Amending budget 3/2008: bluetongue vaccinations; Joint Technology Initiatives; EU Solidarity Fund; establishment plans of European Institute for Gender Equality and European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

The European Parliament adopted by 598 votes to 19, with 15 abstentions, a resolution which aims to approve, unamended, the draft amending budget No 3/2008 of the European Union.

The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Kyösti VIRRANKOSKI (ALDE, FI) and Ville ITÄLÄ (EPP-ED, FI) on behalf of the Committee on Budgets.

The Parliament recalls the main points of this draft budget, which cover the following items:

• the budgeting of the revenue accruing from the Microsoft case (fine and interest totalling EUR 849 200 000),
• the budgeting of savings arising from the smaller than estimated increase for salaries and pensions of officials in 2007,
• the reinforcement of the emergency fund for veterinary measures due to the bluetongue crisis by EUR 130 million in commitment appropriations, and EUR 63 950 000 in payment appropriations,
• the creation of budgetary items to accommodate subsidies for four Joint Undertakings (IMI, Clean Sky, Artemis and ENIAC),
• the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 98 million in commitment and payment appropriations (relating to forest fires in Greece and floods in Slovenia),

·        the modifications to the establishment plan of the European Institute for Gender Equality, and of the European Economic and Social Committee.

In addition, the Parliament indicates that the Council ensured that the Microsoft monitoring mechanism,linked to the Microsoft case, was exclusively financed by the savings in salaries and pensions in Heading 5 of the Financial Perspectives (FP). It regrets the fact that the Council unexpectedly reduced budget line 26 02 01, thus introducing a new element, without consulting the Parliament. On the other hand, it is awaiting the use of these savings in Heading 1a of the FP for funding of the priorities of the Parliament.

In addition, the Parliament hopes that, in future, the Commission avoids including the funding linked to instruments such as the EU Solidarity Fund or the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund in draft amending budgets together with other issues, so as to avoid any delay in the decision and delivery of the amounts in question.