1996 discharge: EC general budget

OBJECTIVE: to present the revenue and expenditure account and the financial statements of transactions effected under the 1996 budget (section III - Commission). CONTENT: this document summarizes the utilization of Commission appropriations in 1996 heading by heading. The Commission states, first, that the budget takes account of enlargement to Austria, Finland and Sweden and secondly, that in accordance with the interinstitutional agreement of 29 October 1993, the financial perspectives were not revised. However, they were adjusted in line with changes to the gross national product and prices and to the conditions of execution: 1) technical adjustment of financial perspectives: this adjustment was carried out in February 1995 when the ceiling on appropriations for payment was set at ECU 81.267 million, i.e. 1.19% of GNP; 2) adaptation to conditions of execution: this adaptation gave rise to the transfer to 1996 and 1997 of appropriations for commitment cancelled in 1994 under the Structural Funds (ECU 1.738 million). After technical adjustment and adaptation of the financial perspectives, the ceiling on appropriations for payment was increased to 1.20% of GNP for 1996. With regard to the implementation of the budget, the Commission announced that 96.9% of appropriations for commitment were implemented or carried over to 1997. This excellent result was explained by a significant increase in the rate of utilization of appropriations under EAGGF- Guarantee (beginning of cruise control of the CAP reform, measures to deal with the BSE crisis and measures due to enlargement) and the Structural Funds (definitive start up of programmes). According to the data at the end of 1996, total appropriations for payment under way represent 1.15% of GNP (compared with 1.05% in 1995).�