Brussels, 24/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 19 March, the European Commission adopted draft amending budget (n° 1) for the 2010 financial year which provides for additional funding for the European Parliament to cover expenditure stemming directly from the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty. These additional needs were not identifiable when the 2010 budget was adopted. The Commission proposes to increase the 2010 budget by €9.4 million (in commitment and payment appropriations) and to add 150 jobs to the list of posts.
The Lisbon Treaty will have an effect, whether direct or indirect, on the entire range of European Parliament services. The additional human and budgetary resources required to enable Parliament to fulfil its new role as co-legislator on equal footing with the Council will be provided for through this amending budget for 2010. Emphasising that legislative excellence is its main priority, Parliament points out that MEPs, committee and political groups have to be provided with the appropriate means to achieve it. The proposal, therefore, relates to: - strengthening of committee's secretariats by creating 70 additional posts and of the directorate for relations with national parliaments by creating 5 additional posts, a total, then, of 75 new posts; - enhancement of personal assistance to MEPs through an increase in their secretarial allowances; - improving capacity to assist political groups through the creation of 75 additional temporary posts. The appropriations needed for these proposed measures amount to €13.4 million, with €4 million coming from the buildings reserve and €9.4 million requested as additional appropriations under heading 5 (administrative expenditure) of the multiannual financial framework.
The Commission also adopted draft amending budget (n° 2) for the 2010 financial year covering: - impact related to the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty for the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR), as adopted in their respective draft statements of estimates; - changes to the BEREC (Body of European regulators for Electronic Communications) Office establishment plan, without financial provisions.
The net financial impact of this amending budget is €10.5 million in additional commitments and payment appropriations under heading 5 of the multiannual financial framework. The two institutions will have 59 posts added to their lists.
The EESC is seeking additional resources to fully implement the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty: €4.14 million over a period of six months, including 22 new posts (14 AD5, 6 AD9 and 2 AD3).
The CoR is estimated to need an additional €6.4 million (an 8% increase on the current 2010 budget) and 37 additional posts, including 6 temporary posts for the secretariats of the political groups and the president's private office.
These two draft amending budgets have been submitted to the two branches of the budgetary authority - the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament - for adoption. (L.C./transl.rt)