Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-05-Speech-3-265"
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"en.20010905.8.3-265"2
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".
Mr President, with this speech, I should like to resume the dialogue between the two arms of the budgetary authority, namely the European Parliament and the Council. This dialogue was started in the framework of the Interinstitutional Agreement by means of various trilogues and a consultation meeting in July, on the very day that the Council adopted the draft budget for 2002.
With regard to structural campaigns, the Council has allocated a high level of commitment appropriations, taking into consideration the pledges made in the framework of the conclusions of the European Council of Berlin of March 1999 and the Interinstitutional Agreement of May 1999. The pledges in this draft budget and the programmes which have been adopted within the framework of codecision between the European Parliament and the Council are in line with the jointly agreed scheduling. Administrative expenditure has been discussed in great detail by the Council. An attempt has been made, where possible, to meet the needs of the different institutions and to take account of the specific characteristics and the general objective of a moderate increase in administrative expenditure. I remain convinced that Parliament will follow the same path in the future budgetary procedure.
In this connection, the Agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council during the consultation of 20 July pertaining to a joint declaration is a good omen. Indeed, both our institutions have agreed to ask the Secretary-Generals of the institutions to draft a report for the budgetary authority, which includes a multi-annual analysis of category 5, and which is set for discussion in the Council for budgets in November. This report must set out the proportionate benefits achieved through strengthened interinstitutional cooperation, as well as the economic proposals required so as not to exceed the maximum in category 5. Both aspects have a bearing on preparations for the forthcoming enlargement.
I will not close off this general presentation of the draft budget for 2002 without mentioning two major issues in respect of which the Council has adopted a wait-and-see approach, because a number of elements, which were not to become apparent until later on in the budgetary procedure, have been missing. These issues are the BSE and foot and mouth crises on the one hand, and the fisheries agreement with Morocco on the other.
As far as funding the effects of the BSE and foot and mouth crises is concerned, during the consultation of 20 July between the European Parliament and the Council, we concluded an agreement on a joint declaration in which the two arms of the budgetary authority were informed that, under the maximum of sub-category 1A of the financial perspectives, as laid down in the draft budget, a sufficient margin should be maintained to meet the needs in connection with the BSE and foot and mouth crises. We would ask the Commission to submit a detailed analysis of the needs and to meet those needs, first of all by using the appropriations still left from 2001, and secondly, by including the required appropriations for 2002 in its letter of amendments this coming autumn.
With regard to the financial implications of the absence of a fisheries agreement with Morocco, and the funding requirements to restructure the fishing fleet in question, the Council has stated that it would reconsider the situation in the framework of this year’s letter of amendments, which is required under the Interinstitutional Agreement.
I know that during the most recent discussions of your Committee on Budgets, quite a few members expressed their regret about the outcome of this consultation. As this outcome cannot be seen as an actual result, people have started to call the validity of this exercise into question.
I should like to make two observations in this connection. First of all, we must see this consultation between the members of the Council and Parliament as an initiation of the dialogue between the two arms of the budgetary authority. Even if this consultation does not reap any immediate benefits, the discussions at the Council will still be affected by this during the coming months until the end of the budgetary procedure in December.
In addition, it is true that, at the time of the consultation, the Council’s preparatory activities for July’s sitting had already reached an advanced stage, and that compromise solutions had already been found in order to remove various obstacles which had emerged between the Member States themselves. But it is also true, as I am sure you are aware, that the package which contains the compromise of the draft budget has already been influenced by the positions adopted by the European Parliament and which were known to us on account of the many contacts we have with this institution. Those contacts, which start out in February and March, coincide with the informal trilogue in the capital of the presidency, and will be developed at different levels until the Council in July. I can assure you that, without this permanent dialogue, the draft budget which is now before you could have taken on a completely different format.
Today, I should like to make you aware of the fact that the Belgian Presidency sets great store by sound cooperation with Parliament. I should therefore like to explain to you directly the Council activities which have led to the draft budget for 2002 which is now before you and on the basis of which you will be preparing your first reading in the next two months.
First of all, I should like to outline the guidelines which have helped the Council compile this draft budget. To start with, the draft budget is completely consistent with the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and the improvement guidelines for the budgetary procedure. The Council deems it of particular importance to keep to each of the annual maximum amounts for expenditure, as laid down in the financial perspectives and based on the recent EP and Council decision to adjust the financial perspectives with regard to budget implementation, and on the technical adjustment to GNP and price development, implemented by the Commission. The Council has ensured, insofar as is possible, that sufficiently wide margins will be maintained in respect of the maximum amounts for the different categories, with the exception of categories 2 and 7.
Secondly, the Council has taken into consideration the budgetary guidelines for 2002 which it adopted in March of this year. You have undoubtedly noticed that the Council has adopted decisions of this kind for the first time. I am of the opinion that it is a sound approach. It constitutes a move towards greater transparency and hence an improvement in the budgetary debate. You have for some time now adopted budgetary guidelines yourselves which are used throughout your debates. The same applies to the Commission which establishes its priorities every year.
The Council has therefore ascertained that the different EU measures are appropriately funded from the financial resources available within the maximum amounts set according to the financial perspectives. For this purpose, the Council has, with regard to commitment appropriations, taken account of the evaluation of the options to implement the appropriations. Finally, the Council has devoted special attention to the development of appropriations for payments by curbing their growth compared to 2001, taking particular account of the implementation options and the expected rate of payments in connection with outstanding amounts and national budgetary requirements.
I should like to underline that these efforts to moderate are spread across the compulsory and non-compulsory expenses. I should also like to take the opportunity to remind you that the Council deems it desirable that the Commission once again, as it did last year, submit a letter of amendments with the proposal to include in the final budget for 2002 an estimate of the surplus available from 2001. Based on the above, the draft budget for 2002 provides for commitment appropriations the sum of EUR 99 009 million, i.e. an increase of 2%, and for payment appropriations EUR 95 598 million, which is also a 2% increase. The draft budget submitted to you is a compromise by means of which all policy areas and priorities of the European Union can be financed without placing too heavy a burden on the Member States who try to keep their public finances under control, and where room is given, especially under the maximum amount of category 3 of the financial perspectives and category 4, for fresh priorities."@en1
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