1997 discharge: EC general budget (other sections)

PURPOSE: to present the management account and the financial statement accruing to the budget operations for the budgetary year 1997 (other sections). CONTENT: this document establishes the amount of expenditure and the financial statement of the other institutions of the Union (other than the Commission) for the budgetary year 1997, namely: - the European Parliament (and Ombudsman); - the Council; - the Court of Justice; - the Court of Auditors; - the Economic and Social Committee; - the Committee of the Regions; As far as the European Parliament, in particular, is concerned, the document indicates that the credits recorded in this institution's budget amounted to ECU 887,207,914 (a growth rate for the EP budget from 1996 to 1997 of 6.5%), committed up to the amount of ECU 867,715,417. These credits have been effectively paid up to a level of ECU 777,174,935. The document also stresses that the execution of the 1997 budget was marked, as in the previous year, by a delay in making the new EP buildings available (July 1997 instead of July 1996 and the delivery of IPE IV, expected in October 1998 and put back to the second half of 1999). This situation lies behind a partial using up of funding for infrastructural work and fitting-out of these buildings. It has also lead to significant cancellations for both current and deferred funding. Finally, it has provoked requests for "non-automatic" deferment of funding amounting to around ECU 4.5 million from 1997 to 1998. The document gives details of funding deferred from 1996 to 1997. With regard to the other institutions in this respect: 1) the Council: the efforts made by this institution to allow the recruitment of new personnel in the framewotk of enlargement of the Union (1995); 2) the Court of Justice: expenditure linked to the Court's property policy (ECU 3.2 million). Particular note should be given to the perceptible appreciation of the ECU against both the Belgian and Luxembourg franc, leading to a revaluation of the institutions' budget of 4% (the large part of these payments having been made in these currencies).�