Amending budget 7/2003: section III Commission, anticipating locative expenditures

On 21 November 2003, the Commission submitted to the Council preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) No 8 for the 2003 financial year. The Commission's proposal concerns the frontloading in 2003 of Commission rental expenditure originally planned for 2004; the amount involved is EUR 21,9 million, with the appropriations in the 2004 budget being reduced by the same amount. The aim of the exercise is to be able to meet new expenditure such as the adjustment of salaries while leaving an additional margin under the ceiling for Heading 5 (Administrative expenditure) in 2004. Following conciliation on 24 November 2003 with the Parliament delegation, which preceded the Council meeting (Ecofin/Budget), the Council gave its approval - as part of an overall agreement with the European Parliament and the Commission involving the adoption at a single reading of the abovementioned amending budget - to draft amending budget No 7 for the 2003 financial year as submitted by the Commission. Following this draft amending budget, total payment appropriations amount to EUR 92 524 837 098, while total commitment appropriations amount to EUR 99 812 381 338. It should be noted that the Council amended the nomenclature of the draft budget and it therefore becomes draft amending budget No 7 for the financial year 2003 (instead and in place of draft budget 8/2003).�