2000 budget: EP's estimates

The Parliament adopted its Resolution on the budget estimates for the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman for 2000, drafted by Ms. Edith MÜLLER (Green, Germany). MEPs approved the estimates for the operation of the Parliament and the European Ombudsman's Office in the year 2000. It requests the Secretary-General to insist on the establishment of an inter-institutional working party on the urgent reform of the pension scheme for EU staff and to budgetise the employer's and employee's contributions, as well as the payments to retired staff of the Parliament. It stresses that the premises of the Parliament should be paid for in as limited a period as is possible in order to reeduce the itnerest burden to a minimum over the whole repayment period. It agreed a budget for the year 2000 amounting to EUR 975 562 863 which implies an increase of 5.63% in comparison to the 1999 budget, and an amount equalling 1% of the budget total for a general reserve.�