1996 budget: section III

The European Parliament, in adopting the near total of the amendments of its Committee on Budgets (excepting an amendment of ECU 350 000 intended for the Agency for the Internal Market of Alicante), adopted the 1996 budget, which totalled ECU 86 525 m in commitment appropriations and ECU 81 89 m in payment appropriations (an increase of 8.4% over the 1995 budget). The EP thus approved an increase of ECU 237 m in commitments and ECU 295 m in payments. Allocation per heading is as follows: agricultural expenditure: 47% of the total (+10.6%); structural expenditure: 33% of the total (+10.6%); internal policies: 7% of the total (+5.4%); external action: 7% of the total (+7.8%); administrative expenditure: 5% of the total (+3.3%). The main amendments to the Council's draft budget concern: - employment and growth in Europe, for an overall amount of ECU 57 75 m; - former Yugoslavia : the EP called for appropriations of ECU 92 m ('Europe in Sarajevo' project, reconstruction of the republics of the former Yugoslavia and aid to refugees); it committed ECU 10 m for the installation of Carl Bildt in Sarajevo; - the financing of public information campaigns: Committee on Budgets (PRINCE), for a total of ECU 50 m; - the MEDA programme (financing for the Mediterranean countries): the EP calls for the creation of a special MEDA-appropriations line - additional appropriations of ECU 200 m and the parallel creation of a 'negative reserve'; - the trans-European networks: the EP calls for 25% of the appropriations (ECU 70 m) to be placed in reserve) and for the list of priority projects to be adopted jointly by the two branches of the budgetary authority; - interinstitutional relations: the EP agrees to the release of certain posts and will ensure that the Commission complies with the code of conduct with regard to Commissioner's mission and other expenses; - cooperation with Turkey: the ECU 22 m earmarked should be placed in reserve pending the Council regulation on financial cooperation. �