Financial regulation of the 21.12.1977 applicable to the EC budget: amending following EUT and EEA Agreement

The Commission amended its original proposal to take account of the European Parliament's amendments. The main changes related to the following points: - the provisions on the financial statement were tightened up in order to provide greater discipline and transparency (the financial statement would also give economic details and information on synergies with other financial instruments); - provisions were added to create a budget framework for the Ombudsman (the Ombudsman was to forward to the European Parliament by 1 May an estimate of his expenditure and revenue for the coming financial year, and his revenue and expenditure were to be entered in the European Parliament section); - the provisions on the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions were made more explicit on the subject of the implementation of the budget (in particular: appointment of a single financial controller and a single accountant); - the procedure for transfers within chapters for the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions was eased (the requirement for prior notification of the budget authority was abolished); - the Commission was to supply additional information on staff management with its preliminary draft budget, highlighting mobility and redeployment measures and giving a breakdown by sphere of activity; - in the field of the award of contracts, provision was made to specify the conditions for varying prices; - details were added concerning financial contributions from third parties to Community activities (indication of estimated amounts and estimated administrative costs, where appropriate); - finally, a new provision enshrined the powers of the Court of Auditors in the field of borrowing/lending operations. However, the Commission was unable to accept Parliament's amendments proposing that all borrowing/lending operations should be entered in the budget, and that the estimated amounts of third-party contributions should be formally registered by way of prior authorisation. �