1996 budget: other sections

In adopting the report by Mr Joaquim MIRANDA (GUE/NGL, P) on the modifications made by the Council to Parliament's amendments concerning the 1996 budget, the EP welcomed the fact that, to a large extent, the Council had endorsed Parliament's first reading of the draft budget, in particular by accepting the amendments on partial use of the margin in heading 5 of the financial perspective, on interinstitutional cooperation, on the measures to terminate the service of officials and on certain operating expenditure. The EP also called for the drawing up of a Statute for Parliamentary Assistants on the basis of a Commission proposal by 30 May 1996. With regard to the margin, the report calls for account to be taken of the European institutions' buildings and for the Court of Auditors to draw up a special report on the financial commitments involved prior to a decision by the budgetary authorities. However, the report notes disagreement between Parliament and the Council over the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee, and takes the view that these two committees should draw up a code of conduct in respect of a joint structure. �