Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-22-Speech-2-110"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-10-22"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:2003 budgetary procedure2
dcterms:Language	"fi"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20021022.6.2-110"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-10-22-Speech-2-1112
lpv:speaker	lp:Esko Seppänen2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Estonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3 unknown; Vasemmistoliitto (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee (EEA) (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member_of_the_bureau; EUL/NGL (1999-10-13--2004-07-19)3 substitute; BUDG (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, there are some agreements that are stupid because they are inflexible. That is the reason why someone in a very authoritative position said the Stability and Growth Pact was stupid. Some of the representatives from France, Germany and Portugal in our group might agree, as might some Italians also. Stupid too is the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline, which was concluded in May 1999. That was the last job of the previous Parliament carried out for the present one. It is on account of this stupid agreement that the European Parliament is virtually powerless when it comes to budgetary policy. All we can do is sit around counting paper clips and spend our time in petty administrative tasks. Mr Prodi said of the Growth and Stability Pact that the reality that lies behind it is multi-layered and that the institutions should take this into consideration and act flexibly. The same has to be said about the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline. Heading 4, the section that deals with external actions, is especially stupid in terms of its inflexibility. We all know, everyone in this House knows, that the budget is in that respect ‘quasi-rigid’. A ceiling was fixed in the Interinstitutional Agreement, regarding which the Council is unwilling to be flexible. Parliament has had the onerous task of trying to fit new priorities that both Parliament and the Council think important under the 1999 ceiling. A few million has been discussed, and at the same time there might possibly be a billion in appropriations in heading 4 still not forwarded for payment. Thus, there is money in this heading which everybody knows is not being spent. One of the biggest problems with the budgetary procedure is how to include as an extension to the unpaid appropriations in this heading the new appropriations we want to pay, and which we need to pay, in order to fulfil the wishes of the budgetary authorities. As the Interinstitutional Agreement is terrorising the drafting of the budget, it must come as no surprise to anyone that if EUR 10 billion remains unused from this budget it will go back to the Member States. I call the Interinstitutional Agreement stupid because of its inflexibility, and the same goes for the Council that is perpetuating this inflexibility. I cannot, however, agree with the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, regarding the stupidity of the Stability and Growth Pact. The Swedish rapporteurs have done an excellent job."@en1
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Well done, Sweden!"1

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