2001 discharge: ECSC budget

The European Parliament adopted the report Brigitte LANGENHAGEN (EPP-ED, D) and gives the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the ECSC on the basis of the figures shown in the annex below relating to the implementation of the ECSC operating budget for the 2001 financial year. Parliament urges the Commission to publish, by the end of 2003 and in all the official languages, an overview of the work undertaken by the ECSC since it was established. The Commission is urged further to carry out, by the end of 2003, an overall assessment of research originally funded by the ECSC, in particular an assessment of the coal research programme and of the criteria proposed for the selection of new coal research projects, as has already been done for the steel sector; regards such assessments as an important basis for the work of the proposed new Research Fund for Coal and Steel. It notes that all of the loans outstanding after 23 July 2002 which are not covered by guarantees from a Member State will be covered in full by the ECSC reserves and acknowledges the strategy adopted by the Commission of prudent financial management of the ECSC up to the expiry of the Treaty. Whilst welcoming the progress in reducing administrative costs, Parliament asks the Commission to update this information and it calls on the Commission to inform Parliament at regular intervals of the outcome of its Annual Policy Strategy with regard to redeployment of staff members involved in administering the activities of the ECSC and/or of the 'ECSC in liquidation'. In addition, the Commission is called upon to review all outstanding commitments systematically before the end of 2003 and to cancel any amounts in respect of which it is unlikely that there will be any movement in the future. Lastly, parliament urges the Commission once again to ensure maximum transparency when disclosing data affecting the value of the ECSC's assets and underlines that it will continue to monitor the effective use of taxpayers' money, especially for the purpose of research in the areas of coal and steel, even after the liquidation of the ECSC.�