Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-07-04-Speech-2-258"
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"en.20000704.10.2-258"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I have nothing much to add in principle to what has already been said. We too shall, of course, be voting in favour of the two reports. What I have to say refers to supplementary and amending budget 1 which, as Mr Ferber has just said, brings Christmas in July for the Council.
The Council has the enviable task of being able to claw back and budget EUR 3.2 billion. If only we could attract the same intensive and intense attention and discussion when we discuss the fact that we are looking for 200 million in order to balance the budget next year and finance a task which has a huge effect on Europe, i.e. Kosovo or the Balkans as a whole. The figure under discussion at present is 3.2 billion, i.e. sixteen times that amount, and it will rightly be refunded, on that I have no doubt. The figure of 200 million will then probably be discussed elsewhere. We had this problem last year and we shall no doubt face a similar problem again this year. In terms of order of size, it may perhaps be a little more, but the principle is the same and it is a problem we have to solve. My request to the Council is: bear this in mind, including for the forthcoming negotiations.
It would be wonderful of course if we did not have to give back all the money which we are now refunding, if there were an agreement between the Council and Parliament whereby we could retain some of the money for contingencies. That would, of course, enable us to change the whole modus operandi between us in the future. I admit it is a highly unusual proposal, but we should consider the possibility of a reserve for contingencies. I think that would help to defuse individual budget debates.
I should like to address another two parts of the supplementary budget. The first is that, thanks to the excellent proposal by our rapporteur Mr Bourlanges, we have indeed managed to provide 20 million for Montenegro, where we have agreed to urgent procedure. However, we must find this 20 million by squeezing the margin dry. We cannot use the 3.2 billion; instead we must squeeze the margin dry. We do not need to be told, as the English say, to put our money where our mouth is, i.e. where it is needed; on the contrary, we are giving the money back and then looking around for spare change in order to perform our duties.
I should like to ask the Council to be a little more circumspect in its announcements and promises in the future unless, at the same time, it intends to tell us what we should cross out elsewhere. I can only ask the Council in the present procedure – relating to supplementary budget 1 – not to cause any more problems by withholding its approval. It really would be most welcome for the forthcoming budgetary procedure if the Council could be accommodating here and vote with us. That would be a good sign and could shape the forthcoming budget debates. My request to the Council is: please proceed as I suggest; we shall be more than happy to acknowledge such a procedure."@en1
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