Activites

• 1996/01/29 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Budget 1996/96
  • OJ L 022 29.01.1996, p. 0001
• 1995/12/14 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0614/1995 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Joaquim MIRANDA (GUE/NGL, P) on the modifications made by the Council to Parliament's amendments concerning the 1996 budget, the EP welcomed the fact that, to a large extent, the Council had endorsed Parliament's first reading of the draft budget, in particular by accepting the amendments on partial use of the margin in heading 5 of the financial perspective, on interinstitutional cooperation, on the measures to terminate the service of officials and on certain operating expenditure. The EP also called for the drawing up of a Statute for Parliamentary Assistants on the basis of a Commission proposal by 30 May 1996. With regard to the margin, the report calls for account to be taken of the European institutions' buildings and for the Court of Auditors to draw up a special report on the financial commitments involved prior to a decision by the budgetary authorities. However, the report notes disagreement between Parliament and the Council over the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee, and takes the view that these two committees should draw up a code of conduct in respect of a joint structure. �

• 1995/12/12 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur, Mr MIRANDA, was pleased that throughout the debate on the budget there had been a consensus on the most important issues: use of the margin, interinstitutional cooperation, termination of the service of officials and operating expenditure. As far as the margin was concerned, the rapporteur hoped that the buildings of the Court of Justice and Parliament would be taken into account and that the Court of Auditors would draw up a report on the financial commitments involved prior to a decision by the budgetary authorities. However, the rapporteur also highlighted the differences of opinion with the Council on the changes to the nomenclature and the lack of agreement on the Committee of the Regions and Economic and Social Committee: he felt in particular that the CoR and the ESC should draw up a code of conduct in respect of a joint structure.

• 1995/12/11 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• 1995/12/04 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0310/1995
• #1882
• 1995/12/01 Council Meeting
• 1995/12/01 Council amended draft budget published
  • 11978/1995
• 1995/10/26 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0515/1995 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr MIRANDA DA SILVA (GUE, P) the European Parliament approved the Community budget for 1996 (Section I - European Parliament/Ombudsman, Section II - Council, Section IV - Court of Justice, Section V - Court of Auditors, Section VI - Economic and Social Committee/Committee of the Regions). * General: In the first part of its resolution, Parliament recalled that as far as appropriations were concerned, the budget year 1996 provided for an increase in funding of 4.20% over 1995. It underlined in particular that the 1996 draft budget had left a margin of approximately ECU 60 m in heading 5, that the projections for the institutions varied from -9% to + 15% in comparison with 1995 and that the Council had drawn up the draft budget at slightly more than ECU 4 billion, leaving a margin of ECU 169 m. Parliament decided to include provisional appropriations in the form of rent for Parliament itself (ECU 37.7 m) and for the Court of Justice (ECU 60 m), with a reserve of ECU 10 m. With regard to EU staffing levels, and taking initial note of the decision of the Council to create 42 jobs in its general secretariat and 6 for the Committee of the Regions (temporary staff plus 22 upgrades), Parliament decided to introduce reserve appropriations for the creation of a budgetary structure capable of taking account of measures introduced by the Council to cut back on officials as a result of enlargement. As regards interinstitutional cooperation, and convinced of the usefulness of this mechanism, Parliament took the view that savings had to be made in the area of administrative expenditure. Amendments have been adopted in this regard. Appropriations have also been included under budget heading 100 (provisional appropriations) for activities such as recruitment and professional training. * Section II - European Parliament: Taking the view that the volume of appropriations was sufficient to ensure the smooth operation of the EP, Parliament regretted that no common legal and language service had been established for the 3 institutions and felt obliged to push ahead with this in order that it might be able fully to exercise its legislative prerogatives. At the same time it decided: . to create one permanent A1 post as head of the Epicentre; . to create seven LA7 posts for the legal and language service; . to create two LA3 posts in the interpreting department (for new Member States); . to upgrade certain posts in the political groups. Parliament also included a number of allocations designed to regulate the problems of internal organisations (such as the hiring of transport, secretarial allowances for MEPs, voluntary pension scheme for Members and free-lance interpreters). Parliament repeated its call for a solution to be found to the problem of a Statute for Parliamentary Assistants in the very near future. * Section IV, Court of Justice: Parliament pointed out first and foremost that this institution had called for the creation of 21 jobs and the upgrading of 110 others, without any note accompanying or justifying this request. Parliament decided to reduce the basic allowance from 6.5% to 4.5% for personnel working for this institution and proposed creating three temporary A6 jobs as well as upgrading several other lower-grade positions. It also decided to strengthen a number of other purely technical lines (expenditure on meetings and charges for cleaning, stationery and telephone services). * Section V, Court of Auditors: Here too the level of appropriations was considered as satisfactory, though Parliament stressed that it was necessary to provide budget coverage for jobs which were actually paid over a period of 12 months. It decided to reduce the basic allowance from 7% to 5% for personnel working for the Court of Auditors. * Section VI : a) ESC: Parliament recalled its position on the management of human resources, particularly with a view to establishing a functional and transparent organisational structure within this institution. At the same time it decided to upgrade 2 posts and to create a permanent grade A position. For the rest, the budget allocated to this institution was satisfactory (except for the addition of ECU 74,300 for study purposes). b) Committee of the Regions: Parliament was concerned that the Committee of the Regions should be given sufficient human and infrastructure resources to support the activities of this institution. It subscribed to the creation of six temporary A7 posts and took the view that the budget for the Committee of the Regions was adequate, apart from the extra ECU 30,000 granted to cover the cost of meetings, official missions and studies. c) joint organisational structure: Parliament pointed out that the Council had included ECU 300,000 for rental charges in anticipation of the hiring of Parliament meeting rooms and decided, in this context, to create a new heading "expenses for meetings in the premises of other institutions" (ECU 97,000) and to adjust, as a result of this, the appropriations for "rental charges" introduced by the Council into the corresponding heading. Finally, for the institutions as a whole, Parliament noted that the procedure for drawing up administrative budgets other than that of the Commission tended towards a convergence of views between the two branches of the budgetary authority. This convergence, when coupled with real interinstitutional cooperation, would be felt in practice by the saving of one reading of the draft budget. Parliament also wished to see greater transparency between the two branches of the budgetary authority as regards the dissemination of information. Parliament noted, finally, that the budget as amended left a margin, all institutions taken together, of ECU 61.5 m on "administrative expenditure". In this respect it appended to its resolution a series of conclusions on the rationalisation of administrative expenses (creation of jobs, organisation of competitions, language training, etc.). It called in particular for a sector-by-sector rationalisation of administrative expenditure and greater transparency in respect of the resources allocated to each heading and the means provided for financing the various sectors concerned (competitions, planning of requirements, etc.). �

• 1995/10/24 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur pointed out that the priorities of the new budget were rigour, transparent management and an improved working method. He regretted that some of the increases in administrative expenditure for 1996 were higher than the overall increase envisaged (for example with regard to pensions). In his opinion, the accession of the new Member States to the Union meant that it was essential to create new, vital posts, even though that would create a more complex linguistic situation. Of the more innovative elements adopted, the rapporteur highlighted the interinstitutional cooperation (organisation of competitions, joint invitations to tender, etc.) as well as the decisions on terminations, freelance interpreters and the creation of seven reserve posts for linguist-lawyers.

• 1995/10/23 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0245/1995
• #1866
• 1995/07/24 Council Meeting
  • 1866
  • N4-300/1995
• 1995/06/15 Commission preliminary draft budget published
  • COM(1995)0300 summary

    OBJECTIVE: Preliminary draft budget for 1996 - Other sections. SUBSTANCE: The preliminary draft budget for 1996 (other sections) breaks down as follows: . European Parliament/Ombudsman: the appropriations included in the estimates for the 1996 financial year amount to ECU 763 639 800, which represents an increase of 5.57% (without taking account of a total of ECU 120 million for buildings). The EP extended the number of employees authorised in 1995 and called for the upgrading of 119 jobs; . Court of Justice: the appropriations included in the 1996 estimates total ECU 127 352 744, an increase of 11.35%. The creation of 21 jobs is requested together with the upgrading of 110 jobs; . Court of Auditors: the appropriations included in the estimates for 1996 amount to ECU 60 174 200, an increase of 15.41%. Thirty-nine new posts are requested, including eight to cover the requirements of enlargement; . Economic and Social Committee: the appropriations included in the 1996 estimates total ECU 29 095 000, an increase of 9.04%. Five new jobs are requested together with 26 upgrades; . Committee of the Regions: the appropriations included in the 1996 estimates amount to ECU 17 465 700, which represents an increase of 11.27%. Fourteen new posts are requested together with 34 upgrades. �

• 1995/04/05 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0137/1995
• 1995/04/04 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1995/03/22 Preparatory budgetary report tabled for plenary
  • A4-0067/1995
• 1995/03/22 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

• Preparatory budgetary report tabled for plenary: A4-0067/1995
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0137/1995
• Commission preliminary draft budget published: COM(1995)0300
• Debate in Council: 1866
• Council draft budget published: N4-300/1995
• Budgetary report tabled for plenary, 1st reading: A4-0245/1995
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0515/1995
• Council amended draft budget published: 11978/1995
• Budgetary report tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0310/1995
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0614/1995
• : Budget 1996/96
• : OJ L 022 29.01.1996, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)