Amending budget 2/2003: general statement of revenue

The committee adopted the report by Göran FÄRM (PES, S) on Draft Amending Budget No. 3 for 2003 (Commission). It deplored the fact that the surplus for 2002 amounted to EUR 7.4 billion although it acknowledged that this was actually an improvement compared with the surplus of EUR 15 billion for 2001. While agreeing with the Council's modifications (i.e. to include in the surplus certain amounts which the Commission had proposed as expenditure in Amending Budgets 1/2003 and 2/2003), it nevertheless regretted the timing of the Council's adoption of the Draft Amending Budget, which should have been adopted only after full completion of the procedures for Amending Budgets 1 and 2. However, the committee decided not to introduce budgetary amendments and to accept the Council's Draft Amending Budget No. 3/2003.�