2000 budget : other sections

PURPOSE: presentation of the preliminary draft budget of the European Communities for the financial year 2000 (other sections). Given the limited margin of manoeuvre available for administrative expenditure under the ceilings agreed at the Berlin European Council, the Commission has decided not to ask for any new posts (including for the Fraud Prevention Office). It will be for the new Commission to make any additional requests if the negotiations finally result in a more generous financial framework in this area. For this heading, the amounts are limited to those fixed in the context of the financial perspectives : 4,638 million euros (2,491.2 million euros for the Commission). To comply with the ceiling laid down, the rate of increase for administrative appropriations has had to be confined to the absolute minimum necessary.�