Brussels, 14/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission adopted on Tuesday the first version of its "White Paper on Internal Reform". The definitive version is expected for the month on February, after consulation with civil servants, the EP etc. the internal reform of the Commission was presented as of the beginning of the Prodi Commission as one of its main priorities. The draft White Paper will indicate the guidelines of this reform, announced for the end of December (see EUROPE of 22 December p.15).
The reform will mainly relate to:
1) Budgetary planning and management: as the second report from the Committee of the wise recommended, the Commission hopes moving towards "a management based on the activities." Firstly it involves abandoning in the Community budget, the separation between administrative and operational spending: all the resources (operational, administrative, human) will be directly linked to the different activities that represent the Commission's "political priorities".
2) The management of human resources: the recruitment of civil servants and the development of their careers must be done according to the "merit", according to a precise evaluation of the posts and qualifications.
3) Financial monitoring and auditing: decentralised, the financial monitoring should be carried out by each Directorate General. The audit, on the other hand, will be carried out a single service placed under the responsibility of Commissioner Kinnock.
The publishing of a draft version of the White Paper has as aim to launch the discussions on the directions to be taken in the reform before they are taken. In the framework of the Commission, "the discussions on the reform are under way with the Unions and continue on the basis of the White Paper" specifies Commissioner Kinnock's spokesperson, relating to all the aspects -political, administrative, technical - of the reform, but also on the definition of the Union representation.
With the other institutions the consulation ' will be of an informal nature". On Thursday Commissioner Kinnock, will present the White Paper to the European Parliament's Conference of Presidents (President of the EP and Presidents of the political groups). He will also stand before the EP budgetary control commission and will have meetings with the different political groups. He will also discuss it with the Member States Permanent Representatives after the draft White Paper has been passed on to the Council.