Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-10-20-Speech-2-313"
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"en.20091020.35.2-313"2
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"Madam President, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak to you today before you finalise your first reading of the 2010 draft budget with Thursday’s vote.
Now I would like to draw your attention to a number of issues where Parliament’s first reading gives rise to concerns.
The European Parliament is proposing an overall increase of nearly 10% in the level of payments compared to 2009, which is some 4% above the level proposed by the Commission. While I share the wish of the European Parliament to support economic growth through the EU programmes, we should also take into account the amount of payments that can be reasonably executed without undermining sound financial management. The Commission has no reason at this stage to depart from the estimates made in its preliminary draft budget.
Concerning the administrative support lines of spending programmes, the so-called ‘BA lines’, I understand the wish of the European Parliament to take a quite restrictive approach in the current circumstances. But it is also important to provide the appropriate administrative means for managing growing financial envelopes of programmes if we want this budget to be adequately executed. The Commission hopes there will be the opportunity to redress this issue in the second reading.
Parliament has also voted a number of reserves which, if maintained in the final budget, will have an adverse effect on budget execution. The reserve on salaries, if maintained in the course of the year, would have an adverse effect on recruitment of new officials in 2010 to replace personnel leaving the Commission.
Let me conclude by assuring you that, in accordance with the Interinstitutional Agreement, the Commission will give its position on the amendments adopted by Parliament in early November through the so-called ‘letter on executability’ and I hope Parliament can take it into account in its second reading.
The Commission will continue to act as honest broker and will do its utmost to help pave the way for a successful outcome to this budget procedure, bearing in mind that the financing of the second tranche of the EERP represents a real challenge for which all efforts should be heading in the same direction. I count on your support for achieving a satisfactory and balanced result there.
I would like, first of all, to thank Parliament for restoring the preliminary draft budget in many areas.
The Commission very much welcomes Parliament’s focus on using the budget as a tool to overcome the current crisis by enhancing economic growth, competitiveness, cohesion and job protection.
The Commission also welcomes the inclusion, in Parliament’s first reading, of the Amending Letter requesting increased spending, notably for Palestine, climate change and accompanying measures in favour of ACP countries.
Turning to the core issues of the present budget procedure, the Commission has fully understood that Parliament regards the financing of the second phase of the European Economic Recovery Plan as a priority. Let me tell you that this is a priority for the Commission too. From that point of view, I understand the logic behind the European Parliament’s so-called ‘asterisk amendment’ on the Recovery Plan going beyond the current expenditure ceiling.
Next week, the Commission will present a package to address the needs related to the Recovery Plan with a view to reaching an agreed solution at the November conciliation.
At this stage, the Commission has not yet identified all the sources of financing corresponding to the full amount for the energy projects required by the recovery Plan in 2010. However, the Commission will endeavour to identify all possible availabilities with a view to closing any outstanding gap in time for the November conciliation.
The Commission is concerned about the current difficulties in the dairy sector and we have taken due note of Parliament’s proposal to create a special ‘Milk Fund’ and of the stance taken by the ministers of agriculture. In line with the proposal made yesterday by my colleague, Marianne Fischer Boel, next week’s Amending Letter to the 2010 budget will propose that EUR 280 million be dedicated to help address the immediate consequences of the crisis for milk producers.
This new proposal has an impact on the initially envisaged financing of the gap for the EERP but, as I said, the Commission will deploy all efforts to eventually find the necessary resources in time for the conciliation meeting."@en1
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