European Parliament resolution on the guidelines for Sections II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII(A) and VIII(B) and on the European Parliament's preliminary draft estimates (Section I) for the 2005 budgetary procedure (2004/2002(BUD))
Date: 2004-02-26
Institutions: Committee on Budgets, European Parliament
Subjects: Community budget, adaptation of financial perspectives, administrative expenditure (EU), budget estimate, budgetary discipline (EU), budgetary procedure, enlargement of the Union

23.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 98 E/171

Thursday 26 February 2004

P5_TA(2004)0118

2005 budget guidelines (other sections)

European Parliament resolution on the guidelines for Sections II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII(A) and VIII(B)
and on the European Parliament’s preliminary draft estimates (Section I) for the 2005 budgetary
procedure (2004/2002(BUD))

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to Article 272 of the EC Treaty,

(cid:1) 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 (1),

(cid:1) having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2004 (2),

(cid:1) having regard to the annual report of the Court of Auditors for the 2002 financial year on the

activities financed from that budget, together with the institutions’ replies (3),

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Committee on

Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs (A5-0062/2004),

A. whereas the technical adjustment of the financial perspective projects a figure of EUR 6 185 million at

current prices for heading 5 (Administrative expenditure) in the 2005 budget (4),

Political priorities

European Union of 25 Member States

1.
Recalls that the financial year 2005 will be the first full budgetary year for the European Union of
25 Member States; recalls that the year 2005 will be the first full year of activity for the newly-elected
European Parliament, the newly-appointed Commission, the new Members of the Court of Justice, the
Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European
Data Protection Supervisor; recalls that the 2005 budget will be first full year of implementation of the
new Staff Regulations;

2.
Underlines the importance of satisfying the needs of the enlarged Union despite the existing financial
constraints; calls on the institutions to apply sound financial management and budgetary rigour, and to
ensure value for money for the European taxpayer;

General framework

3.
Takes note of the financial constraints foreseen for heading 5 in 2005; underlines the fact that
the technical adjustment reduces the ceiling of the financial perspectives of heading 5 for 2005 by
EUR 94 million at current prices;

4.
Is looking forward to the new report on the developments in heading 5 by the Secretaries General
envisaged for February 2004, proposing a new financial programming for 2005-2006 to take into account
the new financial limitations of heading 5; invites the institutions, taking into account the budgetary con-
straints and uncertainties relating to the 2005 budget, to present realistic requests corresponding to their
real needs in the 2005 estimates;

(1) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 53, 23.2.2004.
(3) OJ C 286, 28.11.2003, p.1.
(4) Calculated net of staff contributions to the pension scheme (EUR 175 million at 2005 prices).

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23.4.2004

Thursday 26 February 2004

5.
Takes note of the efforts made so far by the institutions to respond to the challenges of the
enlargement; recalls that the amount of staff in most of the institutions has been increasing rapidly to
cater for the needs of the enlargement; considers that the main bulk of the additional needs related to
the enlargement are covered in the 2002-2004 budgets, albeit that a number of measures remain to be
taken;

6.
Regrets the delays in the selection procedures organised by the European Personnel Selection Office
(EPSO), which may not allow the institutions to fill all the posts granted by the budgetary authority in the
2004 budget; considers it essential to make a thorough assessment of the recruitment situation in view of
the 2005 budget; reiterates its view that all staff requests have to be based on real needs and realistic
recruitment estimations;

7.
Estimates that the financial impact of expanding the institutions’ premises will occur mainly after
2005; calls on the institutions to provide an update on their building projects including information on
the increase in the number of offices due to enlargement;

8.
Takes the view that the reform of the institutions continues to be one of the key issues for the 2005
budgetary procedure; calls on the institutions to continue their administrative reforms to improve their
management and modernise staff policy; expects all institutions to increase efficiency by rationalising their
working methods, making better use of modern technology, defining negative priorities (activities that can
be discontinued or re-organised) and focusing more on the core activities;

9.
Calls on the institutions to analyse their budgetary structures while making the adjustments required
by the new Staff Regulations, and to ensure that activity-based presentation is attached to the draft esti-
mates in order to enhance transparency;

10.
Encourages inter-institutional co-operation in order to reduce costs and increase value for money
while ensuring the institutional independence of each institution; welcomes the establishment of inter-
institutional offices, such as the European Personnel Selection Office, as well as the setting-up of the
Commission’s
and
(Paymaster’s Office,
Luxembourg); is of the opinion that further co-operation between linguistic services could be envisaged;

administrative offices

Infrastructure Offices

in Brussels

Points out that, due to the budgetary constraints in 2005, new entities may have to be delayed

11.
unless savings are made by launching such bodies;

12. Welcomes the Commission communication on building policy and infrastructures in Brussels
(COM(2003) 755); invites the other institutions to encourage greater use of public transport and alternative
means of transportation, and to update their mobility plans; points out that certain concrete measures can
be taken promptly, such as providing information via the Intranet on sustainable mobility connections;

Stresses that the conditions for the environmental permit and the commitments entered into by SEL

13.
to provide new or renovated housing for the inhabitants of the district must be complied with;

Parliament (Section I)

14.
Is aware of the several uncertainties relating to the setting-up of Parliament’s budget for 2005, such
as the current lack of agreement on a Member’s Statute, the actual outcome of the enlargement-related
recruitments in 2004, and developments of several building projects; therefore reserves at this stage its
position regarding the self-imposed limit of 20 % of the expenditure under heading 5;

15.
Awaits the results of the study on EMAS and invites its competent bodies to explore practical ways
of including social and environmental criteria in its procurement policy, learning from the experiences of
other organisations, cities and local authorities;

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Regrets that the Member States have not been able to agree on a Members’ Statute and hopes that

16.
progress can be made in this regard during 2004;

17.

Expresses its continued support for the adoption of a Statute of Members’ assistants;

18.
Follows closely the developments relating to the European political parties and considers that, in
principle, this expenditure should remain outside Parliament’s self-imposed ceiling of 20 % of heading 5 as
it does not fall within the ambit of the administrative expenditure of the institution; is prepared, however,
to look at the possibility of financing this expenditure within the 20 % ceiling in view of the budgetary
constraints for the year 2005;

19.
Awaits from its Bureau’s Steering Group on Enlargement the updated realistic estimates on the
remaining needs for the enlargement; regrets the delays in recruitment procedures for staff from the new
Member States and the difficulties encountered in recruiting especially linguistic staff from certain new
Member States, which create uncertainties regarding the rate at which new posts can be filled in 2004;
considers, therefore, that a decision on making appropriations available for additional enlargement-related
staff can only be taken at the first reading of the 2005 budget;

20.
Considers that a mid-term plan for building projects is necessary in order to define the level of
Parliament’s budget in 2005 with a view to possible capital injections needed to pursue the property
policy;

21.
Is determined, as the driving force behind the movement to set up a WTO Parliamentary Assembly,
to ensure that sufficient appropriations become available to provide for the adequate participation, with
the necessary infrastructure, of its delegations in all meetings of or leading up to such an assembly;

Assistance to Members

Calls on its Bureau to assess the pilot project on expertise budgets on the basis of the experience
22.
gained by the Committees concerned; takes the view that in the light of the results of the pilot project, the
Bureau should consider adopting modalities, including clear and objective criteria, for the possible future
allocation of research funding to parliamentary committees;

Requests its Secretary General to submit a report by 1 September 2004 on all aspects of the

23.
‘Raising the Game’ reform;

Multilingualism

24.
Looks forward to its Bureau’s Code of Conduct on multilingualism; stresses the importance of multi-
lingualism in a Parliament of 21 languages, in order to ensure provision of the necessary translation and
interpretation services for its Members, while keeping the costs of the language regime proportionate to
the benefits thereof;

25.
Points to its call for the diversity of the European Union, which enlargement will increase still
further, to be made visible as part of Parliament’s image; expects what the working group on visible multi-
lingualism has produced to be put into practice promptly in the interests of Members, visitors and media
representatives;

Information policy and new technologies

Underlines the importance of web-publishing in disseminating information,

26.
including internet
broadcasting of plenary sittings; considers that its internet site ‘Europarl’ is crucial in bringing the Parlia-
ment closer to its electorate;

27.
Encourages its parliamentary bodies and its administration to make greater use of video-conferenc-
ing, when appropriate; notes that wireless computer access is already in place in several national
parliaments; points out that offering possibilities for remote access to Parliament’s network for both
Members and staff would increase efficiency and accessibility;

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Thursday 26 February 2004

Staff policy

28.
Requests its Secretary General to submit a report by 1 September 2004 on the effects of the new
Staff Regulations on Parliament’s staff evaluation and promotion policy as well as an evaluation of the
mobility policy;

Security

Notes its Bureau’s proposals on security strategy; stresses the need to target and manage efficiently

29.
the human and material resources available for enhancing security;

Car Service

Underlines the need to re-evaluate the functioning of the car service to Members so as to guarantee

30.
value for money;

Council (Section II)

31.
Invites the Council to consider presenting its estimates with the PDB instead of at first reading, so as
to increase transparency; continues to monitor the Council’s operating budget, while respecting the
gentlemen’s agreement as regards the administrative expenditure;

Court of Justice (Section IV)

32.
Notes that the Court of Justice has experienced in the last couple of years higher growth rates in
staff than most other institutions; recalls that the Court of Justice continues to implement full multilingual-
ism;

Court of Auditors (Section V)

Recalls that the Court of Auditors has spread its enlargement-related staff increase over the 2004

33.
and 2005 budgets;

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

34.
Calls on the two committees to pursue budgetary rigour in their estimates, especially as regards
staffing requests and building projects, and to improve the cooperation between them as regards the
joint services, so as to benefit fully from the new joint premises; expects that the move to the Belliard
building and the vacation of the current buildings will take place as planned;

Ombudsman (Section VIIIA)

35.

Is aware that the Ombudsman has to be able to handle complaints from citizens in all EU languages;

European Data Protection Supervisor (Section VIIIB)

36. Welcomes the appointment of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and his deputy;
expects that the appropropriations for the EDPS will be included in the PDB for 2005;

*

*

*

37.
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, the
European Ombudsman and the European Data Protection Supervisor.