1998 discharge: follow-up. Report

The Council takes note of the Commission's report on the actions undertaken in response to the comments of the Council on the discharge procedure in 1998. In general, the Council is aware of the fact that the process of overall reform which the Commission has been undertaking since September 1999 will have effects on a progressive basis. In this respect, it underlines the usefulness of a detailed follow-up by the Council of the different sectoral measures taken, most notably in the present follow-up. The Council takes note of the Commission's presentation of 19 October 2000 which proposed an altered financial regulation. In anticipation of the implementation of this regulation, the Council considers it imperative that the Commission continue its reform. In particular, in relation to the follow-up to the discharge for the implementation of the 1998 budget, the Council made some comments in relation to the following sectors: own resources, Common Agricultural Policy, structural measures, internal policies and external actions, administrative expenditure, financial instruments and banking activities.�