2002 budget: interinstitutional conciliation procedure

The committee adopted the report by Carlos COSTA NEVES (EPP-ED, P) establishing the broad guidelines for negotiations with the Council on the 2002 budget. It emphasised first of all that the appreciable margin existing under the overall ceiling for payment appropriations in the preliminary draft budget should be used better to implement Community policies under headings 3 and 4 (internal policies and external action), and called for a solution to the problems relating to the outstanding commitments in various sectors. The Commission was also asked to present a study analysing the measures taken in the context of agricultural reform as part of Agenda 2000 in order to facilitate decision-taking by the budgetary authority on the 2002 agriculture budget. The committee was concerned that the increase in market expenditure (sub heading 1a - Agriculture) might have an adverse impact on efforts to promote rural development. Turning to fisheries, in the light of the failure to conclude a new agreement with Morocco the Commission was asked to propose a specific action programme for restructuring the Community fleet. The committee wanted clarification of the use to which the provision of EUR 125 million in the reserve - initially intended to fund a new EC-Morocco agreement - was to be put. The committee wondered whether the Commission proposal to maintain funding for the CFSP at the same level as in 2001 was really justified. The Commission and Council were also urged to move towards a multi-annual programme of actions for the CFSP. Lastly, it called for further measures to destroy weapons of mass destruction as part of the development of the CFSP. Under the heading of administrative expenditure (heading 5), the Council should honour its commitment to create a separate title in its budget (together with an establishment plan) for the costs of the defence policy (ESDP). The three institutions should engage in a study of the long-term needs of the ESDP, enlargement, other expanding budget areas and their implications for administrative expenditure. The committee also reiterated its support for the reform process at the Commission. Lastly, it reiterated Parliament's priorities as stated in the 2002 budget guidelines approved in April 2001, such as the E-learning initiative, external action and asylum and migration policy. �