The European
Parliament adopted by 576 votes to 21, with 18 abstentions, a resolution
aiming to approve the estimates of the European Parliament for the financial
year 2010. It recalls that the adoption of the draft budget will take place
at first reading in October 2009, in accordance with the voting procedure
laid down by the Treaty.
Plenary notes
that the overall level of the 2010 budget, as suggested by the Bureau, would
stay below the traditional voluntary share of 20% of heading 5
(administrative expenditure) of the multiannual financial framework. The rate
of increase suggested is 3.98% and that the resulting overall level would be
marginally higher than in 2009 at 19.67% of appropriations under this
heading.
The overall
level of the budget is EUR 1 590 012 726, which represents a rate of
increase of 3.92%. , in order to leave a larger margin of manoeuvre for the
new parliament in the autumn as well as seeking to make all possible savings.
It decides to maintain the contingency reserve at the same level as in 2009
(EUR 10 million).
Recalling the challenges
to which Parliament should respond as outlined in its resolution
of 10 March 2009 on the budgetary guidelines, Parliament highlights
that there are two fundamental elements of the 2010 budget: (i) optimal
and equal access to language facilities for members; (ii) actions related
to Parliament's enhanced legislative role.
Parliament
considers that better planning needs to be considered for its 2010 budget and
that it be made more transparent. It stresses the need to maintain a
sufficient level of financial resources needed for major issues.
On a more
technical level, Parliament makes the following points:
- Post and
restructuring: Parliament takes good note,
within the context of considerable increases already granted for 2009,
of the proposals for the restructuring of services and changes to the
Establishment Plan as put forward by the Bureau. It underlines its wish
to consider the question of the related budgetary resources once a
complete picture has been given of all the requests made, including
those for groups, and stresses that it will be willing to carefully
consider the package at that time, taking into account the need to
improve Parliament's enhanced legislative role. It therefore decides not
to authorise the creation of 30 new posts at this stage. It notes
that the level of redeployment of posts suggested is very low and
encourages further efforts on this issue. In this context, Parliament
takes note that at its meeting on 1 April 2009, the Bureau unanimously
approved the re-structuring plan for DG INLO in relation to the
maintenance and management of the Parliament's buildings and the
creation of specialised central services to improve the quality of
budgetary control and of public procurement procedures. It stresses that
the final decisions concerning the appropriate level of resources, for
DG INLO as well as for other services, are part of the first reading of
the budget in the autumn according to the normal procedures. Parliament
considers it essential that the medium to long-term building strategy
plan is presented in good time before the first reading in the autumn in
order to be able to make the budgetary decisions. It warmly welcomes the
Secretary General's commitment to present a draft to the Bureau as soon
as possible in the new term. It agrees with the Bureau to reduce the
building reserve at this stage of the budget procedure to EUR 18.5
million until the introduction of the appropriate level of
appropriations once the strategy in this area has been more clearly
defined. Parliament also attaches importance to the new security policy
for the Parliament. It stresses, in particular, the importance of an
optimum use of resources (particularly concerning a cost-effective
balance between internal staff and external agents). Parliament is also
looking forward to receiving the cost-savings plan already drawn up
within DG Presidency, and are concerned about the cost developments for
operational budget lines related to security.
- Multilingualism: Parliament calls on its administration to urgently address
the Inter-Institutional Working Group on multilingualism in order to
prepare a proposal (technical level) in order to make sure that
inter-institutional cooperation in this field, especially as concerns
the use of any free capacity, is improved. Parliament is disappointed
that the system in place for better sharing of translation between
institutions is hardly used at all and expect to see a proposal on where
possibilities for improvement exist before the first reading. It also
takes a keen interest in new technical tools for its translation
services and asks for information on their development and the related
financial consequences during 2010, including the study of the Euramis
translation tool. In addition, Parliament calls for a cost/benefit
analysis regarding translation in peak times, including the outsourcing
to freelancers, as well as an update on how such resource sharing could
be applied in all the fields in which the institutions have temporarily
unused capacities, without diminishing the institution's independence
and operational capacities (interpretation, renting out the premises,
copy services, etc.).
- Legislation: Parliament welcomes the fact that the Bureau's proposal
follows up on last year's main priority, namely legislative work, but
are of the opinion that the posts suggested need to be further analysed
and should be considered within an overall package.
- Information
and Communication Technology (ICT):
Parliament recalls that clarification has been asked in the IT sector
and expect a clear plan for an overall ICT strategy for Parliament. It
considers that such a plan must strike a careful balance between the
necessary 'centralisation' and economies-of-scale already implicit with
the creation of a new and separate DG for this area, while guarding
against overlaps and double spending. It notes the proposal for reducing
the dependence on external consultants in this area (and the proposal
for an increase of posts). Parliament considers that significant staff
increases should lead to savings in consultant costs. Parliament also
requests a clarification as to how the 'provider-client' relationship
functions in the area of ICT and to which degree the 'clients' can
specify which projects they would like to see done, how the financing
for carrying out those projects is arrived at and, ultimately, how it is
ensured that these fit into the overall strategy.
- Multi-annual
projects: Parliament recalls its
expectations regarding important initiatives and projects in the field
of information, such as the new library analytical service, the Policy
Units of committees, as well as the vast array of other available
information sources/systems, which take up increasing levels of
appropriations. It therefore calls for budgetary and functional
stocktaking. It also notes the fact that the Web-TV project is included
at already foreseen levels in the Bureau's proposals and would welcome
some further information on 'the return' for this investment (notably
whether this project already has, or will, reduce the need for other
types of information in print). Parliament also wishes to leave the Visitors
Centre a real possibility to get on with its business and open as soon
as possible, in any case no later than the beginning of 2010. It
therefore looks forward to a final decision on the management concept of
the Centre, whilst limiting out-sourcing.
Lastly,
Parliament stresses that a more detailed examination of individual budget
items should take place before the first reading of the budget in the autumn.
It notes that they will examine and take the final budgetary decisions at
that time.