Brussels, 23/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 22 March, the European Parliament suggested postponing the discharge for the budget for the Council of Ministers of the EU and the European Economic and Social Committee for 2009. MEPs are proposing to give a satisfactory report on 2009 expenditure for the other institutions, including the Parliament and other Community agencies. On 20 March, the budgetary control committee is expected to adopt the report by Jorgo Chatzimarkakis on the discharge for the 2009 budget for the European Commission. The European Parliament will vote on the discharge for executing the 2009 budget next May.
By adopting the report of Ville Itälä (EPP, Finland) on the EP budgets, the budgetary control committee suggests that a discharge be given to the president of the EP for executing the EP budget in 2009.
Reducing interpreting costs. The budgetary control committee suggests a number of measures to eradicate unnecessary interpreting service costs. During parliamentary committee meetings, it proposes that interpreting services only be provided in the six official languages most often used (French, German, English, Polish, Spanish and Italian). Interpreting into another official language would only be available at the request of an MEP.
With regard to new office space, MEPs call for a survey to be carried out among MEPs to see whether they consider that a second office for assistants is necessary when new assistants are recruited. They also suggest rules for limiting long-distance journeys using EP cars.
Special rules are also requested for ensuring that MEPs do not employ family members as assistants.
EP workplaces. The budgetary control committee calls on the president of the EP and MEPs negotiating the 2012 budget to hold talks with the European Council on the subject of the different EP workplaces. The cost of the geographical dispersion of Parliament is estimated at around €160 million per year, about 9% of the EP's total budget. MEPs also highlight the necessity of implementing a more efficient security strategy, which would use electronic signatures for MEPs (instead of the current archaic paper system for signing).
Council of Ministers of the EU. By adopting the report by Crescenzio Rivellini (EPP, Italy) on the Council budget, the budgetary control committee recommends that next autumn's decision on granting a discharge to the Council budget 2009 be postponed. This is because the Council had not answered a number of questions put to it by the EP budgetary control committee and the rapporteur. The overall feeling is that the Council is not prepared to play the game. Nonetheless, the Hungarian Presidency has proposed a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers of the EU on cooperation in the annual discharge procedures for executing the budget. This MoU intends to replace the “gentlemen's agreement” of 1970 (EUROPE 10327). Budgetary control committee members, however, have a number of criticisms about this draft text.
EESC. The budgetary control committee recommends that the decision granting a discharge on the EESC budget for 2009 also be postponed. There have been complaints about management of the EESC secretariat and MEPs suggest that the discharge be postponed until the European Antifraud Office (OLAF) has given its opinion on these complaints. (L.C./transl.fl))