1998 discharge: 6th, 7th and 8th European Development Funds EDF

The committee adopted the report by Heide RÜHLE (Greens/EFA, D) recommending that Parliament grant the Commission the budgetary discharge for 1998 in respect of the sixth, seventh and eighth European Development Funds. The report welcomed the fact that Parliament's pressure had paid off (Parliament voted in April to postpone a decision on whether to grant the discharge) and that the Commission had embarked upon a major reform of development aid, as it had promised Parliament on 16 May. The committee stressed that it expected the Commission to supply it with a clear timetable of the measures to be carried out and to keep Parliament regularly informed (every six months) of progress achieved in implementing the action plan for reform. It called for Parliament, the Commission, the Court of Auditors and OLAF to cooperate closely to ensure the success of the reform and improve the effectiveness of the Community's external aid measures. �