State of the Union's own resources for 2001

The committee adopted the own-initiative report by Jutta HAUG (PES, D) on the situation of the Union's own resources in 2001. The committee came back once more · as it simultaneously discussed Supplementary and Amending Budget (SAB No 4) · to the need to alter the own resources system so as to provide the EU with financial autonomy. With SAB No 4 the Member States would make savings of 11.6 billion euro by entering the balance of the 2000 budget in the budget for 2001. The report highlighted the downward trend in the share of Community GNP which was received by the EU budget. The resources collected by the Member States on behalf of the Union, and transferred to it, would be equivalent to 1.06% of their GNP in 2001 (the 1996 figure was 1.20%). The committee reiterated its view that the EU needed an autonomous source of revenue which was sufficient for its needs and was directly linked to the taxpayer. It backed efforts to introduce a Community tax as a direct form of revenue which would not involve any extra costs for the taxpayer and could strengthen the link between the EU and its citizens. It added that Parliament should be fully involved via the budget procedure in decisions concerning revenue.�