CELEX: 51979DC0124
Language: en
Date: 1979-03-09
Title: TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS BETWEEN CHAPTERS N° 5/79 (non-compulsory expenditure)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (79) 124
Vol. 1979/0065
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
Conformément au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983,
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit
règlement.
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic
Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243,
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.
 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
GEHERAL BUDGET FOR 1979                               COM(79)124 final
SEBTIOJT III - COMMISSIOir
                                                      Brussels . 9 March 1979 •
             TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS BETWEEN CHAPTERS     5/79
                       (non-compulsory expenditlira )
                       ^-5              .'-J
                        \ ^ \   >\ r:<?y
CCM(79) 124 final
 ---pagebreak---                                          \
               TPAWRTOR OF APPHOyKlATl'jaa
                        (non-compulsory expenditure )
                                                                                EUA
From Chapter 11 - Staff
* _*■ i i110
Article    i n - Officials andintemporary            staff holding
                                           tL establishment    plana post
                                                                              3 .700 «000
Item 1100      - Basic Balaries                                                  300.000
Item 1101      - Family allowances                                               430*000
 Item 1102 - Expatriation and foreign residence allowances
                                                                      Total   4.430.000
 nvï rvinnter 22 - Movable
  .        994 Hir® of equipment , operating costs and cost of se?^®s
  Article  224 Hir,^ £ CoBputer CcEtre ^ the *um«g of the
                  information axid documentary research system (CIRCE)
  Item 2240 - Operation of the Computer Centr®                                         ^
  Item 2243 - Development of data-processing applications                      _2--2
                                                                       Total   4.430.000
    TS» Financial Controller ha- approved thi.
                          _ • i _ Tu. "i    ^ 4. ^ A         XQ7 »
                                                                     »«.*!»« M»t «>•
    appropriations ar© available at 14 February
 ---pagebreak---                           EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
I.   Description of the operation
1.   Replacement of equipment in the Computer Centre
In October 197 6 « the Commission decided to replace its data-processing
equipment ( one IBM 370 and one CII 10 070 ) with the following :
- a centrai configuration supplied by ICL ( one ICL 2980 processing unit ):
- a network of terminals (Mitra mini -computers and Olivetti and Nixdorf
   intelligent terminals ).
2.   Installation of the central configuration and conversion of the
     Commission 's programmes
The ICL 2980 central configuration was installed in the Commission 's
Computer Centre in Luxembourg in November 1977 *      The work of converting
the applications of the old equipment into programmes for the ICL computer
is in progress .     Much of this work has been given to DP service bureaux
( Cap-Sogeti , etc .) under the direction of ICL .
The appropriations required for the conversion ( labour and machine time )
have already been entered in Article 224 of the administrative budget for
1977 and 1978 .     For 1979 "the Commission has requested the appropriations
needed to finish this work .
3.   Development of the terminal network
On the basis of a study made by ICL and the terminal suppliers , it was
decided that , at the outset , the network should be made up of 50 plug-
compatible terminals ( 25 Olivetti and 25 Nixdorf ) and 6 Mitra RJE ( remote
job entry ) terminals .    The Nixdorf terminals can provide access to both
the Commission 's Siemens computer and the ICL 2980 computer.
It will be possible to extend the network by increasing the number of
terminals , without incurring any additional development costs .     At the
same time , the Commission will still be able to move towards a network
based on suitable European standard interfaces as they become recognized
by the competent standardization bodies and made available b„v " i iipmant
manufacturers .
4 . The programme of the operations is given in the annex to this
explanatory memorandum .
 ---pagebreak--- II .  Need for a transfer of appropriations
1.   The total amount of the appropriations entered under Article 224 in
the 1979 Budget ( ll 293 000 EUA ) stands at the figure which the Commission
had entered in the Preliminary Draft Budget . • However , the expenditure
estimates were drawn up in direct relation to the 33 new posts requested
for the data-processing departments , the cost of which is chargeable to
Title 1 , Expenditure relating to persons working with the Institutions .
Overall , only 37$ of the requests for new posts made by the Commission
were accepted .   In absolute figures , 299 posts were not authorized .
It will , accordingly , be impossible to allocate more than six new posts
to the data-processing departments .
To avoid interruption of the work of converting the data-processing
programmes , limit the period when the old and new configurations overlap
and gradually adapt the size of the operating staff to the computing power
available , it will be necessary to use service bureaux staff to take the
place of the staff requested but not authorized in the Budget , although
this will cost more than employing Community officials .     Such staff must
be called in at once .
( a) For 12 months the expenditure ( chargeable to Item 2240 , Operation of
      the Computer Centre ) on outside staff equivalent to 27 officials is
      estimated at 1 TOO 000 EUA .
(b )  Until the six new posts assigned to the data-processing departments
      have been filled , it will be necessary to employ outside staff during
      the first half of 1979 ; this will cost 160 000 EUA .
In all , a supplementary appropriation of 1 940 000 EUA is requested for
Item 2240 to make up for the posts not provided in the establishment plan .
2.   Since October 1976 , when the Commission decided to replace the data-
processing equipment then in use , calculating power has been increased
eightfold .   Because of this increase in capacity , the estimates for
operating costs for the ICL 2980 computer were not entirely definitive .
A study , the results of which were submitted on 2 Februaiy 1979 » explains
the difference between the estimates and the requiremants which experience
has shown to be necessary .    In future , the estiaatse will be drawn up on
the basis of the norms defined in this study .
 ---pagebreak---                                             - 3 -
Essentially , the study reveals that :
    (i ) the      newness of the software requires a larger number of category A
            staff than was estimated*,
  (ii) the        installation of an «tre«ly dense network of terminal, means an
            increase .in technical operations (monitoring),
                              • t         •    f 1-1 Vsnw terminals means that more operators
( iii ) the putting into service of 11- heavy Terminals
            are needed ;
   (iv) machine tine has had to he revised upwards after the definitive list
             of applications was drawn up .
 For* 1979 1 expenditure for Item 2243 ,
 applications , was under-estimated by 950 000 EUA.
 the cost of 15 additional computer stall .
 3 The fact emerged during 1978 that there were very few ICL computer
 experts available, on the labour market .
  To deal with this situation, the programme for retraining staff was extended
  and stepped up .
  However , as can he seen from the ^" ached programme
  facilities , the conversion o *"e® 1 Qeotemher 1978.                     The decommissioning
   W ^XTe^™                                              Kle"^d\o STfaT
             Operation of the Computer Centre .
   (b )
                        staff eouivalent to lb category ^                       --
             SjStional a^ropriation of 540 000 BJA would he needed for
              Item 2240 .
                                  t>ro«.TsrEi98 other than the main *pplicatio»s , «hich are
      V/ flo.^v-O f OiUi-iUii
                                                    tre.de 5 ' salaria . allo«anc«.
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 4 -
4.    To sum up , the total amount of additional appropriations requested for
Article 224 is fes follows ( in EUA ):
 Point                     Reason                                Items
                                                          2240      I    2243
  l(a)     Making up for 27 posts requested but
           not authorized                              1 780 000
  l(b )    Cost of six service bureau staff
           for six months                                160 000
  2.       Cost of 15 unscheduled computer staff                       950 000
  3 a      Prologation of the overlapping period       1 000 000
  3 *      Making up for 16 C grade officials            540 000
                                            Total      3 480 000       950 000
III .    Availability of appropriations
( a)    Title 2 : Buildings , equipment and miscellaneous administrative expenditure
The appropriations entered under Title 2 of the 1979 Budget stand at
171 649 040 EUA.      In relation to the initial 1978 Budget ( 158 675 300 EUA ),
the increase in appropriations amounts to 8.2^.       The increase is only 6.256
against the .1978 appropriations at the end of the financial year
( 161 621 300 EUA ).
As most of the expenditure under Title 2 is paid out in Belgian francs , it
should "be pointed out that the estimates of the foreseeable expenditure ,
expressed in EUA , were drawn up on the basis of the EUA exchange rate in
force on 1 February 1978 (Bfr8 40.1924 )*      On 1 February 1979 » the value
of the EUA was Bfrs 39*5592 .
Because of this depreciation , the increase in appropriations for 1979 t
compared with 1978 , amounts to only 4 * 5$ «
It is therefore impossible to consider a transfer within Title 2 .
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 5 -
(b)         1 : Expenditure relating t.n persons working with the Institution
? ITS                          ii7t:                –N: SLX
SToSSi        SSSS StTSU ^ »»en the eaX^r .eighty applicable
in Belgium was incorporated in basic salaries on 1 January 1977 .
The effect of this measure will be a reduction in the increase rate for
overall expenditure on staff , which will mean savings totalling more than
the requested transfer of appropriations .
It is proposed to draw funds from the following Items of Chapter 11 , Staff:
 1100 : Basic salaries               EUA
 1101s Family allowances             EUA    300.000
 1102 : Expatriation and foreign
        residence allowances         EUA    430.000
                            Total    EUA 4.430.000
 ---pagebreak---                                                                     Arme *
                      Programme for replacing DP facilities
November 1977
Delivery of ICL 2980 computer
January 1978
ICL service bureau set up
Beginning of programme conversion work for the main applications
( CRONOS , SABINE , SAFIR , external trade , salaries and allowances , CIRCE)
Kay 1978-Jul.y 1978
Training by ICL of programmers for the analysis and programming service
June 1978-October 1978
Setting up of the terminal network (Mitra, Olivetti , Nixdorf)
December 1978 (September 1978)
Commencement of the conversion of the remaining applications ( around
150 in all )
February 1979 (December 1978 )
Completion of the conversion programmes for the major applications
April 1979 ( February 1979 )
Acceptance tèsts
- of the ICL 2980 computer
- of the applications already converted
- of the terminal network
Fourth quarter of 1979 (third quarter of 1979 )
Takeover of the Information and Documentary Research Centre (CIRCE )
Incorporation of DG II programmes
Completion of conversion of remaining applications
Decommissioning of IBM computer
Note :  the dates in brackets represent deadlines which it still seemed
        possible to meet in September 1978 .