European Parliament resolution on the guidelines for the 2002 budgetary procedure: Section II - Council; Section IV – Court of Justice; Section V – Court of Auditors; Section VI - Economic and Social Committee; Section VII – Committee of the Regions, and Section VIII – Ombudsman and on the European Parliament's preliminary draft estimates (Section I) for 2002  (2000/2325(BUD))
Date: 2001-04-03
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 Parliament, administrative expenditure (EU), budgetary discipline (EU), budgetary procedure, general budget (EU)

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10. 2002 budget guidelines: other sections

A5-0103/2001

European Parliament resolution on the guidelines for the 2002 budgetary procedure: Section II (cid:129)
Council; Section IV (cid:129) Court of Justice; Section V (cid:129) Court of Auditors; Section VI (cid:129) Economic and
Social Committee; Section VII (cid:129) Committee of the Regions, and Section VIII (cid:129) Ombudsman and
on the European Parliament(cid:146)s preliminary draft estimates (Section I) for 2002 (2000/2325(BUD))

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2001 (1),

(cid:129) having regard to the Court of Auditors(cid:146) Annual Report concerning the financial year 1999, together

with the institutions(cid:146) replies (2),

(cid:129) having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament,
the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary pro-
cedure (3),

(cid:129) having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinions of the Committee on
Petitions and of the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (A5-0103/2001),

A. whereas the provisional figures for the technical adjustment of the financial perspective project a ceil-

ing of € 5 179 million for heading 5 ((cid:145)Administrative expenditure(cid:146)) in the 2002 budget (4),

All institutions

Calls on all institutions to apply rigorous budgets with sound financial management; recalls the fact
1.
that the margin under the ceiling for heading 5 ((cid:145)Administrative expenditure(cid:146)) is under increasing pressure
and urges all institutions to further improve their value for money;

Invites all institutions to further examine how to improve their management and increase efficiency
2.
and transparency through the use of Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB) and Activity-Based Management
(ABM); calls on the institutions to define their core tasks and negative priorities to facilitate more efficient
use of budget resources and, furthermore, to explore the entire scope for redeployment, with a view to
optimising the allocation of staff, before requesting additional manpower; requests that all institutions
submit by March 2002 a report outlining the implementation of the promotions policies adopted;

3.
Agrees that an early retirement scheme with clearly established criteria would, within a system of
Activity-Based Budgeting and Activity-Based Management, provide all the institutions with an important
staff policy instrument suitable for further increasing the efficiency of the administration; points out that
the detailed implementing arrangements, which ought to be laid down in consultation with staff represen-
tatives, should be commensurate with the institutions(cid:146) requirements without breaching rights enshrined in
the Staff Regulations;

4.
Urges the Secretaries-General of all institutions to continue examining the full scope for interinstitu-
tional cooperation in the area of staff policy too; invites the Committee of the Regions and the Economic
and Social Committee to enter into talks and explore with Parliament ways of further improving inter-
institutional cooperation and coordinating their work schedules with a view to optimising the use of
resources, including interpretation services and canteens;

(1) OJ L 56, 26.2.2001.
(2) OJ C 342, 1.12.2000.
(3) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.
(4)

Including € 167 million for the contribution of staff to the Community(cid:146)s pension scheme.

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5.
Calls on the institutions to identify what obstacles there are to equal treatment as defined in Arti-
cle 13 of the EC Treaty (1), what measures should be taken to overcome them and what the budgetary
impact of those measures would be;

6.
Supports the Commission(cid:146)s proposal, in the context of the recasting of the Financial Regulation
applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (COM(2000) 461), that differentiated
appropriations should also be used in administrative expenditure, as this would be an important step
towards improved financial management for the Community(cid:146)s buildings policy; furthermore takes the
view that direct financing would provide the most cost-effective way for the institutions and the taxpayer,
and the most transparent way in terms of administrative procedures, to cover needs in the buildings sector,
especially with a view to enlargement; takes the view that multiannual investment plans with differentiated
appropriations will be essential for sound management of the Community(cid:146)s buildings policy;

7.
Recalls that point 25 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 calls on the two arms of the
budgetary authority to adjust the financial perspective to take account of the expenditure requirements
resulting from enlargement; calls on the institutions to step up their work so as to allow the competent
bodies to take the necessary decisions in good time;

8.
Requests all institutions to present, before Parliament(cid:146)s first reading of the 2002 budget, a joint inter-
institutional strategy together with a comprehensive and distinct multiannual plan from each institution
for preparations for the forthcoming enlargement which indicates, as far as possible, the budgetary con-
including the implications of the
sequences of the decisions taken at the European Council of Nice,
increased number of Members and the additional staff and buildings required with particular emphasis
on the impact on the linguistic services;

Underlines the need for European institutions to play a proactive and exemplary role as regards the
9.
environmental aspects of their administration, notably as regards their buildings policy, under which
environmental aspects should be regarded as a priority when new buildings are purchased, office equip-
ment and mobility, especially in view of (cid:133) the revision of the Regulation on a Community Eco-Manage-
ment and Audit Scheme (EMAS), which now provides for the possibility of voluntary participation by
organisations; calls on all institutions to participate in EMAS and to earmark the necessary appropriations
in their 2002 budgets;

Invites the institutions to explore immediate and medium term measures,

10.
including better
information on public transport, to encourage greater use of public transport and alternative means of
transportation and to submit mobility plans, notably with regard to the transport arrangements for staff
to and from their places of work as well as between the institution(cid:146)s buildings;

Urges the Secretaries-General of all the institutions concerned to take all necessary steps to ensure

11.
that the Interinstitutional Recruitment Office is operational at the beginning of the financial year 2002;

Parliament (Section I)

12.
Is convinced that the 2002 budget must enable Parliament and its administration to start preparing
for enlargement by 2004 and ensure that the Members from the new Member States are received in an
appropriate environment and are provided with the necessary resources to discharge their duties; is pre-
pared, furthermore, to consider measures in this connection in its establishment plan; stresses that expen-
diture to be allowed for in the 2002 budget for preparations for enlargement must be contained in the
preliminary draft budget in order to ensure a broadly based discussion on, and acceptance of, that expen-
diture; regards the Bureau(cid:146)s proposal not to make specific enlargement-related proposals for the 2002
budget until September 2001 as an entirely inadequate way of meeting this requirement;

13.
Points out that not only Parliament(cid:146)s Administration, but also the political groups face major chal-
lenges in connection with enlargement; instructs Parliament(cid:146)s Administration to make appropriate allow-
ance for funding for the political groups, too, in connection with their enlargement strategy;

(1)

(cid:145)Without prejudice to the other provisions of this Treaty and within the limits of the powers conferred by it upon
the Community, the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the
European Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin,
religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.(cid:146)

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14.
Considers it imperative to establish closer contact between Parliament, together with the other
institutions, and citizens in the Member States and the applicant countries by means of an enhanced
information policy on European integration and enlargement; stresses that the necessary measures should
be taken to enable elected representatives and opinion multipliers from the applicant countries to familiar-
ise themselves with Parliament(cid:146)s work; provision must also be made to allow the submission of petitions in
one(cid:146)s native language immediately on applicant states joining the Union;

Instructs the Bureau to examine ways of improving public access to information on Parliament(cid:146)s

15.
website;

16.
Recalls that Parliament has decided in paragraph 24 of its resolution of 13 December 2000 on
reform of budgetary control procedures and institutions (2000/2008 (INI)) to establish an internal audit
service by 1 January 2002 and that the necessary appropriations need to be made available (1);

17.
Points out that Parliament(cid:146)s staff, in particular C and D officials, are carrying out increasingly spe-
cialised tasks; requests its Secretary-General to establish an appropriate training policy that will allow
officials to use the full potential of new information technologies; furthermore considers that officials
with specific profiles for specialised tasks should be given the possibility of assuming increased responsi-
bilities;

Reiterates its support for the current policy of capital injections with a view to purchasing Parlia-
18.
ment(cid:146)s buildings in periods as short as possible, which has already led to considerable savings for the
European taxpayer; considers that reducing the interest burden to a minimum is a financially sound
measure; recognises that the increasing pressure on the ceiling for heading 5 ((cid:146)Administrative expenditure(cid:146))
of the financial perspective and enlargement-related expenditure over the next few financial years may
prevent those savings from being made; insists that any decisions on future building needs must continue
be driven by the principles of transparency, legality and sound financial management; maintains that all
options of renting, leasing and purchasing shall be properly evaluated in order to ensure that any new
building acquired continues to provide value for money to the European taxpayer;

19.
Stresses that the number and remit of the standing parliamentary committees ought to be reviewed
halfway through the term in order to discharge legislative powers and oversight prerogatives as well as
possible; stresses that special committees should only be set up where it is essential to do so;

20.
Considers that the budgetary impact of the Bureau(cid:146)s decision of 1 February 2001 concerning con-
stituency weeks requires careful examination; invites the Bureau to monitor, in the financial year 2001, the
implementation of the rules adopted and to re-examine the criteria, if necessary, before Parliament(cid:146)s first
reading of the 2002 budget;

21. Welcomes the Commission proposal for a Council Regulation on the statute and financing of pol-
itical parties (COM(2000) 898); takes the view that, pending the adoption of this proposal, the financing of
the activities of the European political parties should be transparent and in compliance with the rules
established by the Bureau;

22.
Stresses that the European Parliamentary Association and the Association of Former Members are
two different associations; regards it as unacceptable that better logistical support is granted for former
Members than for the association of active Members; therefore calls on the Administration to give the
European Parliamentary Association better assistance in future as regards the provision of rooms and
interpreter resources;

23.

Reiterates its support for the establishment of an Assistants(cid:146) statute;

Council (Section II)

24.
Calls on the Council not to include any operational expenditure in its budget, as it would breach
paragraph 39 of the IIA and Article 19 of the Financial Regulation and undermine the institutional balance
of the Treaty; recalls that the gentlemen(cid:146)s agreement only applies to administrative expenditure;

(1)

(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 15.

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Notes an increase of 5,6 % in the Council(cid:146)s 2001 budget over the 2000 budget; assumes that the

25.
Council will do everything within its power to comply with the requirements of budgetary rigour;

Court of Justice (Section IV)

26.
Notes that the Court of Justice has been given additional staff resources in the 2001 budget to
tackle the translation backlog problem and expects that no further staff increases will be necessary for
this purpose for the time being; awaits further proposals from the Court on possible measures to reduce
pressure on the translation service and calls upon the Court to ensure that the existing backlog is elimin-
ated before enlargement at the latest;

Points out that the Court of Justice has published a report on the impact of Enlargement on its
27.
services, which asks for a substantial increase in staffing and budgetary resources; calls on the Court of
Justice to examine its proposed strategy in close cooperation with the Budgetary Authority and to analyse
alternative options such as inter-institutional cooperation, including the translation and interpretation ser-
vices;

28.
Regrets the delays caused to the building projects of the Court and calls on all parties involved,
especially the Government of Luxembourg, to reach a solution as soon as possible, as delays not only will
make it impossible for the infrastructure to be available in time for enlargement, but will also lead to
additional costs for the taxpayer; furthermore urges the Court(cid:146)s administration to be rigorous in view of
the total investment cost;

Court of Auditors (Section V)

29.
Notes that work on the first extension to the Court(cid:146)s current premises will begin during 2001 and
welcomes the Court(cid:146)s commitment to remain within the limit of € 25 million (1998 prices) for the total
investment cost; agrees that the second extension to the Court(cid:146)s premises, which is planned in order to
prepare for the forthcoming enlargement, should follow the first extension without delay, so that addi-
tional costs can be avoided; considers that the financing plan proposed by the Court for the first extension
(five tranches in the 1999-2003 budgets) and endorsed by the budgetary authority, provides an appropri-
ate model for the financing of the second extension; notes, however, that the recasting of the Financial
Regulation could allow the European institutions to improve financing arrangements;

30.
Hopes that the Court and Parliament will be in a position to find a mutually acceptable solution to
some outstanding issues (e.g. Statement of Assurance and work programme of the Court) before the
budgetary authority is asked to consider requests for additional posts in the Court(cid:146)s establishment plan;

31.
Supports the Court of Auditors in its efforts to increase contacts with audit authorities in the
applicant countries; recognises that a strong and well established audit culture in an enlarged EU is of
the utmost importance;

The Economic and Social Committee (Section VI) and the Committee of the Regions (Section VII)

32.
Notes the decisions taken at the Nice European Council to increase the number of Members of both
Committees; encourages the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, therefore,
to continue their efforts to modernise and rationalise their working methods and improve the allocation of
resources;

Is of the opinion that the refurbishment of the Belliard Buildings needs to be carefully monitored in

33.
order to make sure that it is carried out in accordance with the plans and cost projections;

*

*

*

34.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Court of
Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and
the Ombudsman.