Amending budget 2/2008: Adjustments for ERDF, EAFRD and EFF, modifications to the establishment plans of the EMEA and the EMSA

The Committee on Budgets unanimously adopted the report by Kyösti VIRRANKOSKI (ALDE, FI), approving, unamended, the draft amending budget No 2 of the European Union for the financial year 2008.

In doing so, MEPs recall that they had put part of the administrative expenditure linked with the structural funds and rural development in reserve in Budget 2008 in order to accelerate the approval of operational programmes. However, they note that some operational programmes of ERDF have not been dealt with by the Commission and are worried about the delays in approval of operational programmes of rural development, one of Parliament's political priorities.

At the same time, MEPs note that the under-implementation in 2007 in headings 1b and 2 amounted to EUR 3 525 million, of which EUR 1 491 million were carried forward to 2008, and EUR 2 034 million should be transferred (under point 48 of the Inter-Institutional Agreement) to later years.

Furthermore, MEPs approve draft amending budget No 2/2008 unamended.