Brussels, 24/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The report by Göran Färm (PES, Sweden), defining the priorities of the European Parliament in view of the first reading of the draft budget for 2003 suggests finding another solution to the flexibility instrument (proposed by the European Commission) in order to avoid exceeding the EUR 66 million ceiling in section 5 (administrative expenditure). Mr Färm is requesting an adjustment in the financial perspectives within the context of enlargement and is worried by the possible consequences that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) could have on the fishing agreements concluded with third countries. This report will be discussed by the European Parliament on 2 July in Strasbourg.
The main points demanded by the EP during the budgetary consultation with the Council in a meeting arranged within the forthcoming Budget Council framework on 19 July, is provided below.
- Enlargement of the financial perspectives: Financial perspectives must be adjusted within a context of enlargement of up to 10 countries. The report underlines that the margin of EUR 4.7 billion below the overall platform of credit payments (CP) which figured on the preliminary draft budget (PDB) will not allow the problem of the remainder to be cleared or help implement Community policy, particularly in section 4 (external actions). On the same line as the Böge report on the financial impact of enlargement, the report stresses that the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) ends up with a an equitable agricultural policy that is fair and sustainable for all current and future Member States.
- Agricultural Policy: Within the perspective of mid-term revision of the CAP, the European Commission is called on to present a proposal that aims to increase funding for rural development programmes and reduce direct payments.
- Fisheries: The reporter wants to obtain as soon as possible comprehensive information on reform of the sector in order to assess, as from conciliation in July, the impact of this reform on the 2003 budget, particularly in the area of international fishing agreements.
- External actions: In the context of CFSP loans, the Commission is called on to provide assessments and information on commitments to Afghanistan and estimate the impact on the budget on EU policies in the Balkans. The report is requesting that new external action do not "minimise" the traditional priorities of the EU.
- Administrative spending: Whilst calling for an alternative to use of the flexibility instrument, the report is calling for a tougher estimate of administrative expenditure within all the institutions in order to reduce pressure on the overall 2003 budget. The Council has launched a call for moderation in the field of administrative spending in order to respect the efforts of the Parliament to keep spending to 20% in this section.
- The report emphasises that EP priorities as described in the budgetary guidelines for 2003 are: a common asylum and immigration policy, strengthening of border controls, economic development, SMEs (mainly crafts and micro-enterprises), E-leaning etc. An amendment calling for a strengthening of information and communication action aimed at the public and companies within the context of enlargement preparation and the debate on the future of Europe.
