Community statistics: 2003-2007 programme

The changes introduced in the common position are mainly in the nature of technical clarifications and thus do not pose any particular problem for the Commission. As regards the operational budget, the Commission rejected the first amendment drafted by the Parliament concerning the extension of the 2003 to 2007 programme beyond the current financial perspectives. The replacement text included in the Common Position of the Council is acceptable to the Commission. The Council did not accept the second part of the amendment concerning an increase in the Operational Budget for the Programme. The Commission agrees with that. The Commission can therefore accept the common position.�