Strasbourg, 15/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament decided on Wednesday in Strasbourg to set up a temporary committee on the policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union for the next financial perspective 2007-2013. Under the decision of the Conference of the Presidents of the political groups of the EP (EUROPE of 11 September 2004, p. 12), the temporary committee, which will have fifty members, will have the following mandate: - to define the EP's political priorities for the future financial perspectives both in legislative and budgetary terms; - to propose a structure for the future financial perspective in line with these priorities; - to make an estimate of the financial resources to be allocated to EU expenditure for the period 2007-2013; - to propose an indicative allocation of resources between and within the different headings of the financial perspective in line with the priorities and proposed structure.
The temporary committee will present a final report to the European Parliament before the Council decides its common position. The specific budgetary and legislative proposals will be examined by the relevant parliamentary committees. The election of the President, the Vice-President and the rapporteur will take place at its inaugural meeting. There is, however, an agreement between the groups that Josep Borrell will be the President of the committee and Reimer Böge (PPE-DE, Germany) will be rapporteur. The official nomination will not take place until the first meeting of the temporary committee. The Conference of Presidents is due to establish the finer points this Thursday: the timetable of meetings, the political composition (that is, which parliamentary committees will be represented), the list of members and the working method (possible presentation of an interim report in December).
The aim of the temporary committee is to coordinate the EP's position on the various European Commission proposals on the future financial perspective and to prevent the Council being the sole negotiator on the dossier. The Parliament adopted a resolution on 22 April in which it warned the Council that unless an agreement is reached with the EP on the financial package, there will be no new financial perspective.