1997 discharge: EC general budget, 6th and 7th European Development Funds EDF

Adopting the resolution by Laurens Brinkhorst (ELDR,NL) informin the Commission of the reasons why the discharge cannot at present be given in respect of the implmentation of the general budget of the European Communities for the 1997 financial year, the European Parliament decided to postpone discharge. The Parliament's most significant reasons for this include: - the conclusions of the committee of independent experts, published in April 1999, on the allegations of fraud, mismanagement and nepotism within the Commission; - the presentation of a second report by this committee in September 1999; - discharge cannot be granted to an outgoing Commission which has no authority to enter into any commitments towards the European Parliament in respect of future policy. The Parliament concludes that discharge can only be granted to the new Commission, subject to the commitments to reform it makes between now and 15/10/99.