B4-1097/96

Resolution on the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1996

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the data contained in the report on the implementation of the budget of the European Union as at 31 May 1996 (SEC(96)1226) and to implementation figures for all budget lines as at 31 August 1996,

- having regard to the Commission's statement in reply to the questionnaire of its Committee on Budgetary Control on the implementation of the European Union's budget for the 1996 financial year,

- having regard to its resolutions of:

- 5 April 1995 on the guidelines for the 1996 budgetary procedure, Section III (Commission) ((OJ C 109, 1.5.1995, p. 46.)),

- 26 October 1995 on the draft general budget of the European Union for the 1996 financial year - Section III (Commission) ((OJ C 308, 20.11.1995, p. 116.)),

- 14 December 1995 on the draft general budget of the European Union for the 1996 financial year - Section III (Commission) modified by the Council ((OJ C 17, 22.1.1996, p. 155.)),

1. Notes the level of overall implementation of this year's budget, which represents an improvement compared to last year;

2. Draws attention, however, to the stagnation of the utilization of appropriations of headings 3 and 4 of the financial perspective, which is, to a large extent, attributable to the absence of legal bases in a number of substantial budgetary items;

3. Deplores, once again, the Commission's lack of a coherent approach as regards the existence of legal bases in general as a prerequisite for implementation of the budget, mainly because of the absence of agreement on this question between the two arms of the budgetary authority;

4. Reiterates its call on its own committees to follow closely the implementation of those parts of the general budget coming under their sphere of competence;

5. Reiterates its criticism of the poor quality of budgetary forecasts in the agricultural sector as shown in this year's implementation of heading 1, whereby most major sectors (milk, wine, arable crops, fruit and vegetables, sugar, accompanying measures) reveal significant underspending;

6. Asks the Commission, in view of the serious problems concerning the reliability of olive oil production figures, to ensure that commitment appropriations earmarked to cover the work of the olive oil agencies in the 1996/1997 inspection year (Article B2-511, inspection in agriculture) result in efficient and effective controls;

7. Takes account of the higher level of implementation of heading 2 (Structural Funds); notes with concern, however, in relation to Objective 6 areas, the 0% rate of utilization of both commitment and payment appropriations of Items B2-1102 (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) and B2-1305 (European Social Fund) as well as the non-utilization of commitment appropriations and the slowing down of absorption of payment appropriations of Item B2-1203 (European Regional Development Fund); asks the Commission to take all necessary steps to assist Member States in the utilization of resources available for these areas;

8. Regrets that appropriations earmarked for the 'ADAPT¨ Community Initiative (Item B2-1424) have hardly been utilized and that absorption of those entered for 'NOW¨ (Item B2-1420) remains at a very low level, thus contrasting sharply with most other Community Initiatives which have registered significant improvement over last year; in this respect, reminds the Commission of Parliament's policy that Community Initiatives should develop in a balanced manner;

9. Disapproves of the Commission's explicit and deliberate refusal to implement Articles B2-600 (Promotion of inter-regional cooperative operations) and B2- 601 (Business and Innovation Centres), contrary to the budgetary authority's clearly expressed will, ostensibly because 'similar operations could be financed under the Structural Funds¨; asks the Commission to take the appropriate steps to ensure full utilization of the appropriations earmarked for those articles for the purpose for which they were entered in the budget;

10. Is concerned that, towards the end of the third quarter of the current financial year, payment appropriations for Item B2-5100 (Disease eradication and monitoring programmes) have barely been touched, although the corresponding commitments were made in the last two and a half months of the previous year; calls upon the Commission to look into the reasons for this situation and speed up the disbursement of the relevant appropriations;

11. Is concerned to note the slowdown in the implementation of Article B7-420 (Community operations connected with the Israel/PLO peace agreement); urges the Commission, in view of the situation in the region, to ensure optimum utilization of the relevant appropriations by the end of the year;

12. Calls on the Commission to inform Parliament forthwith about the planned utilization of the appropriations from the Essential Aid Programme and from Chapter B7-542 - special aid to refugees in the Republics formerly part of Yugoslavia, that information to include the specific role, working method and effectiveness of the Italtrend and Euro PA agencies;

13. Requests the Commission, given the need for immediate action, to ensure prompt and effective disbursement of appropriations earmarked for land-mine clearance (Article B7-615) in former Yugoslavia and other parts of the world as appropriate;

14. Notes that certain items concerning operations of non-governmental organizations (B7-6005 in Cambodia, B7-6006 in Cuba and new Item B7-6008 on Tibetan refugees) have 0% utilization of commitment appropriations; asks the Commission to activate these resources by the end of the year in line with the clearly expressed will of the budgetary authority;

15. Attaches great importance to the optimum implementation of the September 1995 Declaration of Interest for new projects signed between the Commission and the South African Government (Article B7-320);

16. Asks the Commission to take the necessary steps to ensure coordination between actions financed under Article B7-502 (Transfrontier cooperation in the field of structural operations) and those under INTERREG II (Item B2- 1410);

17. Invites the Commission to study the possibility of incorporating into the anti-fraud coordinating unit the control services in the fruit and vegetables and wine sectors - and, if necessary, all other sectors - and the coordinating services for national controls for operations financed by the EAGGF, Guarantee Section, with a view to permitting better interaction between controllers and investigators;

18. Calls on the Commission to make staff available, through redeployment, for inspections and monitoring of Community expenditure in all areas covered by direct financing (Phare, Tacis, Echo etc.) and to step up the training of national officials responsible for such tasks;

19. Underlines its determination to ensure the effective functioning of the Translation Centre in accordance with the decisions taken and in particular with reference to its coordinating role for the EU Institutions;

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