A4-0403/96

Resolution on the modifications by the Council to the amendments by Parliament to Section I - European Parliament, Ombudsman Annex, Section II - Council, Section IV - Court of Justice, Section V - Court of Auditors, Section VI - Economic and Social Committee and Committee of the Regions of the draft general budget of the European Communities for the financial year 1997

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Treaty on European Union,

- having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 29 October 1993 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure,

- having regard to the amendments adopted at first reading ((Annex to the Minutes of the sitting of 24.10.1996.)) and its resolution of 24 October 1996 on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1997 (Sections I, II, IV, V and VI) ((Minutes of that sitting, Part II, Item 2(b).)),

- having regard to the Council decisions of 19 November 1996 on the draft budget as amended and modified by Parliament at first reading (C4-0600/96),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0403/96),

1. Stresses that, to a large extent, the Council has endorsed Parliament's first reading of the draft budget (other institutions);

2. Notes that the amendments made by Parliament to its own budget and to that of the Ombudsman have not been modified by the Council;

3. Notes, in the case of the Court of Justice and the Joint Organizational Structure, the lack of sufficient justifications for rejecting the staff- related amendments; points, moreover, to rejection of the amendment on the use of appropriations for auxiliary staff within the Joint Organizational Structure, whereas, as a result of transfers of appropriations from one article to another, there has been a 78.4% increase in appropriations in 1996 against the budget item concerned over the appropriations originally adopted by the budgetary authority;

4. Points up the rejection of the amendment concerning the rent for the Court of Justice, whereas, on the one hand, there should be improved transparency in the presentation of appropriations intended for the various buildings occupied by that institution and, on the other, the appropriation against that budget heading should be dependent on the actual circumstances surrounding the Palais building owing to its dilapidated condition and the fact that this is impossible to rectify because of asbestos;

5. Regrets that the Council, as one arm of the budgetary authority, has rejected the amendments relating to the Joint Organizational Structure for establishing analytical accounting arrangements in accordance with the provisions of Article 22(5) of the Financial Regulation;

6. Points out that, during this budgetary procedure, it has called for reports to be drawn up on various questions listed, together with the time limits for submission, in the annex;

7. Has therefore decided to reinstate the amendments concerning staff and other operating expenditure of the Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Committee and the Joint Organizational Structure;

8. Is aware of the proposals of its President concerning Members' allowances, expenses and working conditions, including the single statute for MEPs; considers that there is a need to improve transparency and control; instructs the working group set up by its Bureau ((Minutes of the Bureau meeting of 27.11.1996.)) to present its conclusions at the outset of the examination of Parliament's 1998 draft estimates;

9. Expresses concern at the pressures being exerted on the organization of language courses for Members; insists that this important facility for improving communication and dialogue should be maintained and that unnecessary restrictions which limit its effectiveness should be avoided;

10. Instructs its President to forward these budgetary decisions to the Council, the Commission and the institutions and advisory bodies concerned.

ANNEXList of the reports requested by Parliament during the budgetary procedureWith regard to all or some of the institutions

(a) Presentation of analytical budgets ((See resolution on budget guidelines for the 1997 budgetary procedure, OJ C 117, 22.4.1996, p. 61.)) ((See resolution on Parliament's estimates for 1997, OJ C 166, 10.6.1996, p. 184.)) ((See resolution on the first reading of the draft budget, Minutes of the sitting of 24.10.1996, Part II, Item 2(b).)) on the basis of a set of common criteria enabling, on the one hand, the various activities under the administrative budgets of the institutions, including that of the Ombudsman, to be identified by cost centre and, on the other, activities to be compared between the institutions (time limit: when the estimates for the financial year 1998 are submitted);

(b) Harmonization of budgetary nomenclature and presentation of a system of invoicing for administrative activities developed on the basis of interinstitutional cooperation1 (time limit: when the estimates for the financial year 1998 are submitted);

(c) Combining of buildings expenditure1 within one section of the budget with due regard for the provisions of the Financial Regulation, in particular the articles thereof concerning sound financial management, cost-effectiveness and the structure and presentation of the budget (time limit: when the estimates for the financial year 1998 are submitted);

(d) Extensive interinstitutional planning and cooperation with a view to the occupation and surrendering of buildings2, taking account of the scope of the operation and the involvement of several institutions (time limit: at the latest when the estimates for the financial year 1998 are submitted);

(e) Laying down of the arrangements for participation by the European institutions in the 1998 Lisbon World Expo3 (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

(f) Laying down of the arrangements to implement the advanced telecommunications systems activity3 together with an exhaustive financial statement (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

(g) More extensive development of arrangements for organizing interinstitutional competitions, focusing on the principle of equality of opportunity and adopting an interinstitutional code of conduct1 for the employment of disabled persons (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

With regard to Parliament

(h) Progress report on the EPICENTRE project2 and multiannual estimate of costs in terms of manpower and appropriations (time limit: before the end of December 1996);

(i) Progress report on construction of a reception centre on the site of Jean Monnet House ((Amendment 654 (first reading of the draft budget).)) (time limit: 1998 estimates);

With regard to the Court of Justice

(j) Progress report on the Palais building ((Amendments 665 and 667 (first reading of the draft budget) and 154 (second reading of the draft budget). )) in view of its general dilapidated condition and the fact that this is impossible to rectify because of asbestos (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

(k) Improvements made in specifications and the new clauses inserted into contracts concluded and to be concluded with third parties for the performance of services2 (time limit: before the end of February 1997);

(l) Progress report on the application of common criteria as regards the service life of equipment and the conditions governing the decommissioning thereof2 (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

With regard to the Court of Auditors

(m) Report on the overall requirements in terms of manpower which can be allocated in annual tranches, indicating the new administrative structures to be created and indicating how they would overlap with the existing administrative units ((See resolution on the first reading of the draft budget, Minutes of the sitting of 24.10.1996, Part II, Item 2(b).)) (time-limit: before the 1998 estimates are submitted);

With regard to the ESC and the CoR

(n) Report on the organizational arrangements for the consultative work of the ESC, which inter alia describes, in terms of interpreter-day requirements, the arrangements for organizing sessions, section meetings, meetings of working parties and all other meetings of its bodies which make use of interpreting ((Amendments 680 (first reading of the draft budget) and 220 (second reading of the draft budget).)) (time limit: before the 1998 estimates are submitted);

(o) Report from the CoR providing detailed information with regard to the use of Article 82 of the Staff Regulations and, in particular, the conditions under which existing contracts with special advisers were concluded ((Amendment 683 (first reading of the draft budget).)) (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

(p) Report from the ESC and the CoR, on behalf of the Joint Organizational Structure, illustrating and providing information on the duration of contracts and the duties allocated to the auxiliary staff recruited ((Amendment 223 (second reading of the draft budget).)) (time limit: before the end of March 1997);

(q) Report from the ESC and the CoR indicating the arrangements for the introduction of analytical accounting for the JOS ((Amendments 226, 227 and 228 (second reading of the draft budget).)) (time limit: before the end of March 1997).