Brussels, 19/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - Adopting a report in Strasbourg on Tuesday 18 May 2010 on estimates of European Parliament revenue and expenditure for the 2011 financial year, the European Parliament decided to take a strict approach.
Adopting a report by Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, Germany), the EP set its overall budget at €1.706 billion, 5.5% more than in 2010 and 20.28% in Heading 5 (administrative expenditure for all institutions). It says it wants to 'identify savings before establishing the final budget in autumn 2010.' The EP notes that administrative expenditure should be around the usual 20% of total expenditure in Heading 5.
The EP says it 'understands that, in relation to the case of salaries pending before the European Court of Justice, the total 'effect' for Parliament in 2011, which could amount to some €12 million in the event of a ruling in the Commission's favour, is included as a provision, across various budget lines, in the proposal.'
Lisbon Treaty-related issues. The EP endorses the creation of a special reserve of €9.4 million for the 18 new MEPs.
General establishment plan. The EP 'notes that apart from the request for 68 posts linked to Lisbon and 62 linked to enlargement (including 11 posts for the groups), 17 posts are requested to complete the second year of the three-year plan for DG INLO (Infrastructure and Logistics, Ed.) agreed in the 2010 procedure and 30 posts for other areas that could not be covered even after 20 redeployments had been identified as possible for 2011, bringing the total to 180 new posts.'
Buildings. The EP 'notes that a provision for a direct pre-financing of the initial stage of the construction of the new KAD building has been made for an amount of €10.2 million on the budget line for lease payments in Bureau's proposal; recognises that such a voluntary pre-financing would help reduce the financing costs but, taking into account the extremely tight situation for 2011, decides to enter a lower amount of €6.2 million for this purpose in the estimates; is willing to reassess this amount in autumn 2010 based on an update of the budgetary situation and developments in Parliament's building policy.'
Environment. The EP 'expresses support for the pursuit of measures to further reduce Parliament's carbon footprint; underlines the need for responsible use of allowances, notably travel allowances, and points out that without changing the current rules and by using, where possible, other means of transport than business class air travel from and to Parliament's places of work, Parliament's carbon footprint can be reduced and costs saved at the same time' and calls for more bicycles to be provided in Strasbourg.
Ensuring proper implementation of the Lisbon Treaty in terms of the new tasks and responsibilities it implies for the EP but taking a responsible attitude when the rest of the world is in crisis were the two main issues running through the MEPs' debate on the budget.
Slovak Socialist Vladimir Manka recognised that savings had to be made but said they must not prevent the EP from doing its work. One area of the Amending Budget (for the 2010 budget) where savings might be made is the request for a €1500 increase in the budget for MEPs' assistants, which Helga Trüpel says should be put in reserve. Her political party, the Greens/EFA, is calling for a raft of savings, ending business class flights for short journeys, fewer official staff cars and providing more bicycles in Strasbourg. The debate provided several MEPs to repeat their call for a decision that they say would make huge savings - no longer meeting in Strasbourg. This call was made, for example, by Dutch non-aligned MEP Daniël van der Stoep and British Conservative Geoffrey van Orden, who also recommends closing the EP's offices in mss' capital cities. (L.C/L.G. trans fl)