Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-31-Speech-3-209"
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"en.20060531.19.3-209"2
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".
Mr President, 2007, the first year of the new financial perspective, will be a year of spending consolidation in Parliament’s budget estimates for the coming year. Through this stocktaking exercise and consolidation process, we must strengthen what is proving to be efficient, and shed, or at least reduce, activities which do not add value.
In conclusion, I would like to thank my colleagues, shadow rapporteurs, coordinators and members of the Committee on Budgets for their cooperation and constructive participation in drawing up this report with the common goal of improving the performance, quality and accountability of Parliament’s operation.
In this type of scenario, the implementation of activity-based budgeting commands greater importance. The report, moreover, stresses the fact that the budget should reflect actual budgetary needs. This explains why it is necessary for the retention or otherwise of the self-imposed ceiling of 20% to be evaluated thoroughly. We need to carry out a cost-benefit analysis to examine what serves Parliament’s best interests, including its financial independence now and in the future, when the Members’ Statute amounting to circa EUR 100 million per annum comes into force in 2009.
This budgetary approach translates into more effective, transparent and analytical estimates, which leads me to another key issue in the report: the acquisition of parliamentary buildings. In this respect, and considering the recent events regarding the purchase of the WIC and SDM buildings in Strasbourg, we have no hesitation in putting into reserve the EUR 50 million intended for the purchase of those premises.
It would be inadvisable to release these funds until the outstanding and unclear issues surrounding those premises have been satisfactorily clarified. We do not wish to underestimate the positive financial impact of our acquisition policy. We have repeatedly commented on the substantial savings this policy has created over the years. Nevertheless, it would be prudent to consider re-examining the overall acquisition policy of Parliament’s buildings, including the information offices in the various Member States.
The report also addresses the issues relating to the visitors’ programme and information policy. Regrettably, no decision has been taken on the EUR 5 million allocated to improving the visitors’ programme. This situation is untenable and Members expect the Bureau to take a decision prior to first reading.
In 2006 Parliament decided to invest in three major information projects, which included the building of a new visitors’ centre, audiovisual facilities and web television. In this respect, the administration has put forward for our consideration funds amounting to EUR 25 million to implement these projects in 2007. In principle we agree that more needs to be done to improve connectivity between the citizens and the new institutions that represent them. However, more precise and detailed information regarding political oversight, organisation, cost structure and programme contents have to be submitted before releasing all, or some, of these funds from the reserve. Bearing in mind the existing budgetary constraints, we are not as yet convinced that the request for an additional 74 posts is justified, especially at a time when we are advocating spending consolidation. Under these circumstances, the respective appropriation has been put in reserve until detailed information justifying this request is available prior to first reading.
On another level, it is to be noted that EUR 48 million are being allocated for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria. In the event of a postponement, the financial impact of circa 24 million should be deducted from the 2007 budget.
Another important area we have focused upon in our report is that of the assistance and facilities available to Members. In this regard, the administration will be conducting a quality survey on the service being given to Members. We feel confident that the stocktaking process on the raising the game exercise, together with the survey’s conclusions, should go a long way towards improving this important aspect.
In our report we have also referred to a number of other priorities that we have to address, such as training, recruitment related to enlargement, the assistants’ statute, security and contracts relating to external supplies. Regrettably, I do not have the time to address all these points, but we certainly cannot ignore them."@en1
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