Budget 1998: other sections

In adopting the report by Mr Stanislaw TILLICH (EPP, D) and Mr John TOMLINSON (PSE, UK) Parliament adopted at second reading the budget of the Communities for 1998 (all sections) with ECU 91 012.938 million in commitment appropriations and ECU 83 529.767 million in payment appropriations, which represents an increase of 2.1% in commitment appropriations and 1.4% in payment appropriations by comparison with 1997. With regard to the budgetary procedure it noted with satisfaction that apart from the amendments made by Parliament to its own budget and to that of the Ombudsman, the Council had, for the first time, endorsed Parliament's first reading of the draft budget for the other institutions without amendment. It was therefore of the opinion that a single reading ought to give the institutions concerned greater leeway, in terms of time, and therefore invited them to take this opportunity to improve their budget implementation plan. Lastly, Parliament stressed its attachment to a transparent and efficient nomenclature with regard to administrative expenditure. �