanned;
Ombudsman(SectionVIIIA)
35. IsawarethattheOmbudsmanhastobeabletohandlecomplaintsfromcitizensinallEUlanguages;
EuropeanDataProtectionSupervisor(SectionVIIIB)
36. WelcomestheappointmentoftheEuropeanDataProtectionSupervisor(EDPS)andhisdeputy;
expectsthattheappropropriationsfortheEDPSwillbeincludedinthePDBfor2005;
*
**
37. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontothe Council,theCommission,the Courtof
Justice,theCourtofAuditors,theEconomicandSocialCommittee,theCommitteeoftheRegions,theEuropeanOmbudsmanandtheEuropeanDataProtectionSupervisor.C98E/174 EN23.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004