Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-05-13-Speech-2-147"
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"en.20030513.7.2-147"2
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"Mr President, I endorse the fact that this budget for Parliament and the other institutions is indeed a very important matter. With enlargement we have to be most careful that we use money to the best advantage, right across the board. I would like to go through one or two detailed matters before I tackle the issue of health insurance.
The car service is often abused and we have to make sure that it is very carefully controlled indeed. Concerning languages, technology and the Internet, we need to expand the services to ensure that we are ever more efficient and put our money to the best use at all times. Regarding staffing, we have already helped, as far as the PPE-DE is concerned, to trim down some of the expectations. This relates to assistants to the vice-presidents, where there was going to be considerable extra cost amounting to several hundreds of thousands of euros. We are making sure that whilst there will be upgradings in line with the promotion aspects of the service commitments, we will not be allowing the fast-tracking that was destined to lead to this enormous extra cost in the coming year or two.
We will also be making sure that there are no assistants helping out committee chairmen. We see no need for that. We will also be very carefully monitoring the number of assistants helping out Quaestors.
I would like to make sure that Amendment No 7 is adopted. This repairs some damage that was done in the earlier versions of this report by Neena Gill. It concerns the Association of Former Members. They have produced all the necessary reports, but they have to have meetings in June, which does not tie in with our budget calendar. It is no place of ours to criticise them and therefore I hope that we can pass Amendment No 7, which welcomes the decision of the Bureau, concerning the costs of meetings of this association. It is doing an excellent job in keeping former Members informed.
I turn now to the contentious matter raised and the reference to the Greens' amendment on health insurance. If we as Parliamentarians do not safeguard against illness of our Members, I do not believe we are doing our duty. We must ensure that the onerous duties placed on us of travelling extensively, lengthy debates and discussions and busy programmes in our regions and our countries throughout the European Union are reflected in a proper health insurance which is up and running and cost effective. I would like to read clause 3 in full, to show that this is not a final decision, but simply open-mindedness with a view to keeping this matter under review.
I quote: '…is willing to consider entering appropriations for the extension of the current health insurance scheme to former Members and looks forward to detailed proposals being submitted in due course.'
I would emphasise also that if the MEP Statute comes in, as mentioned earlier, this would probably be embraced within it. The final decision is one for the Bureau of this Parliament. All I am saying is that we, as the Committee on Budgets, should take the necessary steps to ensure that we have some allowance and that we will consider the figures in the next few months."@en1
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