Strasbourg, 27/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The first reading of the draft budget 2001 by the European Parliament was marked by debates on external aid and revision of financial perspectives (see yesterday's EUROPE, pp. 5/6), but this is not the only element to be retained from the vote on a draft budget of EUR 96.86 billion in commitment appropriations (as opposed to 96.95 proposed by the Commission and 95.86 by the Council), and EUR 94.72 in payment appropriations (as opposed to 93.89...