Strasbourg, 30/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 26 October in Strasbourg, the European Parliament strove to determining its draft budget for next year. While appearing reasonable in its approach to spending, it is seeking to continue its strategy for buying buildings and launching new initiatives for improving relations between institutions and European citizens.
By adopting the report of Louis Grech (PES, Malta) on the draft budget for 2007 on institutions other than the European Commission, in its first reading, the EP is planning, for the second time in its history to not attain the 20% threshold, which it had proposed itself, for overall administrative spending. It has set out its budget at €1.397 (+5.74% compared to the 2006 budget), which leaves it €25.5 million under the 20% ceiling. The EP says that it is convinced that this budget “will not limit the capacity of this institution to function efficiently in any way”. The EP is calling on the Bureau to revise this 20% ceiling by taking into account developments at Parliament and the needs of the latter up to 2009 and beyond. The EP also regrets that the budgetary authority has not received any information in return from the administration as requested on reducing unnecessary spending linked to the existence of three workplaces (Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg). It points out that the costs of this geographical dispersion is around 16% of the total spending by the Parliament and calls on the administration to present a report on the number of officials needed to attend the plenary session in Strasbourg.
The EP believes that it is necessary to continue its policy for buying offices and buildings. However, it is calling for the application of purchasing procedures to be more “rigorous, solid and transparent” following the “Strasbourg experience” (the deal involving €143.125 million with the Strasbourg city authorities for ownership of buildings in Winston Churchill, Salvador de Madariaga and IPE3, EUROPE 9275). At this stage, the EP is planning on €50 million for real estate investment for the institution in 2007.
To improve its communication and information strategy, the EP has confirmed its desire to launch a parliamentary channel on internet next year. €6.7 million to this effect will be released from the reserve when the budgetary authority validates the content and costs for the project (including structures and the level of participation of political groups in the definition of the programme content). The EP will be “converting its “visitors centre” premises and testing out its “Citizens Forum”.
In the context of enlargement, the EP is planning on €48 million in spending for new Romanian and Bulgarian MEPs (35 and 18 respectively), the recruitment of officials resulting from this accession and interpreting costs.
The EP rejected an amendment from Jacky Henin (GUE/NGL, France) calling on it to stop using temporary work agencies for recruiting session auxiliaries (mainly employed as ushers and messengers). (lc)