Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-11-Speech-2-110"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20011211.7.2-110"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure for me to be meeting you here again in order to shed light on the salient points of the second reading of the EU’s draft general budget, as drawn up on 22 November. It is one of the last, but also one of the most important stages in the sometimes complicated process in which the Community budget is brought about.
I am convinced that these measures correspond to the horizontal amendments which the European Parliament approved at first reading, so that we can look forward to the budget approval with confidence.
The Council has also devoted special attention to the priorities which the European Parliament had listed at first reading
by agreeing to the additional appropriations for
learning and immigration. Needless to say, I am pleased with the post-ECSC regulations and the pledge by the Spanish Presidency to redraft the Financial Regulation.
I should like to conclude this last list of priorities to be taken into account with one of the Council’s essential priorities, namely the controlled increase of payment appropriations. I shall come back to this in due course.
At second reading of the budget, we took account of the agreements concluded during consultation. We have tried to adopt a budget which can accommodate all the EU’s priorities, on the one hand, and which can take into consideration the points which were brought up after first reading without losing sight of the real needs and scope for spending the appropriations, on the other. I should like to outline the other results to you for each heading.
As far as agricultural expenditure is concerned, letter of amendment 2 has been adopted in its entirety. Moreover, the Council has restored the proposed amounts in the preliminary draft budget for the budget lines which were cut at first reading and to which the letter of amendment refers. An additional EUR 4.5 million has been included, as agreed during the consultation of 21 November, whereby Parliament’s observations were taken into account. In a joint declaration with the European Parliament, special attention has been paid to the protection of animals during transport. I am also delighted that our institutions can reach agreement on the points of this letter of amendment which pertain to expenditure for rural development, fisheries agreements and the inclusion in the budget of the surplus available from the previous budget year in the sum of EUR 1.2 billion.
I believe I have already outlined the key results in connection with the structural measures, namely the inclusion of EUR 170 million by way of commitment appropriations and EUR 39 million in payment appropriations for the conversion of the Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleet, and the amount of EUR 30 million for the regions which border the candidate countries, whereby use is made of the flexibility instrument in both cases.
With regard to internal policy, the Council has kept most points of its first reading and has also partially adopted a number of major amendments of the European Parliament, including
learning, which entails EUR 5 million, and the European refugee fund, which entails an increase of EUR 5 million. The rapporteurs have tried to convince us and they have succeeded, but the Council’s willingness to cooperate should also be highlighted here, in my view. It is under this heading that quite a considerable proportion of the measures will be funded for the benefit of the regions which border the candidate countries.
As far as the external policy is concerned, the Council has not only increased the budget items covering Asia and TACIS by EUR 66 million compared to the draft budget, it has also adopted letter of amendment 2 concerning international fisheries agreements. Concerning the common security policy, an amount of EUR 30 million in commitment appropriations has been included, in accordance with the results of the consultation of 21 November.
As for administrative expenses, the three institutions agreed to hold extensive discussions about the report of the Secretaries General regarding the multi-annual development. In my view, quite a few options are still left open.
As far as the EP’s budget is concerned, the Council has adopted draft Supplementary and Amending Budget 5 for 2001, by means of which expenditure for buildings can be forecast in the framework of the 2003 budget, with the obligation to reduce the expenditure in 2003 by an equal amount.
I greatly value the fact that I am able to make this statement before the MEPs who, as representatives of the European democracy, are meeting here in plenary session.
For a number of years now, the Council has adopted a comprehensive approach during its reading, which means that the main issues in the draft budget are the set priorities and the extent of the expenditure category. Thanks to this approach, the Council has managed to remain under the existing annual maximum amounts of expenditure, established in the interinstitutional agreement of 6 May 1999. Additionally, in accordance with the interinstitutional agreement, it has managed to ensure that within the maximum amounts of financial perspectives, margins remain available, as a result of which different Community measures and policy lines can be prioritised.
When the second reading was drafted, the Council aimed for a budgetary discipline, so much so that the budget increases are in line with those of the national budgets. The total increase of payment appropriations is therefore restricted to 2%. As you know, agreement was reached during the consultation of 21 November in the framework of this general agreement with the help of the Commission. The Council relies on the fact that the European Parliament will carry on in this vein during its second reading, so that the percentage increase does not exceed the agreed maximum amounts.
Before you have a final discussion on the budget, I should like to emphasise that the Council has endeavoured to take account of certain budgetary rules and basic provisions concerning the inclusion in the reserve of appropriations, the make-up of expenditure, legal bases, preparatory actions and trial projects. That is why the Council would state once again that it is opposed to Parliament’s use of conditional reserves, which is in contravention of the Financial Regulation.
Furthermore, the Council has once again opted for the outcome of the first reading of the draft budget for heading B7-1 concerning the European Development Fund, since the increase of a funding or even of a margin in the budget lacks the necessary legal basis and is therefore not possible. Moreover, allow me to remind you that this is intrinsically about compulsory expenditure.
I should like to conclude this brief outline of the second reading by the Council by highlighting that the budgetary procedure been conducted in a good atmosphere. As in the past, emotions sometimes ran high during the discussions. Everyone has put forward their view in clear, concise, sometimes lengthy, yet forceful terms. However, the aim of the consultation procedure has not been overlooked: namely to bring about agreement between the two arms of the budgetary authority with the help of the Commission. In that way, we can adopt a budget which enables the European Union to face its challenges, and also to accommodate the circumstances and the developments which can be anticipated during the 2002 budgetary year and programme in the best possible way.
On my own behalf and that of the Council, I should like to thank in particular Mr Terence Wynn, the Chairman of the Committee on Budgets, and the two rapporteurs, Mr Carlos Costa Neves and Mrs Kathalijne Buitenweg, as well as all the members of the Committee on Budgets, with whom I have had the pleasure of working over these six months of the presidency of the Council, in which I have not only become familiar with the European budgetary procedure, but have also learnt to appreciate it. I thank you for your attention.
According to the rules of the interinstitutional agreement, this second reading of the Council was preceded by a consultative meeting of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, which took place on 21 November. I believe I can speak on behalf of all participants in this lengthy meeting, which did not finish until the small hours, when I say that it was not only a success from a budgetary point of view, because the general budget for 2002 will now soon be established, but also politically speaking, for we managed to agree on a number of new elements which presented themselves to us since our first reading and which need to be discussed, as well as a number of priorities.
On behalf of the Council, I should like to express a word of thanks to the Parliament’s delegations and Mrs Schreyer, who went out of her way to achieve this result.
I should first of all like to focus on the new elements. Needless to say, there were the events of 11 September. Entirely in line with what was decided at the consultation meeting, the Council wanted to set up a scheme to finance the effects in Afghanistan and in the neighbouring countries after these tragic events. In our jargon, this means that the geographically oriented budget items are increased, and by these we mean the items for Asia and TACIS of the external policy. For example, at second reading, the Council decided to pledge a total amount of nearly EUR 488 million in commitment appropriations for Asia. The Council also wanted to leave open a wide margin under the maximum of Heading 4 ‘External action’ with a view to meeting possible future needs in those regions. This margin is also in line with the agreement that was reached with the European Parliament to maintain a minimum margin of EUR 70 million for any needs in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. Moreover, I should like to remind you that it was also agreed to earmark a minimum amount of EUR 35 million in reserve for emergency aid of Heading 6 for possible needs of this kind. These elements formed an important part of the discussions we held.
Another new element that came up in the discussions, is the conversion programme of the Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleet following the failure to set up a fisheries agreement with Morocco. In this respect, the Council has included EUR 170 million of commitment appropriations under Heading 2 of the draft budget and has decided to use the flexibility instrument for the corresponding amount. In this connection, may I remind you that the Council, by way of accommodating the EP’s wishes, has approved a specific allocation of EUR 30 million in commitment appropriations under Heading 2 for the regions which border the candidate countries, and has also approved the use of the flexibility instrument for the corresponding amount?
In the framework of the agreement with the European Parliament on an amount of EUR 20 million in commitment appropriations under Heading 3 for those border regions, the Council has approved the trial project: ‘Effects of enlargement in the border regions’. This agreement was unquestionably one of the key points of the 2002 budgetary procedure. In order to give this more lasting form, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have decided in favour of inclusion in the 2003 budget, taking into consideration the maximum amounts established in Berlin, together with EUR 27 million that were not placed on the 2002 budget which form part of the EUR 197 million which the Commission had proposed in the financial statement pertaining to the fleet conversion programme, as well as EUR 15 million for the border regions.
As far as the priorities are concerned, I would remind you that the Council officially adopted conclusions concerning the budgetary guidelines for the forthcoming budgetary procedure in March of this year for the first time. In doing so, the Council wanted to indicate its budgetary procedures for the year 2002, as is the European Parliament’s and the Commission’s wont. During the negotiations, the Council continually pointed at these principles and priorities, and adhered to the same. In my view, this is a sound method, for it indicates more clearly what it is about and what the goal is, and it enhances transparency. I therefore believe that we all stand to benefit from the Council’s continued efforts in this direction.
Let us start with the priorities which are close to the European Parliament’s heart. I am delighted that an agreement has been reached in the framework of the joint declaration on the management of the commitments outstanding (the RALs) and of the elimination in the medium term of what people started to refer to as ‘abnormal RALs’. I would point out that abnormal RALs, which we defined as sleeping obligations for which no payments have been made over the past two years, as well as old obligations which have been on the budget for at least five years, cannot only be reduced by increasing the appropriations for payment, but also by causing obligations to lapse to a large extent. I believe that the measures announced by the Commission will ensure that this matter be resolved satisfactorily in due course. Moreover, we managed to agree on a statement regarding the implementation profile for the 2002 budget. This statement means that the implementation of the budget will be spread over the course of the year as equally as possible. The so-called December fever must be avoided in this respect. In order to achieve this, the Commission has envisaged the following measures. It aims to implement the 2002 budget, taking into account the implementation of the 2001 budget, and make the necessary changes. The budgetary authority will be notified when the implementation profile deviates considerably from the proposed profile. Furthermore, an implementation plan for the 2002 per heading of the financial perspectives will be sent upon submittal of the preliminary draft budget for 2003."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
"e"1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples