Brussels, 10/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - Controlling administrative spending despite additional charges, a definitive status for parliamentary assistants, priority on ecology and information: these are the main priorities included in the European Parliament's 2009 budget on Thursday 10 April.
Parliament's budget for 2009 has been calculated at €1.452bn, 19.5% of administrative spending (section 5) for all Community institutions. By adopting (539 votes for, 38 against and 61 abstentions) the report by Janusz Lewandowski (EPP-ED, Poland), the EP underlined that the 20% ceiling in section 5, which parliament itself imposed, can be respected, despite the institution's expected increase in competencies and legislative activities with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.
In this context the EP looks forward to the conclusions of the working party on human and financial resources set up by the secretary general, especially regarding the requirement to respond to the enhanced legislative role of parliamentary committees and the other new responsibilities of the Parliament.
MEPs: - await the results of the evaluation of the pilot project for the analytical service to be provided to Members in the library of the Parliament; - note the proposal to earmark funds for a “House of European History” project in the Bureau's document.
Status for parliamentary assistants. By adopting an amendment submitted by the Greens-EFA, the EP supports the recommendations of the Conference of Presidents and the Bureau to ensure the consistent implementation of Parliament's internal rules on the reimbursement of parliamentary assistant expenses. The Bureau working party on the members' statute, the assistants' statute and the pension fund is invited to put forward, together with the competent Commission services, proposals relating to a statue for members' assistants, to be forwarded, as a matter of urgency, to the Council for adoption under the French Presidency so that it can become applicable on the same day as the new members' statute.
Environment. The EP insists that environmental concerns should be a key element of its policy. It believes that further improvements in terms of energy efficiency are necessary, as well as a further shift towards the use of green energy sources in all premises occupied by Parliament; - it expects the commitments undertaken in the framework of EMAS to be honoured and awaits more detailed information on the results of the EMAS action plan, as well as on the use of solar panels; - it advocates the possibility of renewing Parliament's car fleet with environmentally friendly cars. (L.C.)