Europol: adjusting the basic salaries and allowances applicable to staff for the period between 1 July 2005 and 1 July 2006. Initiative Austria

 The committee adopted the report by Claude MORAES (PES, UK) rejecting - under the consultation procedure - the initiative by the Republic of Austria for the adoption of a Council decision adjusting the basic salaries and allowances applicable to Europol staff. Although the committee agreed with the need for Europol to amend and update the salaries of its staff in line with the cost of living, and therefore did not object to this, it pointed out that Europol is an intergovernmental institution funded by each EU Member State and Parliament does not therefore have any say in decisions on the Europol budget or administration. As Parliament had not been consulted on or informed of any of the operational and organisational measures concerning Europol, or the organisation's current and future activities, it was impossible for it to assess the relevance and adequacy of the proposed decision. MEPs stressed that the conversion of Europol into an EU agency was "urgently necessary" in order to improve transparency and supervision, and they criticised the Council for blocking progress in this regard and "failing to shoulder its responsibilities".