Resolution on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1999 as modified by the Council (all sections) and on Letter of Amendment No 1/99 to the preliminary draft budget for 1999 - Section III - Commission
Date: 1998-12-17
Institutions: Committee on Budgets, European Parliament
Subjects: Court of Justice of the European Union, European Committee of the Regions, European Court of Auditors, European Economic and Social Committee, European Ombudsman, European Parliament, draft budget (EU), general budget (EU), petrochemicals

C 98/212

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 4. 1999

Thursday 17 December 1998

PART II

Texts adopted by the European Parliament

1.  1999 general budget

A4-0500/98

Resolution  on  the  draft  general  budget  of  the  European  Union  for  the  financial  year  1999  as
modified by the Council (all sections) and on Letter of Amendment No 1/99 to the preliminary draft
budget for 1999 › Section III › Commission

The European Parliament,

−  having regard to the Treaty on European Union,

−  having regard to the Council Decisions of 24 November 1998 on the draft budget for 1999 as amended

and modified by Parliament at first reading (C4-0600/98),

−  having regard to Letter of Amendment No 1 to the preliminary draft budget for 1999 − Section III

Commission (SEC(98)1766),

−  having regard to Letter of Amendment No 1 to the draft general budget of the European Communities

for 1999 established by the Council on 24 November 1998 (C4-0666/98),

−  having  regard  to  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  29  October  1993  on  budgetary  discipline  and
improvement of the budgetary procedure ( 1) and the financial perspective attached thereto, as revised
and adjusted most recently on 2 April 1998 ( 2),

−  having regard to its resolutions of 2 April 1998 on the guidelines for the 1999 budget( 3),

−  having regard to its resolution of 2 July 1998 on the ad hoc procedures for the 1999 budget as provided
for in the Interinstitutional Agreements of 29 October 1993 on budgetary discipline and improvement
of  the  budgetary  procedure  and  16  July  1997  on  provisions  regarding  financing  of  the  common
foreign  and  security  policy,  and  in  the  procedure  concerning  financing  international  fisheries
agreements, pursuant to the Joint Declaration of 12 December 1996( 4),

−  having  regard  to  the  Financial  Regulation,  and  in  particular  Articles  15  and  26  thereof,  and  the

deliberations of the competent committees on such transfers,

−  having regard to the report of the Court of Auditors on the financial year 1997( 5),

−  having regard to its deliberations and amendments adopted at first reading and its resolutions adopted
on 22 October 1998 on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1999
(Sections I, II, III, IV, V and VI) ( 6),

−  having  regard  to  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Budgets  and  the  opinion  of  the  Committee  on

Agriculture and Rural Development (A4-0500/98),

(1)  OJ C 331, 7.12.1993, p. 1.
(2)  OJ C 138, 4.5.1998, p. 155.
(3)  OJ C 138, 4.5.1998, pp. 149 and 153.
(4)  OJ C 226, 20.7.1998, p. 46.
(5)  OJ C 349, 18.11.1997.
(6)  Minutes of that sitting, Part II, Item 1(a) and (b).

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A.  whereas  the  Council’s  draft  budget  of  24  November  1998  has  increased  commitments  by
EUR 392 million and reduced payments by EUR 336 million over the Council’s first reading; whereas
the Council’s draft budget remains at 1,10% of GNP in terms of payment appropriations, while the
own resources ceiling is 1,27% of GNP; whereas the Council’s draft budget has increased payment
appropriations by 2,36% over 1998,

B.  whereas the draft budget was established by Parliament as a bridge between the financial perspective
for the period 1993-1999 and that which may be negotiated for the period after 1999; whereas some
Council members have recognised this, claiming the 1999 budget as the base for the following years’
perspective; whereas the 1999 budget heralds the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union and
should be the first budget under which the Treaty of Amsterdam is implemented,

C.  whereas the Council Presidencies have showed themselves ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue
with  Parliament  throughout  the  year,  in  trialogues  and  other  high-level  meetings  on  21  January,
23 February, 31 March, 23 June, 16 July, 13 October, 12-13 and 17 November and 1 December, and as
demonstrated in the conciliations with the Council on 17 July, 24 November and 8 December 1998,

D.  whereas the Council has adopted 144 amendments from Parliament’s first reading and modified 59 or
rejected 62 (a total of 121 amendments or modifications); whereas the Council has accepted all the
amendments in Sections I, including the Annex for the Ombudsman, IV, V and VI,

E.  whereas  it  was  committed  to  maintaining  payments  roughly  in  line  with  the  average  increase  of
Member  States’  budgets  as  compared  with  their  1998  budgets,  conditional  upon  the  attainment  of
common  positions  between  the  two  arms  of  the  budgetary  authority  on  key  elements  such  as
compliance  with  paragraph  21  of  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement;  more  realistic  forecasts  of
agricultural and fisheries expenditure through the presentation of a late Letter of Amendment to the
PDB; an agreement on legal bases; the scrutiny of the effectiveness of all expenditure entered in the
budget; the monitoring of the implementation of the budget, emphasising the quality rather than the
quantity of expenditure, and continuing the fight against fraud,

F.  whereas  paragraph  17  of  the  abovementioned  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  29  October  1993
stipulates that the two arms of the budgetary authority agree to accept, for each of the financial years
from 1993 to 1999, the maximum rates of increase for non-compulsory expenditure deriving from the
budgets established within the ceilings set by the financial perspective,

G.  whereas the Early Warning System’s communication No 12 shows that ECU 1,4 billion has not been
spent from the appropriations for the 1998 EAGGF; whereas the Council has adopted a new heading
for food aid for Russia in its first reading of Draft Supplementary and Amending Budget 1/98 with
ECU 400 million against the heading,

H.  whereas  Parliament  has  decided  to  adopt  the  1999  budget  at  EUR  96  929  million  in  commitment
appropriations and EUR 85 558 million in payment appropriations, which represents 1,10 % of GNP,

1.
Approves the budget decisions to confirm its first-reading priorities and to provide adequate funding
for the major priorities designated by Parliament and by Council at their first readings while respecting
budgetary rigour;

2. Welcomes, for the second year, the fact that these decisions of the budgetary authority were made
largely through joint efforts; recalls that these priorities include creation of employment throughout the
European Union; fostering education and training, and research and development, working towards the
concept of the ‘Europe of knowledge’; protecting the environment and taking measures to reduce climate
change  in  the  world;  strengthening  the  European  Union  in  the  world  through  a  coherent  development
policy capable of reaching internationally set targets; and more intensive monitoring of implementation
and  real  effectiveness  of  all  programmes  in  order  to  strengthen  and  sustain  the  process  of  economic
convergence;

Notes that the Council is beginning to assume its role as a political interlocutor in the budgetary
3.
process, and proposed a compromise for the 1999 budget, containing many elements in all expenditure
headings, concerning both the 1998 and 1999 budgets, and a possible future interinstitutional agreement
on  future  financial  arrangements;  considers  that  the  negotiation  of  this  compromise  is  a  step  towards
genuine budgetary co-decision, which is sought by Parliament;

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Thursday 17 December 1998

4.
Notes that when the budgetary authority acts in close cooperation, it benefits the Union as a whole
and its citizens; expects this message to be taken to heart by Council in its consideration of a new financial
perspective and in its negotiations with Parliament on a possible future interinstitutional agreement;

5. Welcomes the joint declaration of the three institutions made on 8 December 1998 on flexibility in
the new interinstitutional agreement; welcomes the acceptance by the Council of majority voting for the
proposed  instrument  and  the  concept  of  co-decision  for  the  mobilisation  of  the  facility;  calls  on  its
committee  responsible  to  implement  this  guideline  in  the  negotiations  for  the  revision  of  the
interinstitutional agreement and financial perspective;

6. Welcomes the application of the legal bases agreement through principles established by common
accord between the three institutions; welcomes Council’s acceptance of Parliament’s initiatives through
pilot projects and preparatory actions aimed at Union support for activities in the field of social exclusion,
multicultural integration, gender discrimination, and refugees and asylum seekers, aid to the disabled and
to  combat  violence  against,  and  ill-treatment  of,  women  and  children;  now  expects  these  to  be  fully
implemented in 1999 by the Commission; calls on its committees to review the implementation of these
projects and actions during the year, so as to provide input into the following budgetary procedure and
legislative programme;

7.
Notes that, as a general rule for headings where legal bases are outstanding, appropriations are being
placed in the reserve, but reminds the Council of its undertaking on 17 July 1998 to speed up the legislative
process for actions where a legal basis has already been proposed; furthermore, asks the Commission to
specify,  in  its  annual  legislative  programme  for  1999,  those  proposals  which  are  pending  before  the
legislative  authority  the  adoption  of  which  is  necessary  for  the  implementation  of  the  budget,  and  the
timetable  foreseen  for  such  adoption;  requests  the  Commission  to  encourage  the  two  arms  of  the
legislative  authority  to  co-operate  in  ensuring  the  rapid  adoption  of  the  necessary  legal  bases,  and  to
indicate  to  the  budgetary  authority  any  problems  that  will  arise,  notably  as  1999  is  an  election  year;
instructs all its committees to take steps to ensure regular review and follow-up of this matter;

8.
Takes  note  of  the  Commission’s  late  Letter  of  Amendment  1/99;  welcomes  the  final  outcome  of
negotiations between the two arms of the budgetary authority in accepting the new updated figures for
many headings, with the total amount for B1 (EAGGF) remaining EUR 40 440 million; welcomes the
increase in funding for the agri-environmental measures (B1-5011) through a reserve of EUR 20 million,
and the reserve of EUR 80 million from headings in B1-15 (‘Fruit and vegetables’) and in B1-20 (‘Milk
and milk products’); notes that the Council has created a new heading B1-315 (‘Food aid for Russia’) with
a token entry, as a budgetary frame for a carryover of EUR 400 million from 1998;

9.
Notes  that  the  Council  rejected  Parliament’s  proposal  to  place  in  the  reserve  part  of  the
appropriations for heading 2, which aimed to facilitate the carryover thereof to the 2000 financial year and
thus to compensate for foreseeable low implementation by certain Member States in 1999; considers that
low  implementation  of  heading  2  appropriations  by  certain  Member  States  will  nevertheless  occur  in
1999;  underlines  the  fact  that  the  total  of  appropriations  under  this  heading  has  to  be  considered  an
expenditure target, as Parliament has recalled on numerous occasions; recalls that the regions concerned
need  such  funding  to  encourage  their  economic  and  social  development;  calls  therefore  on  the
Commission,  if  necessary,  to  request  the  budgetary  authority  to  carry  over  unused  Structural  Fund
appropriations to the financial year 2000 in the same way as has hitherto been done;

10.
Notes that it has once again found funding for the Peace and for the Rechar, Resider and Regis II
Community initiatives; calls on the Commission and the Member States concerned to make greater efforts
to ensure that these appropriations are fully utilised;

11. Welcomes  the  accord  reached  by  the  two  arms  of  the  budgetary  authority,  compensating  the
funding used for administrative purposes over the last few years for the operational needs of the Socrates
and Youth for Europe programmes within the financial framework agreed in co-decision, and pursuant to
the  Joint  Declaration  by  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  of  6  March  1995
concerning the inclusion of financial provisionis in legislative decisions( 1); takes note of the observance
by Council of Parliament’s priorities regarding Europe of Knowledge by accepting Parliament’s allocation
for Leonardo and Connect, while Council proposed the addition of the funding for the extra year of the
Kaleidoscope  and  Ariane  programmes  for  an  amount  of  EUR  10,2  million  and  EUR  4,3  million
respectively;

(1)  OJ C 102, 4.4.1996, p. 4.

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Thursday 17 December 1998

12.
Records  that,  in  accordance  with  the  results  of  conciliation  on  the  Fifth  EU  R&D  Framework
Programme,  the  total  amount  for  research,  technological  development  and  demonstration  in  the  1999
budget  is  EUR  3  450  million,  which  represents  about  54%  of  the  maximum  amount  foreseen  in  the
financial perspective for heading 3 in 1999, within the range for the share of research as laid down by the
European Council at the 1992 Edinburgh Summit (50 to 66,66%); notes that appropriations for the EC
programme  total  EUR  3  140  million  in  1999,  and  for  the  Euratom  programme  EUR  310  million;
nevertheless  agrees  with  the  Council’s  second-reading  estimates,  which  also  reflect  the  breakdown
between budget lines proposed by the Commission;

13. Welcomes the Council’s acceptance of actions for refugees, given the forthcoming ratification of
the Treaty of Amsterdam, which transfers  this  policy  area  from  the  Third  Pillar  to  the  First;  urges  the
Commission to submit promptly the appropriate legal basis allowing the Union to give its support to this
policy for refugees and asylum seekers;

14.
Agrees  to  transfer  to  Part  A  of  the  budget  the  appropriations  in  Part  B  for  conferences  and
congresses  authorised  by  the  1993  communication,  with  a  view  to  clarifying  the  operational  nature  of
appropriations in Part B and to supporting the MAP 2000 decentralisation process;

15.
Takes  note  of  the  Agencies’  commitment  to  respect  the  proposed  Code  of  Conduct  aiming  to
increase  transparency  and  ensure  the  forwarding  of  budgetary  information  to  the  budgetary  authority;
therefore proposes to release the amounts entered in the reserve, considering that the Commission should
be as involved as the Agencies themselves in such a process;

16.
Is  still  not  convinced  of  the  immediate  capacity  of  the  receiving  countries  to  absorb  the  extra
funding foreseen by the European Council for the PHARE programme, but wishes to fix realistic spending
targets for EU funding in the applicant countries to allow them and the Union to fulfil the expectations of
their citizens in the run-up to accession; agrees therefore to increase commitment appropriations by more
than EUR 48 million over its first reading; decides to enter those appropriations in the reserve (B0-40),
pending information on improvement of beneficiary countries’ take-up capacity;

17.
Enters  the  previous  year’s  amount  against  B7-502,  pending  a  coordinated  Regulation  (between
PHARE/CBC and Interreg) to improve and speed up cross-border projects at the frontiers between the EU
and Central and Eastern European countries, and points out that it must be consulted before its adoption;
expects  a  practice-oriented  Regulation,  which  respects  the  needs  on  the  spot;  asks  for  effective
involvement of the concerned regions in the implementation of the programmes;

18.
Agrees  with  the  common  approach  that  has  been  negotiated  to  strengthen  a  number  of  external
actions,  initially  radically  reduced  by  the  Council  in  first  reading,  such  as  rehabilitation  activities,
reconstruction  in  Latin  America,  actions  promoting  democracy  and  respect  for  human  rights,  tropical
forests, and non-governmental organisations working in developing countries;

Agrees  with  the  decision  to  place  EUR30  million  in  the  reserve  for  B7-541  (Measures  for
19.
reconstruction  of  the  republics  formerly  part  of  Yugoslavia),  to  be  released  once  the  Commission  has
come forward with a new consolidated draft regulation for this action for the period after 2000;

Approves the budgetary decision on the reserve in connection with TACIS funding, in view of the
20.
measures  proposed  for  emergency  aid  to  Russia;  insists  that  the  appropriations  to  be  allocated  to  this
initiative shall also cover the necessary controls on the spot in order to avoid any misuse of the EU aid and
to avoid any risk of re-export, or exports of the same products, and shall be conditional upon adequate
anti-fraud  measures,  guarantees  as  to  the  local  use  of  the  products  in  Russia,  assurance  of  proper
distribution  to  the  neediest  and  most  vulnerable  regions,  and  adequate  finance  for  real  needs;  insists
furthermore that any revenue generated be used in the social and health sectors in cooperation with the
Red  Cross  and  other  non-governmental  organisations;  requires  the  Commission  to  report  back  to  the
budgetary authority regularly on the implementation of this aid;

21.
Agrees to place against heading B7-531 a further EUR3 million in appropriations for exceptional
financial  assistance  for  Armenia  and  Georgia,  and  underlines  the  fact  that  during  the  trialogue  of
17 November 1998 the two arms of the budgetary authority recognised the earlier accord that the overall
reference amount would be EUR50 million for the period 1997-2001;

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Thursday 17 December 1998

22.
Notes  that  the  Commission  proposals  to  increase  payment  appropriations  for  the  TACIS
(EUR 25 million), cooperation with Asia (EUR 30 million) and tropical forests (EUR 5 million) were not
accepted  under  the  1998  Notenboom  procedure;  expects  the  Commission  to  propose,  during  1999,  by
means of transfers or if necessary a SAB, the topping-up of appropriations which could be necessary for
external policy;

23.
Notes  that  the  Council  has  adopted  the  European  Parliament  amendment  on  Tropical  Forests
(B7-6201)  fixing  the  total  amount  to  EUR45  million  in  commitment  appropriations;  urges  the
Commission to reinforce the budget item during the 1999 financial year, if it is necessary, by transfer or
through a supplementary budget, in order to enter the appropriations previously envisaged by Parliament
and to make possible the full implementation of this programme.

24. Welcomes  the  reduction  of  the  item  in  the  B0-40  reserve  for  international  fisheries  agreements
proposed  by  the  Commission  in  its  late  Letter  of  Amendment  1/99;  notes,  however,  the  long  delay  in
receiving the necessary confidential information on this matter and insists that the Commission respect the
time limits imposed;

Takes note of the requirements presented by the Commission, and the formal commitment made by
25.
Commissioner  Liikanen,  to  ensure  future  transparency  on  the  level  of  administrative  and  technical
assistance for each Union action or programme funded in Part B; considers that verification of the use of
operational appropriations for administrative purposes requires the following principles to be observed,
and has made the appropriate budget decisions accordingly:

−  a  general  ban  on  using  Part  B  appropriations  for  administrative  expenditure  in  the  interests  of  the

Commission, unless duly authorised in the remarks against the specific budget heading;

−  authorisation  in  the  remarks  against  specific  headings,  where  the  existence  of  such  expenditure  is

permitted, with a ceiling;

−  entry of an amount of EUR 17 million to finance part of such activities in Part A of the budget;

requests  the  Commission  to  provide  full  details  of  such  exceptions  by  30  April  1999,  when  the  2000
preliminary  draft  budget  is  submitted,  such  as  the  funding  needs,  the  number  of  persons  and  cost  per
person/year, the type of contract (intra/extra muros), the purposes of the support, and the controls carried
out, and requires it to report on the application of these decisions so that the results can be taken into
account in the first reading by Parliament of the 2000 draft budget;

confirms that all amounts used beyond the ceiling agreed by the budgetary authority, and not declared and
specifically authorised, will be considered a violation that is subject to disciplinary measures; invites the
Commission  to  include  these  principles  in  the  forthcoming  proposal  for  the  recasting  of  the  Financial
Regulation;

Reserves

Decides  to  place  appropriations  in  the  reserve  for  the  headings  listed  in  the  Annex,  so  as  to
26.
supervise  closely  the  implementation  of  these  headings  during  the  1999  financial  year;  recalls  the
conditions  for  their  release  as  indicated  in  the  amendments  it  has  adopted;  agrees  to  release  the
appropriations once the conditions set by Parliament are fulfilled;

Repeats  its  call  to  the  Commission  to  submit  all  transfers  of  appropriations  entered  in  Chapter
27.
B0-40, for specific headings, as far as possible before 15 September 1999; calls on the Commission to
notify the budgetary authority in full no later than 10 days prior to the latter’s deliberations thereon; such
proposals for transfers must be submitted separately from the Notenboom-Bourlanges global transfer, and
from any supplementary and amending budget proposed in the last four months of the year;

Commits  itself  to  evaluating  interinstitutional  cooperation,  and  to  encouraging  it  in  identified

28.
priority areas so as to achieve the synergy and economies that have been forecast;

Approves its budget decision to allocate subsidies from the Union budget (Part A of the budget) to
29.
organisations and projects receiving support also from other sources; commits itself to watching closely
the implementation of the subsidies system and encourages further improvement of internal procedures,
so as to reduce the waiting time for recipients and to avoid duplication of subsidy from the two parts of the
budget;

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30.
Accepts the Council’s proposal to leave 50% in the reserve for the four items A-7030 to A-7033, in
order  to  maintain  pressure  on  all  sides  to  come  to  an  equitable  and  effective  solution  on  the  new
commitology structure, before the beginning of May 1999, after real trilateral negotiations; notes that the
conditions for the release of the funding represent the main lines of Parliament’s mandate on this matter
adopted in September 1998;

Pensions

31.
Regrets that Council has not been playing a constructive role in the reshaping of the pension system
for staff of the European institutions, although it had been defined as a common priority by both arms of
the budgetary authority; insists nevertheless on improving transparency of and bringing up-to-date the
pension system and centralising it in the Commission; repeats its request to the Commission to present by
31  March  1999  a  proposal  for  reform  of  the  pension  system  for  the  staff  and  other  servants  of  the
institutions and bodies of the Union, which should center around greater transparency and the elimination
of  elements  of  inter-generational  redistribution;  asks  the  Commission  to  make  a  proposal  for  the
amendments to the Staff Regulations which might be needed, e.g. for the establishment of a fund;

Other institutions

32.
Notes that, apart from the amendments made by the Parliament to its own budget and to that of the
Ombudsman, for the second time the Council has endorsed Parliament’s first reading of the draft budget
(other institutions) without amendment;

Once  more  underscores  the  vital  need  for  the  institutions  to  take  on  ownership  of  the  buildings

33.
used, since this would entail major savings for future Union budgets;

34.
Calls on the Court of Justice to make changes to its translation policy, including through the use of
computer-assisted translation systems, at least for administrative and bureaucratic texts, so as to be able to
keep the total number of documents to be translated under control and to use lawyer-linguists solely for
legal translation work; calls furthermore for it to submit to the budgetary authority proposals to facilitate
its translation policy;

35.
Calls on the Economic and Social Committee to change its internal rules in such a way as to bring
the number of meetings and working parties into line with the recent reduction of the number of specialist
sections from nine to six;

36.
Calls on the Committee of the Regions to submit to the budgetary authority solutions which are
technically and financially implementable concerning the forthcoming expiry of its Secretary-General’s
term of office, and with a view to strengthening management structures in response to the increasingly
heavy work load following ratification of the Treaty of Amsterdam;

37.
Calls on the administrations of the Commission, Council, Parliament, the Court of Justice and the
Court of Auditors, as well as of the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and
their Joint Structure, to have a study made, within inter-institutional cooperation, on the environmental
aspects  of  their  administration.  The  study  should  include  a  timetable  for  the  implementation  of  the
proposals resulting from the study. The study should cover the following areas: general administration,
mobility and transport and energy policy. The study should be available at the latest on 1 April 1999 in
order to take the required actions on board in the preliminary draft budgets of the institutions and bodies
mentioned for the year 2000; the studies will be made available to both arms of the budgetary authority.

Margins

38.
Notes  the  margins  remaining  available  for  a  possible  supplementary  and  amending  budget  of
Euro  4,748  billion  in  heading  1,  EUR  524  million  in  heading  3,  EUR  962  million  in  heading  4  and
EUR 220 million in heading 5;

Final provisions

39.
Expects the Council − with a view to continuing the negotiations on signing a new Interinstitutional
Agreement  and  a  new  Financial  Perspective  −  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  paragraph  17  of  the
current IIA of 29 October 1993;

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Thursday 17 December 1998

40.
Considers  that  the  Council’s  failure  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  paragraph  17  of  the
Interinstitutional  Agreement,  referred  to  above,  means  that  the  Council  is  unilaterally  terminating  the
aforementioned Agreement and the Financial Perspective annexed thereto;

41.

Instructs its President to designate the budgetary act as the budget of the European Union;

Instructs its President to forward these budgetary decisions to the Council, the Commission and the

42.
institutions and advisory bodies concerned.

1999 BUDGET

Appropriations entered in reserve B0-40 (*)
and Reports requested

ANNEX

(EUR mio (rounded))

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Appropriations

ca

pa

Conditions for release

Report

B1-1501

B1-1502

Fresh  fruit  and  vegetables  −  Compensation
for withdrawals and buying in

20,0

20,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

Fresh fruit and vegetables − Operational fund
for producer organisations

20,0

20,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-2002

Refunds on cheese

40,0

40,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-300

Refunds  on  cereals  exported  in  the  form  of
certain spirituous beverages

18,0

18,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-3010

Cereals and rice

36,0

36,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-3012

Skimmed milk and other milk products

5,0

5,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

B1-3014

Eggs

for these appropriations.

1,0

1,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-310

Distribution  of  agricultural  products 
deprived persons in the Community

to

10,0

10,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-312

School milk

10,0

10,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

B1-3601

Monitoring  and  preventative  measures  −
Direct payments by the European Community

10,0

for these appropriations.

10,0 Release  (cid:145)after  an  assessment  of  the  pro-
grammes(cid:146)  and  after  a  new  work  programme
has been presented (Am. 12)

yes

B1-3800

B1-3801

Promotion  measures  −  Payments  by  the
Member States

10,0

10,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

Promotion  measures  −  Direct  payments  by
the European Community

5,0

5,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B1-5011

Environment

20,0

20,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

(*)  On a proposal from the Commission and accepted by the budgetary authority, or on the initiative of one of the two arms of the budgetary authority. References are to

first reading amendments (Annex to the minutes of the sitting of Thursday, 22 October 1998 and corrigendum) unless otherwise indicated.

9. 4. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 98/219

Thursday 17 December 1998

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Appropriations

ca

pa

Conditions for release

Report

B2-513

Restructuring of systems for agricultural sur-
veys

2,0

0,0 Commission has to prove that there is a need

for these appropriations.

B3-2001N

Kaleidoscope

10,2

pm Awaiting legal basis

B5-336

B5-600

B5-803

B7-500

B7-536

B7-541

B7-651

B3-2002N

Ariane

B3-4304

Health and well-being

B5-303

Customs 2000

Action against illegal and harmful content on
the Internet

Policy  on  statistical  information  concerned
with non-member countries

Policy on asylum-seekers and other displaced
persons

4,1

5,4

12,0

5,5

8,0

5,0

pm Awaiting legal basis

3,3 Awaiting legal basis.

1,6 Awaiting legal basis.

1,0 Awaiting legal basis

3,0 Awaiting legal basis.

0 Awaiting legal basis.

Aid for economic restructuring of countries of
central and eastern Europe

48,79

0 Release  depending  on  the  evaluation  of  the
report of the Commission on the implementa-
tion of this budget line.

Community  contribution  to  the  European
Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development
for the Chernobyl Shelter Fund

25,0

25,0

(cid:145)Following  presentation  of  a  report  by  the
Commission on the contributions to this fund
by  the  other  donors  and  on  its  use  in  1999,
and upon verification of compliance with the
conditions  set  out  by  the  European  Parlia-
ment in its legislative report.(cid:146) (Am. 802)

yes

Measures for the reconstruction of the Repub-
lics formerly part of Yugoslavia

Coordination  of  development  policy,  evalu-
ation  of  the  results  of  Community  aid  and
follow-up and inspection measures

30,0

30,0 Release  depending  on  the  evaluation  of  the

yes

report of the Commission

2,0

2,0 Report of the Commission

yes

B7-6600

External cooperation measures

10,0

10,0 The amount can be released  (cid:145)once the Tinde-
mans report is adopted in plenary and donors
agree to restart with payments(cid:146). (Am. 815)

B7-6602

New Transatlantic Agenda

3,0

3,0 Release  depending  on  the  evaluation  of  the

yes

B7-8000

International fisheries agreements

B7-871

Assistance to ACP banana producers

B7-872

Promotion  of  Community  investment  in
developing countries of Asia, Latin America,
the  Mediterranean  and  in  South  Africa  by
economic cooperation and trade agreements

A-340

Official Journal

A-4103

Supplementary aid for the disabled

30,5

45,0

10,0

3,0

0,1

report of the Commission

26,2 Awaiting legal agreement

13,5 Awaiting legal basis

5,0 Release  depending  on  the  evaluation  of  the

yes

report of the Commission

3,0 Awaiting  concrete  progress  over  the  reduc-
tion and reform of the Official Journal.

0,1 Release  after  the  Commission  has  (cid:145)adopted
general  provisions  on  the  appropriations
intended  for  welfare  aid  for  disabled  per-
sons(cid:146). (Am. 693)

yes

yes

C 98/220

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 4. 1999

Thursday 17 December 1998

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Appropriations

ca

pa

Conditions for release

Report

A-421

Operation of radio and television studios and
audiovisual equipment

1,5

A-650

Global reserve for delegations

13,1

1,5 Release  (cid:145)after  the  Commission  presents  the
conditions set out in the new contract, before
its  renewal,  to  the  budget  authority(cid:146).  (Am.
705)

yes

13,1 Release after: (1) Publication by the Commis-
sion before 30 June 1999 of a communication
on  an  external  service;  (2)  Submission  of  a
report by the Commission on the operation of
the  Joint  Structure  for  the  management  of
external  programmes,  etc.  (Am.  30,  EP
Second Reading)

A-7003

National  and  international  civil  servants  and
private  sector  staff  temporarily  assigned  to
services of the Institution

5,67

5,67

A-701

Mission  expenses,  travel  expenses  and  inci-
dental expenditure

2,025

2,025

A-7030

Meetings in general

A-7031

A-7032

Expenditure  on  meetings  of  committees
whose consultation is compulsory in the pro-
cess of drafting Community legislation

Expenditure  on  meetings  of  committees
whose consultation is  not compulsory  in  the
procedure

8,83

8,08

8,83

8,08

2,475

2,475

A-7033

Other commissions and committees operating
within the ECSC

0,35

0,35

(cid:145)It  will  be  possible  to  release  this  reserve,
depending  on  how  the  committee  procedure
issue develops in accordance with the follow-
ing guidelines (stemming from the motion for
a resolution by the Committee on Institutional
Affairs  seeking  to  give  a  mandate  to  the
President of Parliament to negotiate with the
Council and Commission):
›  better  distinction  between  substantive
legislation and implementing provisions;
›  guarantee  of  effective  oversight  by  the
European  Parliament  of  implementing
rules;
simplification  of  the  typology  of  ad  hoc
committees  and  procedures,  in  particu-
lar  the  abolition  of  regulatory  commit-
tees;
transparency of the executive procedure;
ruling out of any constraint on the Com-
mission(cid:146)s  power  to  commit  expenditure
as  a  result  of  decisions  of  a  general  or
specific  nature  taken  by  the  Council
acting  solely  on  its  own  responsibility.(cid:146)
(Am. 498)

› 
› 

› 

Technical Assistance Offices

B3-2010

MEDIA  (measures  to  promote  the  develop-
ment of the audiovisual industry.

0,29

0,29

B3-300

B3-306

General 
work concerning the EU.

information  and  communication

1,0

1,0

Information  programme  for  European  Citiz-
ens (Prince).

0,36

0,36

Should  appropriations  be  entered  in  the
reserve  or  transferred  to  headings  against
which expenditure on technical and adminis-
trative  assistance  or  support  expenditure  is
authorised,  a  proposal  may  be  made,  in  the
justification  for  the  transfer,  that  the  appro-
priations  be  given  over  to  technical  assist-
ance.

B5-300

Strategic programme on the internal market.

B5-511

European Joint Ventures.

B5-7210

Networks for the interchange of data between
administrations (IDA).

B5-803

B7-300

Policy on asylum-seekers and other displaced
persons.

Financial  and  technical  cooperation  with
Asian developing countries.

0,1

0,3

0,5

0,1

0,5

0,1

0,3

0,5

0,1

0,5

B7-302

Aid to uprooted people in Asian countries.

0,16

0,16

9. 4. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 98/221

Thursday 17 December 1998

Conditions for release

Report

Appropriations

ca

pa

0,6

0,6

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Financial  and  technical  cooperation  with
Latin American developing countries.

Aid  to  uprooted  people  in  Latin  American
countries.

0,11

0,11

B7-310

B7-312

B7-313

Rehabilitation  and  reconstruction  operations
in developing countries in Latin America

B7-410

MEDA

B7-500

B7-520

Aid for economic restructuring of countries of
central and eastern Europe.

Assistance to economic reform and recovery
in the New Independent States and Mongolia.

European Parliament

S1-1640

Expenses not refunded by the Joint Sickness
Insurance Scheme and other specific expendi-
ture

S1-230

Stationery and office supplies

2,5

2,5

5,9

2,9

0,06

0,1

2,5

2,5

5,9

2,9

0,06 Adoption  by  the  institution  (cid:145)in  cooperation
with the Commission of general provisions on
the  appropriations  intended  for  welfare  aid
for disabled persons(cid:146). (Am. 692)

yes

0,1 Release after  (cid:145)an action plan has been drawn
up in the area of computing (...), the scope for
redeploying its PC workstation base (...) and
the  promotion  of  electronic  document  trans-
mission (...). (Am. 697)

S1-260

Limited  consultations,  studies  and  surveys,
STOA programme

1,0

1,0 Parliament has to prove that there is a need for

these appropriations

Ombudsman

S1-A1100

Basic salaries

(in euros)

111,445

111,445 Release  after  the  presentation  of  (cid:145)an  action
plan to convert temporary posts into perma-
nent ones(cid:146). (Am. 667)

S1-A1101

Family allowances

S1-A1102

S1-A113

Expatriation  and  foreign  residence  allow-
ances (including Article 97 of the ECSC Staff
Regulations)

Sickness,  accident,  occupational  disease  and
unemployment insurance and maintenance of
pension rights

8,879

8,879 Idem

14,027

14,027 Idem

4,255

4,255 Idem

S1-A117

Supplementary services

175,000

S1-A119

Adjustments to salaries of officials and other
servants

1,238

175,000 Release  after  (cid:145)submission  of  a  budgetary
statement based on the updated needs for the
1999 budget year(cid:146). (Am. 669)

1,238 Release  after  the  presentation  of  (cid:145)an  action
plan to convert temporary posts into perma-
nent ones(cid:146). (Am. 667)

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

C 98/222

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 4. 1999

Thursday 17 December 1998

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Appropriations

ca

pa

Conditions for release

Report

Court of Justice

S4-1100

Basic salaries

151,300

151,300 Submission  of  an  (cid:145)in-depth  analysis  of  how
the  translation  directorate  works,  and  the
submission of an action plan to stabilise the
overall  volume  of  documents  submitted  for
translation(cid:146). (Am. 698)

S4-1101

Family allowances

S4-1102

Expatriation  and  foreign  residence  allow-
ances (including Article 97 of the ECSC Staff
Regulations)

13,400

13,400 Idem

24,000

24,000 Idem

S4-1130

Insurance against sickness

5,300

5,300 Idem

S4-1131

S4-1141

Insurance against accidents and occupational
disease

1,200

1,200 Idem

Annual  leave  travel  expenses  from  place  of
employment to place of origin

6,000

6,000 Idem

S4-1181

Travel expenses (including family members)

1,000

1,000 Idem

S4-1182

Installation,  resettlement  and  transfer  allow-
ances

22,000

22,000 Idem

S4-1183

Removal expenses

6,500

6,500 Idem

S4-1184

Temporary daily subsistence allowances

18,800

18,800 Idem

S4-1191

Provisional appropriation

3,000

3,000 Idem

S4-1110

Auxiliary staff

150,000

150,000 Submission of  (cid:145)report indicating (...) the type
of duties allocated to auxiliary staff recruited
to cope with the additional workload at peak
periods(cid:146). (Am. 669)

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

S4-1891

Other freelance interpreters

100,000

100,000 New  report  on  the  Court’s  interpretation

yes

services. (Am. 699)

Court of Auditors

(in millions of euros)

S5-206

Acquisition of immovable property

S5-208

Other expenditure preliminary to the acquisi-
tion  of  immovable  property  or  the  construc-
tion of buildings

Economic and Social Committee

S6-A1006

Allowances intended to cover expenses aris-
ing  from  the  activities  of  Members  of  the
institution

5,0

0,1

0,1

5,0 Presentation  of  alternative  solutions  for  the
construction of a 150-seat Chamber.

yes

0,1 Submission  (cid:145)of a report giving details of the
procedure  used  for  the  award  of  the  design
contract  of  the  firm  of  architects  (...)(cid:146).
(Am. 674)

0,1 Submission  (cid:145)of  internal  rules  (...)  for  repre-
sentation  allowances  and  other  allowances
arising  from  the  activities  of  its  Members
(...)(cid:146). (Am. 750)

yes

yes

S6-A1003

Representation allowances

0,013

0,013 Idem

9. 4. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 98/223

Thursday 17 December 1998

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Appropriations

ca

pa

Conditions for release

Report

S6-A250

Meetings in general

S6-A1100

Basic salaries

1,9

1,5

1,9 Idem

1,5 Presentation  (cid:145)in good time, of proposals (...)
on the future mangagement of the staff of the
present 
structure(cid:146).
(Am. 675)

joint  organisational 

S6-A130

Mission  expenses,  travel  expenses  and  inci-
dental expenditure

0,116

0,116 The  Committee  should  (cid:145)provide  suitable
information  on  the  breakdown  (...)  for  the
appropriations 
(...).(cid:146).
(Am. 677)

sector 

each 

in 

S6-A1880

Miscellaneous expenditure on recruitment

0,015

0,015 Justification of  (cid:145)the 130% increase in appro-
priations  on  the  1998  financial  year  (...)(cid:146).
(Am. 678)

Committee of the Regions

S6-B1006

Allowances intended to cover expenses aris-
ing  from  the  activities  of  Members  of  the
institution

S6-B1100

Basic salaries

0,015

1,353

0,015 Submission  of  (cid:145)the  relevant  rules  on  the
arrangements for implementing this expendi-
ture(cid:146). (Am. 679)

1,353 Presentation  (cid:145)in good time, of proposals (...)
on the future mangagement of the staff of the
present 
structure(cid:146).
(Am. 680)

joint  organisational 

S6-B250

Meetings in general

0,475

0,475 The Committee can ask for the release when

the appropriations are needed.

Joint Structure of the Committees

S6-C1100

Basic salaries

4,0

S6-C130

Mission  expenses,  travel  expenses  and  inci-
dental expenditure.

0,03

4,0 Presentation  (cid:145)in good time, of proposals (...)
on the future mangagement of the staff of the
present 
structure(cid:146).
(Am. 873)

joint  organisational 

0,03 Submission of (cid:145)the relevant rules on mission
expenses for further training, retraining and
information for staff(cid:146). (Am. 682)

S6-C1820

Further  training,  retraining  and  information
for staff

0,03

0,03 Idem

S6-C1880

Miscellaneous expenditure on recruitment

0,01

0,01 Idem

S6-C1840

Running costs of restaurants and canteens

0,008

0,008 Submission  of  (cid:145)the  report  (on  the  running
costs  of  restaurants  and  canteens)  requested
during 
the  1998  budgetary  procedure(cid:146).
(Am. 874)

S6-C200

Rent

4,952

4,952 Awaiting  the  conclusion  of  the  negotiations
on  the  buildings  which  the  Committees  will
occupy in the future.

S6-C201

Insurance

0,019

0,019 Idem

S6-C202

Water, gas, electricity and heating

0,172

0,172 Idem

S6-C203

Cleaning and maintenance

0,291

0,291 Idem

S6-C205

Security and surveillance of buildings

0,311

0,311 Idem

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

C 98/224

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 4. 1999

Thursday 17 December 1998

Line

Heading (before EP second reading)

Appropriations

ca

pa

Conditions for release

Report

S6-C1110

Auxiliary staff

0,15

S6-C214

Engineering  work  and  special  projects  con-
tracted out

0,1

S6-C2203

Maintenance,  use  and  repair  of  technical
equipment and installations

0,15

S6-C2210

New purchases of furniture

S6-C2211

Replacement of furniture

S6-C241

Telephone, telegraph, telex, television

0,03

0,06

0,03

0,15 Presentation  of  (cid:145)details  of  the  duties  and
conditions  of  recruitment  of  temporary  staff
and  an  assessment  of  requirements,  by
department, of the J.O.S.(cid:146). (Am. 873)

0,1 Justification  of  (cid:145)the  20%  increase  in  appro-
priations  over  the  1998  financial  year,  the
daily  allowance  scale  used  for  experts  and
arrangements  for  concluding  contracts  and
the specifications agreed for the engineering
work(cid:146). (Am. 686)

0,15 Submission  of  information  that  there  is  no
overlap  of  the  appropriations  under  this  line
with  the  parallel  lines  in  the  budgets  of  the
two Committees.

0,03 Justification  of 

(cid:145)the  fivefold  increase  in
appropriations  requested  and  to  provide
details of the work undertaken on the inven-
tory(cid:146). (Am. 687)

0,06 Idem

0,03 Presentation  of  (cid:145)details  on  the  rules  for  the
use of mobile phones provided by the institu-
tion(cid:146). (Am. 688)

OTHER REPORTS

All institutions

European Parliament

Court of Auditors

Commission

Pension Fund

Staff Regulations

Recruitment of research staff

Report on the environmental aspects of their administrations.

(cid:145)Proposal on ways and means of improving the security of valuables
in  offices  and  meeting  rooms(cid:146)  (Resolution  first  reading,  point  22
‘Other Institutions’).

(cid:145)Appropriate information on the procedure followed for awarding
the  study  to  the  firm  of  architects  (...)  in  the  light  of  the  special
nature of the new building (...)(cid:146) (Resolution, first reading, point 35,
‘Other Institutions’).

(cid:145)A  proposal  for  a  pension  fund  (retirement  pensions)  for  the  staff
(and  other  servants)  of  the  institutions  and  bodies  of  the  Union(cid:146)
(by 31.3.98) (Resolution, first reading, point 37).

(cid:145)A proposal for the amendments to the Staff Regulations (...) which
might be needed to establish such a (pension) fund(cid:146) (before 31.3.98)
(Resolution first reading, point 37).

Concerning  recruitment  of  new  staff  by  the  JRC  and  DG  XII,
(cid:145)the Commission will make every effort to achieve that at least 35%
of  the  staff  is  recruited  on  three-year  non-renewable  contracts.
It will report before 1 October 1999 on their achievements(cid:146). (Ams
880, 887, 891, 892, 893, 894, 895 and 896)

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

B2-1600N
Implementation, monitoring and assessment of programmes
and projects

Report on the studies carried out under this budget heading and the
resulting  impact  in  terms  of  environmentally  friendly  use  of  the
structural funds.

yes

9. 4. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 98/225

Thursday 17 December 1998

B7-5310
Exceptional financial assistance to Armenia and Georgia

A-321
Town twinning schemes in the European Community

(cid:145)The  Commission  is  invited  to  produce  a  detailed  report  on  the
implementation of the programme and on the contribution of the EU
grant  to  compensate  for  the  social  costs  due  to  the  austerity
economic  measures  implemented  in  1998  and  expected  in  1999(cid:146).
(Am. 160, second reading)

(cid:145)The Commission will produce an evaluation and a report (...) on the
breakdown of expenditure and details of town-twinning schemes in
the  EU  and  the  countries  of  Central  and  Eastern  Europe  and
activities benefiting from this appropriation(cid:146). (Am. 112)

yes

yes

2.  Ariane ***II  (procedure without debate)

A4-0504/98

Decision  on  the  common  position  established  by  the  Council  with  a  view  to  the  adoption  of  a
European  Parliament  and  Council  Decision  amending  Decision  2085/97/EC  establishing  a  pro-
gramme of support, including translation, in the field of books and reading (Ariane) (12620/98 ›
C4-0656/98 › 98/0282(COD))

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

›  having regard to the common position of the Council (12620/98 › C4-0656/98 › 98/0282(COD)),

›  having regard to its opinion at first reading ( 1)  on  the  Commission  proposal  to  Parliament  and  the

Council (COM(98)0539) ( 2),

›  having regard to the amended proposal (COM(98)0608)( 3),

›  having regard to Article 189b(2) of the EC Treaty,

›  having regard to Rule 68 of its Rules of Procedure,

›  having  regard  to  the  recommendation  for  second  reading  of  the  Committee  on  Culture,  Youth,

Education and the Media (A4-0504/98),

1.

Approves the common position;

Calls on the Council to adopt the act definitively, and as soon as possible, in accordance with the

2.
common position;

Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council pursuant to Article 191(1) of

3.
the EC Treaty;

Instructs its Secretary-General duly to sign the act and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of

4.
the Council, to have it published in the Official Journal;

5.

Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.

(1)  Minutes of Sitting of 9.10.1998, Part II, Item 8(a).
(2)  OJ C 319, 16.10.98, p. 13.
(3)  OJ C 372, 2.12.1998, p. 28.