Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-07-04-Speech-2-261"
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"en.20000704.10.2-261"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, here we are, at the beginning of the second half of the year 2000, debating the first two proposed amendments to the current budget. The first proposed amending budget relates to the Commission's budget. The second relates to the Council's and Parliament's budget, in both cases on the question of building policy. While the extra 15 million granted by Parliament is to be used to pay off the buildings early, thereby saving interest in the future, the extra Council expenditure will give rise to further expenditure in the future because other buildings will be rented in Brussels to house sectors such as the security policy.
As the Commissioner responsible for budgets, I naturally take a more kindly view of expenditure which saves money in the future – that is meant as a little dig at the Council, which is not yet here – although the Council's concerns are also well founded. If new tasks are to be adopted, then they need to be given staffing and administrative support. I only hope that the Council also grants the Commission the same courtesy and does not use one sauce for the goose and one for the gander.
Supplementary and amending budget 1 contains important amendments on the income side – as has been stressed – and on the expenditure side of the Budget 2000. On the income side, the refund of the surplus EUR 3.2 billion from 1999, as already mentioned. A number of other important corrections have also been made, meaning that contributions for the year 2000 can now be finalised. On the expenditure side, the following amendments have been made: provision has been made in the budget for the planned Repatriation Fund for non-military intervention in crisis areas, as already mentioned by the rapporteur. The funding for the UNMIK high representative in Kosovo and Bosnia has been amended and EUR 11 million will now be provided. For Montenegro, additional aid of EUR 20 million is to be provided.
I should like to thank the rapporteurs and to tell the rapporteur, Mr Bourlanges, that the Commission has accepted all Parliament's proposed amendments, even where, for example in the case of Montenegro, the remaining margin is extremely tight, but that means we must be economical and that is what we intend to be.
The Commission will do its best to ensure that the Council does not take this to a second reading, thereby postponing the resolution until September. Perhaps the reduction in payments will be incentive enough for the Council to follow Parliament's example in coming to a rapid decision, for which I should like once again to thank the House."@en1
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