2001 discharge: EC general budget, Committee of the Regions

PURPOSE : to present the balance sheets and the revenue and expenditure accounts concerning the implementation of the 2001 budget : Committee of the Regions. CONTENT : this document presents the amount of expenditure and the balance sheets of the other institutions of the Union (except the Commission) for 2001. It highlights, in particular, the expenditure of the Committee of the Regions (CoR). 2001 was the second financial year of the CoR using an autonomous financial service following the suppression of the joint organisational structure with the Economic and Social Committee. The Committee of Region's budget amounts to EUR 90.7 million. From year to year, the CoR's administration gained experience in management. However, the CoR's report shows that the management of around 25% of the budget of the joint CoR - ESC implied major difficulties for the two Committees. The implementation rate of the appropriations carried over from the 2000 financial year, managed for the first time by the CoR's financial service, was 86%. Amongst the important points to be take into consideration in the 2001 budget are, in particular, the difficulties concerning the transition from the old to the new organisational structure and the under-estimation of expenses linked to the management of the CoR building (in particular, moving from the Montoyer building following the 11/09/2001 attacks and the under-estimation due to lateness in the works being carried out at Belliard I and II). �