2003 budget: other sections

PURPOSE : to establish the second reading of the draft budget for the European Union for the financial year 2003 by the Council (amended draft and proposed modifications) : other budgetary sections). CONTENT : after the meeting with the European Parliament, and on the basis of the preparatory work done by the Permanent Representatives Committee as well as the agreements reached with the European Parliament at the conciliation meeting, the Council reached political agreement at second reading of the draft general budget for 2003. The agreement reached with the Parliament, concerning heading 5 of the budget (administrative expenditure) takes account of the following elements : - the impact of the fall in the actual rate of increase of salaries and pensions (2% instead of 2,6%), - the impact of preliminary draft supplementary and amending budget No 6/2002 on the anticipation in 2002 of expenditure envisaged for 2003 ("frontloading"); - the acceptance of amendments to administrative expenditure in relation to expenditure connected with enlargement; - return to the Council's first reading for the other budget headings except for the Recruitment Office. Examining each of the institutions, the budgetary agreement provides for the following elements: - Section I : European Parliament : in accordance with the Gentlemen's Agreement, none of the measures taken by the European Parliament in its own draft budget was amended; - Section II: Council : financing of the acquis commaunitaire by taking into account the effects of SAB No 6/2002. The amount entered in Chapter 103 (Provisional appropriations: publication of the acquis communautaire) now stands at EUR 1,66 million. - Section III: Commission (Part A) : a technical amendment concerning item 3014 (European master's courses in human rights and democratisation), was accepted. Moreover, as a result of the lower rate of increase in salaries taken for 2003: the amount entered under item 1100 (Basic salaries) now stands at EUR 1 015,936 million. Concerning the remaining sections (Section IV - Court of Justice, Section V - Court of Auditors, Section VI - Economic and Social Committee, Section VII - Committee of the Regions, Section VIII - European Ombudsman and the European Data Protection Supervisor): the budget, as approved by the Council, is characterised by the smaller increase in salaries taken for 2003.�