Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-12-Speech-2-035"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-03-12"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:2003 budget guidelines2
dcterms:Language	"fi"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20020312.3.2-035"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-03-12-Speech-2-0362
lpv:speaker	lp:Esko Seppänen2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Estonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3 unknown; Vasemmistoliitto (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; CONT (2002-01-17--2002-03-20)3 member; Delegation to the European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee (EEA) (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member_of_the_bureau; EUL/NGL (1999-10-13--2004-07-19)3 substitute; BUDG (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, the important area of focus in the draft budget for 2003 is enlargement. Our group supports the view that savings from the budgeted enlargement expenditure for 2002 and 2003 can be used to finance enlargement in later years. The rapporteurs think the important area of focus is the administrative reform of the Commission. We are prepared to allow those Eurocrats who cannot be made fit for work through retraining to retire prematurely. A sense of moderation will have to be observed when determining their pension benefits. I would also like to draw your attention to how the Commission has managed to get round the staffing ceilings by employing officials whose salaries are paid by Member States. There are 800 of them. It is our group’s opinion that the rapporteurs do not insist forcefully enough on the clearance of the backlog of commitments that have not been forwarded for payment – the so-called RAL. From one year to the next, the gap between commitments and payments is allowed to grow. That means the Commission may well disregard implementation of the areas of focus specified by Parliament. Our group would like to see the Commission include the RAL question in the areas of focus in its preliminary draft and safeguard the implementation of programmes to a greater extent than is now the case, including the implementation of Structural Funds programmes. Our group sees immense problems with the margins in Section 4 of the budget. There are none. That is why the Commission must propose action in next year’s draft budget to ensure the implementation of political areas of focus under Section 4. While a certain amendment calls for considerable financial support for Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, we should remember that all the former Soviet Republics, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, are their presidents’ dictatorships, where there is no respect for human rights. We also have to insist on democracy in those countries that are supposed to be our allies. Our group also considers important the reconstruction of the Palestinian areas in the wake of the havoc wreaked by Israel."@en1

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