A4-0164/96

Resolution on Parliament's estimates of revenue and expenditure and the Ombudsman's estimates of revenue and expenditure with a view to a supplementary and amending budget for the financial year 1996

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Financial Regulation and in particular Article 15 thereof,

- having regard to its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to its resolution of 28 March 1996 on the guidelines for the 1997 budgetary procedure ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 9(a))) and in particular paragraph 20 thereof,

- having regard to its resolution of 23 May 1996 on the estimates of revenue and expenditure of the European Parliament and the estimates of revenue and expenditure of the Ombudsman for the 1997 financial year ((See Part II, Item 4(b) of these Minutes.)),

- having regard to the Secretary-General's report,

- having regard to the preliminary draft estimates established by the Bureau on 8 May 1996 pursuant to Rules 22(5) and (6) and 165(1) of the Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0164/96),

A. whereas the Ombudsman has forwarded estimates for a supplementary and amending budget for 1996,

B. whereas there is a margin of ECU 62.378 m available under heading 5 (Administrative expenditure) of the financial perspective for the financial year 1996,

C. noting the favourable trend in the ECU/BF conversion rate over the past 12 months,

D. whereas, in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Regulation, these estimates have been forwarded before submission of the preliminary draft budget for the financial year 1997,

Parliament

1. Points out that these estimates for a supplementary and amending budget for 1996 must not entail any retrospective budgetization of expenditure which was not authorized within the framework of adoption of the 1996 budget;

2. Notes that the commencement of this procedure for a supplementary and amending budget must meet the expenditure involved in the D3 building in Brussels and the IPE IV building in Strasbourg;

3. Adopts the estimates for a supplementary and amending budget of Parliament for the 1996 financial year ((For complete text see preliminary draft supplementary and amending budget No. 1 for the financial year 1996)) totalling ECU 30 929 000;

4. Points out that the financial implications, whose effects will not be confined to a single financial year, cover the fitting-out of premises, data processing and telecommunications, movable property and associated costs, miscellaneous operating expenditure, audiovisual, restaurants and canteens;

5. Fixes accordingly the appropriations in the budget headings concerned as follows:

- 1840 Current operating expenditure for restaurants and canteens

- purchase of essential equipmentECU 440 000

- 204 Fitting-out of premises - Brussels ECU 5 100 000

- StrasbourgECU 3 100 000

- 2110 Telecommunications equipment:

- transmission networksECU 4 862 000

- telephone switchboards, telephones and

similar equipmentECU 4 800 000

- fax machinesECU 425 000

- 2210 New purchases of furnitureECU 5 800 000

- 2220 New purchases of technical equipment and installations:

- conferencesECU 120 000

- equipmentECU 185 000

- securityECU 870 000

- 2353 Departmental removals and associated maintenanceECU 100 000

- 282 Audiovisual:

- initial purchases of equipment and

installations, including ancillary

costs relating to such purchases,

e. g. studies, engineers' fees, outside

assistance ECU 5 127 000

6. Points out that the appropriation entered in Item 2040 'fitting out of premises/Brussels' does not cover the fitting out of the business areas of D3 building, the cost of which will be borne by the firms which occupy them after their plans have been approved by Parliament'

7. Instructs its Secretary-General to keep its committee responsible informed of developments in the commitment of expenditure from the appropriations in the headings concerned and to report to it in any event within the framework of the first reading of the draft budget for 1997;

8. Notes in this context that it is necessary, when submitting a supplementary and amending budget and therefore ahead of the estimates procedure, for the latter to be accompanied by information on the implementation of the budget for the preceding and current financial years in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Regulation;

9. Recalls the request made in paragraph 6 of its resolution of 15 March 1996 on the closure of Parliament's accounts for the 1995 financial year (administrative expenditure) ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 2.)) with regard to the management of certain budget headings;

Ombudsman

10. Notes that the Ombudsman's estimates provide for the creation of 3 temporary posts, 1 A7, 1 B5 and 1 C5;

11. Considers, with regard to the creation of new posts, that it would be desirable to comply with the declaration annexed to Article 11 of its decision of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties ((OJ L 113, 4.5.1994, p. 15.))y and instructs its President to open negotiations with the Council and Commission;

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the institutions concerned and the Ombudsman.