- 2
1988 Draft Budget (my telnos 1113, 1118 and 1149)
6
stress link between 1988
Parliament and Commission budget and Inter-Institutional Agreement. Council conciliatory. EP plenary votes on first reading of 1988 budget. Follows EP Budgets Committee strategy closely ie. restored the Preliminary draft budget. Overran margin on payments by 5 mecu and on commitments,
and on commitments, more significantly, by 213 mecu.
1986 Budget discharge
7. The EP granted discharges to the Commission in respect of the 1986 budget; the third, fourth, fifth and sixth European Development Funds; the ECSC accounts; and the budgets of the European centre for the development of vocational training (Berlin) and of the European foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions (Dublin). Vice President Christophersen (Commission) welcomed this news, noting that this was the first time in years that there had been no proposal for refusing discharge to the Commission. 1986 had been very difficult. had led to better solutions since. He said :
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
Problems
compliance with budgetary principles: the Commission was concerned to ensure transparency and had provided all details drawn up for the 1986
accounts
fight against irregularities and fraud : the Commission had set up a unit to coordinate action by the Commission's services and Member States
own resources: the Commission regretted the slow progress the Council had made on the Second and Third Amendments to 2891/77
agricultural accounts increased efforts were needed to improve a situation which had worsened since Fontainebleau. The Commission had closed the accounts for 1980-1985 : those for 1986 were expected to be closed by September this year
relations with the EP the Commission were trying to provide all the information available to them via the Notenboom procedure.
The Commission were committed to increasing the transparency of the budget and had worked out measures to present the budget for 1987 in clearer form. Christophersen hoped that this could be done for 1988 too
JACAAZ