Brussels, 25/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the Terence Wynn report (British Labour), the European Parliament amended the draft amending and supplementary budget for the surplus 2001 (ASB No2/2002) with the aim of releasing additional payment appropriations to allocate them to different budget headings 2002. By that decision, the EP this withdraws 4.5 billion euro out of the 10 billion euro that the Commission proposes reserving this year for Member States under unspent appropriations in 2001 so as to limit the increase in the remainder to liquidate.
The EP again notes the lack of flexibility in the system which prevents the use of unspent funds to finance other needs. It suggests that the Commission should present proposals to remedy this problem. While noting that the first estimate of surplus for the financial year 2001 is "very high", the EP also calls on the Commission to present, in May, an analysis of the causes of this "unacceptable situation" in order to determine, line by line, whether responsibility should fall on the Commission's management, on Member States, regional authorities and/or on beneficiaries. It considers it "inappropriate" that the number of budgetary procedures "be multiplied for no purpose" to present SAB, and therefore invites the Commission to use its right of initiative in a more rational way.