Opinion on the expenditure of the Assembly for the budgetary financial year 1997
Doc. 7579
25 June 1996
REPORT[1]
Rapporteur: Mr THEIS, Luxembourg, Group of the European People's Party
Summary
Each year, the Assembly submits an opinion to the Committee of Ministers for its operational expenditure.
This opinion lists the Assembly's priorities for 1997 which result namely from the increase in its activities and in its responsibilities.
In order to perform these tasks, the Assembly will try to make better use of its existing resources and adapt its structures. Nevertheless, the Assembly considers that it needs additional human and material resources to ensure the quality of its work both in the committees and in the plenary session.
I. Draft opinion - Link to the Adopted text
1. As it did in Opinion No. 192 (1995) on the budgets of the Council of Europe for the financial years 1995 and 1996, the Assembly reiterates its wish to see the Organisation's budget increased whenever another state becomes a member. Only in this way will the Council of Europe be able to give effect to its pan-European dimension and fulfil its task of guaranteeing Europe's democratic security.
2. Since the Assembly adopted Opinion No. 187 (1995) on its own 1996 budget, five new members have joined the Council of Europe (Albania, Moldova, Russia, "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" and Ukraine). The number of members of the Assembly has therefore grown from 478 to 562.
3. As the Bureau of the Assembly granted special guest status to the Parliament of Armenia on 26 January 1996 and to the Parliament of Georgia on 28 May 1996, the number of special guest parliamentarians has risen to 24. Counting the six Israeli observers, there are now 592 members of parliaments involved in the Assembly's work.
4. In the course of 1996, other states may join the Council, or their parliaments may be granted special guest status by the Assembly.
5. The rise in the number of members of the Assembly has gone hand in hand with an increase in activities and responsibilities, especially in respect of the monitoring of compliance with the obligations and commitments entered into by member states.
6. The Assembly considers it essential to guarantee the quality of its work, both in plenary session and in committee.
7. Improving working conditions means tackling the language question. The Assembly wishes to make Russian a working language, in the same way as German and Italian. Furthermore, with a view to publicising the texts it adopts more effectively, the Assembly would like them to be translated into its current working languages and into Russian.
8. The Assembly wishes to make its work better known and to improve its research resources. Via its Internet server, it wishes to make its public documents and information about its own activities and those of its committees available to its own members, national parliaments, governments and the public.
9. The enlargement process has also had repercussions for the political groups. Their numbers of members have risen, and their role within the Assembly has considerably increased.
10. The programme of interparliamentary co-operation must be stepped up so as better to meet the needs of new member states' parliaments.
11. The Assembly is endeavouring to make the best possible use of the resources available to it and to adapt its structures and working methods. It is, for example, currently giving thought to a reorganisation of plenary sessions of the Assembly and the scheduling of committee meetings.
12. The Assembly believes that it is necessary, as soon as possible:
i. to increase the staff of the Table Office;
ii. to increase the staff of the committee secretariats;
iii. to consolidate the commitments monitoring unit;
iv. to set up a basic documentation and research service;
v. to publicise the Assembly's work more effectively and establish a press unit;
vi. to improve the reimbursement of parliamentarians' expenses incurred during the missions carried out on behalf of the Council of Europe from the budget of the Organisation, in order to avoid any selection by money on this type of activity;
vii. to continue the upgrading of the Assembly's computer facilities;
viii. to make the political groups more effective;
ix. to improve the working conditions of the Assembly and its committees, including the language situation.
13. The Assembly must have additional human and material resources in order to cater for all these needs. Higher appropriations than those allocated in 1996 are therefore necessary.
14. Appended to this opinion are:
i. a table of requested increases for 1997 compared with the appropriations for 1996;
ii. brief explanations of the changes.
A. Table of requested increases in real terms in 1997 compared with initial appropriations for 1996 /
Tableau recapitulatif des demandes d'augmentation de credits en termes reels pour 1997 par rapport aux cr�dits initiaux ouverts pour 1996
VOTE III of the ordinary budget ─ Expenditure of the Assembly
TITRE III du budget ordinaire ─ D�penses relatives � l'Assembl�e
Appropriations for 1996
Cr�dits ouverts au budget de 1996
FF
Changes in real terms proposed for 1997
Modifications en termes r�els propos�es pour 1997
FF
HEAD 3.1 ─ Staff
CHAPITRE 3.1 ─ D�penses de personnel
Sub-heads/Articles
3101 ─ Salary, allowances and social charges of the Clerk of the Assembly
R�mun�ration, indemnit�s et charges sociales du Greffier...................................
3102 ─ Remuneration of staff recruited on established posts
R�mun�ration du personnel recrut� sur le cadre des emplois permanents...........
3103 ─ Recruitment, arrival and departure expenses ─ Home leave
Frais de recrutement � l'arriv�e et au d�part ─ cong� dans le pays d'origine........
3104 ─ Overtime ─ statutory and other allowances
Heures suppl�mentaires ─ indemnit�s statutaires et autres.................................
3105 ─ Remuneration and accessory charges of temporary Conference staff
R�mun�ration et charges accessoires du personnel temporaire de conf�rence.....
3106 ─ Provision for adjustments to remuneration
Provision pour ajustements de la r�mun�ration...................................................
3107─ Placement of national parliamentary officials on secondment to the Assembly
Fonctionnaires parlementaires nationaux mis � la disposition de l'Assembl�e............................................................................................................................
TOTAL HEAD 3.1
TOTAL DU CHAPITRE 3.1..............................................................................
1 080 000
35 480 000
555 000
100 000
16 610 000
275 000
54 100 000
+ 3 505 000
+ 4 000 000
+ 800 000
+ 8 305 000
HEAD 3.2 ─ Allocation to the Assembly's political groups
CHAPITRE 3.2 ─ Dotation des groupes politiques de l'Assembl�e
3201 ─ Allocation to the Assembly's political groups
Dotation des groupes politiques de l'Assembl�e.................................................
TOTAL HEAD 3.2
TOTAL CHAPITRE 3.2.....................................................................................
3 530 000
3 530 000
+ 500 000
+ 500 000
HEAD 3.3 � Supplies, services and other operational expenditure
CHAPITRE 3.3 � D�penses de mat�riel et autres d�penses de fonctionnement
Sub-heads/Articles
3301 � Publishing and printing
Publications et impressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3302 � Official expenses of the President of the Assembly
Frais de fonction du Pr�sident de l'Assembl�e . . . . . . . . . .
3303 � Expenditure pertaining to the Private Office of the President
of the Assembly
D�penses du Cabinet du Pr�sident de l'Assembl�e . . . . . . .
3304 � Repr�sentational expenditure, other official expenditure and
travelling expenses of members of the Assembly
D�penses de repr�sentation, frais de fonction et de
d�placement des membres de l'Assembl�e . . . . . . . . . .
3305 � Official journeys
Frais de missions . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3306 � Expenses for inviting parliamentary delegations of
non-member states
D�penses d'accueil de d�l�gations parlementaires d'Etats
non membres . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3307 � Consultation of experts
Consultation d'experts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3308 � Organisation of ad hoc conferences
Organisation de conf�rences ad hoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3309 � Strasbourg Conference
Conf�rence de Strasbourg . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3310 � Other expenditure not specifically provided for in this vote
Autres d�penses non sp�cialement pr�vues au pr�sent titre . . .
3311 � Modernisation of the Assembly's equipment (computerisation
and office automation)
Modernisation de l'�quipement de l'Assembl�e (informatisation
et bureautique) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3312 � Europe prizes
Prix europ�ens . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TOTAL HEAD 3.3
TOTAL DU CHAPITRE 3.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head 3.4 � Parliamentary activities
Chapitre 3.4 � Activit�s parlementaires
3401 � Assembly's co-operation programme
Programme de coop�ration de l'Assembl�e . . . . . . . . . .
TOTAL HEAD 3.4
TOTAL DU CHAPITRE 3.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TOTAL VOTE III
TOTAL DU TITRE III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 400 000
535 000
330 000
1 000 000
1 700 000
2 160 000
520 000
1 140 000
250 000
300 000
p.m.
300 000
11 635 000
3 000 000
3 000 000
72 265 000
+ 70 000
+ 500 000
- 500 000
+ 200 000
+ 50 000
+ 500 000
+ 100.000
+ 920 000
+ 500 000
+ 500 000
+ 10 225 000
B. Justification of the changes requested in real terms
A detailed justification of the changes requested appears in the explanatory memorandum submitted by the rapporteur.
VOTE III � EXPENDITURE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
HEAD 3.1 � Staff
Sub-head 3101 � Salary, allowances and social charges of the Clerk of the Assembly
The 1997 appropriations for this sub-head must be kept at the same level in real terms as in 1996.
Sub-head 3102 � Remuneration of staff recruited on established posts
This appropriation covers the basic salaries, allowances (both non-recurring and periodic) and social insurance of the staff of the Office of the Clerk, which comprises the following 71 posts :
� 3 A6 posts,
� 7 A5 posts,
� 12 A4 posts,
� 16 A2/A3 posts,
� 1 B6 post,
� 5 B5 posts,
� 10 B4 posts,
� 15 B3 posts,
� 2 B2 posts.
Creation of posts:
Cost
� 1 A5 post............................................................................................... 728 000 FF
� 1 A4 posts............................................................................................. 646 000 FF
� 3 A2/A3 posts..................................................................................... 1 434 000 FF
� 1 B5 post............................................................................................... 360 000 FF
� 1 B2/B3 post.......................................................................................... 273 000 FF
Upgrading of posts requested:
� 4 B3 posts to B4...................................................................................... 64 000 FF
Increase requested.................................................................................... 3 505 000 FF
Detail of the creation and upgrading of posts requested:
a. Increase in staff for the monitoring unit: creation of one A5 post
See paragraph 21 of the explanatory memorandum.
b. Increase in staff for the Table Office: Creation of one A4 post
See paragraph 22 of the explanatory memorandum.
c. Increase in staff for committee secretariats: creation of two A2/A3 posts and one B2/B3 post
i. 2 A2/A3 posts � Committee secretaries
ii. 1 B2/B3 post � Secretarial assistant
See paragraphs 23, 24 and 25 of the explanatory memorandum.
d. Establishment of a press unit: creation of one A2/A3 and one B5 posts
See paragraph 26 of the explanatory memorandum.
e. Upgrading of four B3 posts to B4 � Committee assistants
See paragraph 27 of the explanatory memorandum.
Sub-head 3103 � Recruitment, arrival and departure expenses � Home leave
Sub-head 3104 � Overtime � Statutory and other allowances
The 1997 appropriations for sub-heads 3103 and 3104 must be kept at the same level in real terms as in 1996.
Sub-head 3105 � Remuneration and accessory charges of temporary conference staff
See paragraph 29 of the explanatory memorandum.
Increase requested.................................................................................... 4 000 000 FF
Sub-head 3106 � Provision for adjustments to remuneration
The 1997 appropriations for this sub-head must be kept at the same level in real terms as in 1996.
Sub-head 3107 � Placement of national parliamentary officials on secondment
(new) to the Assembly
See paragraph 30 of the explanatory memorandum.
New appropriation requested........................................................................ 800 000 FF
HEAD 3.2
Sub-head 3201 � Allocation to the Assembly's political groups
See paragraphs 17 and 32 of the explanatory memorandum.
Increase requested....................................................................................... 500 000 FF
HEAD 3.3 � Supplies, services and other operational expenditure
Since 1975, the appropriations under the following sub-heads have been voted in a lump sum (budgetary package). The various amounts in this package may subsequently be altered under Article 31 of the Financial Regulations.
Sub-head 3301 � Publishing and printing
Sub-head 3302 � Official expenses of the President of the Assembly
The 1997 appropriation for Sub-heads 3301 and 3302 must be kept at the same level in real terms as in 1996.
Sub-head 3303 � Expenditure pertaining to the Private Office of the President of the Assembly
The 1996 appropriation allotted to this article was not sufficient to cover all the expenses.
Increase requested......................................................................................... 70 000 FF
Sub-head 3304 � Representational expenditure, other official expenditure and travelling expenses of members of the Assembly
See paragraph 18 of the explanatory memorandum.
Increase requested....................................................................................... 500 000 FF
Sub-head 3305 � Official journeys
The 1997 appropriations for this sub-head must be kept at the same level in real terms as in 1996.
Sub-head 3306 � Expenses for inviting parliamentary delegations of non-member states
See paragraph 32 of the explanatory memorandum.
Reduction requested .................................................................................... 500 000 FF
Sub-head 3307 � Consultation of experts
The intensification of activities involving the organisation of colloquies, hearings and seminars and the study of complex and sensitive issues in the Assembly's various fields of action have resulted in an increasing need for the consultation of outside experts.
Increase requested....................................................................................... 200 000 FF
Sub-head 3308 � Organisation of ad hoc conferences
Sub-head 3309 � Strasbourg Conference
The 1997 appropriations for Sub-heads 3308 and 3309 must be kept at the same level in real terms as in 1996.
Sub-head 3310 � Other expenditure not specifically provided for in this vote
Visits by dignitaries result in additional expenditure (for example, armoured car hire). An increase for this sub-head is therefore requested.
Increase requested......................................................................................... 50 000 FF
Sub-head 3311 � Modernisation of the Assembly's equipment (computerisation and office automation)
See paragraph 16 of the explanatory memorandum.
Moreover, the establishment of an electronic document and information network would help limit publishing, printing and telecommunication costs.
Appropriation requested............................................................................... 500 000 FF
Sub-head 3312 � Europe Prizes
This increase should enable the activities of the Council of Europe and the Assembly to be publicised more effectively at the presentation ceremonies for the prize and the flags or plaques of honour.
Increase requested....................................................................................... 100 000 FF
HEAD 3.4 � Parliamentary activities
Sub-head 3401 � Co-operation programme of the Assembly
See paragraph 19 of the explanatory memorandum.
Increase requested..................................................................................... 500 000 FF
II. Explanatory memorandum
by Mr THEIS
Introduction
1. The Assembly is required each year to give its opinion on Vote III of the Council of Europe's ordinary budget, that is the part of the Organisation's budget relating to appropriations allocated to it to pay for expenditure on staff, for the allocation to the political groups, for supplies, services and other operational expenditure and for the costs stemming from the activities of its programme of interparliamentary co-operation. The common services of the Council of Europe from which the Assembly benefits are financed through appropriations made under Vote I of the budget, which is not the subject of this opinion.
2. I therefore, in accordance with the budgetary procedure in force, restrict myself as rapporteur to putting forward, on the basis of the budget for the current year, a number of proposals as to the appropriations which should be included in the budget for next year. These proposals, once approved by the Assembly, will be transmitted in the form of an opinion to the Committee of Ministers, at the same time as the draft budget for 1997, which will be drawn up by the Secretary General. The texts governing the current budgetary procedure are in the appendix.
3. The exercise I am required to carry out as rapporteur this year is a particularly difficult one. I am in practice to make proposals for the Assembly budget without knowing either the overall total of the Council of Europe's budget for 1997 or the intentions of the Secretary General and the governments in respect of member states' scale of contributions.
4. It is therefore necessary to establish, as a starting point, a series of objective data on which the outlines of the Assembly's budget for 1997 can be based.
5. For the current year, the Council of Europe's ordinary budget was 843 million French francs. The total allocated to the Assembly is just over 72 million French francs, representing almost 8,6% of the Organisation's budget.
6. In Opinion No. 192 (1995) on the budgets of the Council of Europe for the financial years 1995 and 1996, the Assembly reiterated its desire to see the Organisation's budget increase whenever another state becomes a member, the contributions of the new member states being added to the budget for the year prior to their accession.
7. Thus the contribution of Russia, which has indicated its willingness to become a "major payer", should represent, for 1997, approximately 126 million francs, the amount of the contribution of the "major payers" (Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom) in 1996.
8. This would represent a rise of almost 15% in the resources available to the Council of Europe for the 1997 financial year, and would raise the overall total to almost 1 000 million francs (969 million).
9. It is my intention to propose an increase of the same order in the resources allocated to the Assembly for the 1997 financial year. I am thus starting from the principle that there will be an appreciable increase in the Assembly's budget as I formulate the requests below.
The Assembly's needs
10. Since the Assembly, in May 1995, adopted Opinion No. 187 (1995) on the 1996 budget, five new states (Albania, Moldova, Russia, "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" and Ukraine) have joined the Council of Europe. Consequently, the number of members of the Assembly has risen from 478 to 562.
11. The granting by the Bureau of special guest status to the Parliament of Armenia on 26 January 1996 and to the Parliament of Georgia on 28 May 1996 brought an increase of 24 in the number of special guests. Counting the six Israeli observers, the number of parliamentarian currently involved in the Assembly's work totals 592.
12. This rise in numbers has gone hand in hand with an increase in the activities and responsibilities of the Assembly, particularly where the monitoring of compliance with obligations and commitments entered into by member states is concerned, which is surely bound to become a priority field.
13. I consider it essential to give the Assembly the human and material resources enabling it to guarantee the quality of its work, both in plenary sessions and in committees. What is more, the carrying out of new activities linked to the monitoring of commitments will require extra resources.
14. Improving the working conditions of the Assembly and of its committees inevitably means giving thought to the language question. I have noted that the members of the Assembly for whom Russian is a language of communication are increasing in numbers. If, as everything seems to indicate, Russia becomes a "major contributor" to the Organisation's budget, it seems logical for its language to become a working language of the Assembly, in the same way as German and Italian. Appropriations must therefore be made to meet the cost of interpretation from and into Russian.
15. It would also be necessary, with a view to publicising the texts adopted by the Assembly more effectively, to have them translated into the current working languages (German and Italian) as well as into Russian.
16. I also feel that the Assembly must make its work better known and improve its research and documentation resources. The Assembly's Internet server, which is currently still at the experimental stage, will have to make it possible to make available to members of the Assembly, secretaries of national delegations, national parliaments, governments and the general public both the Assembly's public documents and information about the Assembly's and its committees' activities. Investments in modernisation of the computer and office equipment of the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly must therefore be provided for.
17. The process of enlarging the Assembly has also had repercussions for the political groups. Although their number has not changed, currently totalling five, their role has expanded considerably. The appropriations allocated to them enable them to have a minimum secretarial service and to carry out a number of activities, such as meetings on topical subjects, training seminars for new members, official journeys, etc. The question nevertheless arises of whether the resources available to them � particularly staff � are sufficient to carry out the activities which their appropriations would make it possible to organise.
18. It also has to be pointed out that, in recent months, members of the Assembly have had to carry out numerous official journeys as rapporteurs or as Assembly representatives at events of direct interest to the committees. With enlargement, there will be more of these journeys than in the past and they will often be to remoter places, adding to the burden on the Assembly's budget.
19. The programme of interparliamentary co-operation set up by the Assembly covers a very wide range of activities (colloquies, training activities and study visits for young members of parliaments, training activities for parliamentary officials, legislative assistance to parliaments, bilateral seminars providing assistance in relation to legislative reform, and so on). What is more, the Council of Europe's role in implementation of the Dayton Agreements has also entailed an Assembly responsibility to increase its co-operation with the parliaments of the region.
20. In order to cope with all these needs, the Assembly requires additional human and material resources. I have tried in the paragraphs which follow to give a brief description of the specific requests that I propose be sent to the Committee of Ministers.
The Assembly's requests
21. The monitoring of commitments entered into by member states has become a priority activity of the Assembly. The extra appropriations allocated to the Council of Europe under Vote X are going to enable a monitoring unit to be set up in the Assembly, with effect from 1 October 1996, with one A2/A3 post and one B4 post. It is obvious that implementation of Order No. 508 (1995) on the honouring of obligations and commitments by member states entails high-level political responsibilities. An A5 official should therefore be made responsible for this unit.
22. The Table Office, which organises plenary sessions and the meetings of the Standing Committee, has an increasingly heavy workload because of both the increase in the number of part-sessions and the rise in the number of members and substitutes. Reinforcements for the Table Office are a matter of priority. In practice the head of the office currently combines these duties with those of the Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, responsible for the co-ordination of the committees. The creation of a post of deputy to the Head of the Table Office, at A4 level, would enable the Table Office to function efficiently and would make possible the necessary rotation with the head of the office during plenary sessions and meetings of the Standing Committee.
23. In order to ensure that the secretariat of the committees operates efficiently, it would be necessary for:
� the seven large committees of the Parliamentary Assembly, which have some 65 full members (and 65 substitutes), to be able to have at least three A-grade officials (one secretary and two co-secretaries), one B4 administrative assistant and one B2/B3 official;
� the six medium-sized and small committees, with memberships ranging from 45 to 56 (and the same number of substitutes), to be able to have two A-grade officials (one secretary and one co-secretary), one B4 administrative assistant and one B2/B3 official.
The above would give a total of 33 A-grade officials and 26 at B grade.
24. The secretariat of these committees is currently the responsibility of: 26 A-grade officials (two A5, eleven A4, thirteen A2/A3) and 21 B-grade staff (two B5, nine B4, nine B3 and one B2), meaning that there is a shortfall of 8 A-grade staff and 5 B-grade officials. However, in the light of the budgetary constraints, and bearing in mind the possibility of carrying out some redeployment of staff, it is reasonable to spread the inevitable requests for staff over several years, and for the 1997 financial year merely to request the creation of two posts at grade A2/A3 and one post at grade B2/B3.
25. This would make it possible to continue to take into the secretariat staff from the new member states. In this context, it has to be remembered that in Opinions No. 162 (1992) and No. 172 (1993), the Assembly had requested the creation of an A-grade post after the accession of every new member state, particularly in order to facilitate contact with the members of the parliament of the new member and in order to make it possible for the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly to gain a better grasp of the political situation in the country.
26. The Bureau of the Assembly, at its meeting of 28 February 1996, approved the creation of a press unit. This unit which will have to work in close co-operation with the directorate responsible for information, will be tasked with publicising the work of the Assembly in general more widely and with providing better reports on the activities of the committees. The publication of an electronic newsletter, accessible via the Internet, and able to be published on paper just before sessions, is being studied. If this unit is to become operational, it will need one A2/A3 and one B5 post.
27. In Opinion No. 187 (1995), the Assembly had asked for 12 upgradings of B3 posts to B4. The Committee of Ministers had granted only four of these for the 1996 financial year. It should be remembered that certain committee assistants are already performing tasks at a level of responsibility beyond that required for a B3 post. These tasks actually include the drafting of minutes, memoranda and summary reports, as well as documentary research. This has meant them working more independently than in the past.
28. These proposals (creation of posts and upgradings) entail changes to the establishment of the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly. An additional appropriation of approximately 3.5 million francs would be needed to give effect to this request.
29. The enlargement of the Council of Europe and the rise in the number of part-sessions have necessitated the use of a greater number of temporary staff. In addition, with a view to being able to give a larger number of parliamentarians the opportunity to express their views, the Bureau of the Assembly is studying the possibility of reorganising, and expanding, the timetable for plenary sittings, particularly that of holding longer sittings. The committees, for their part, have been meeting more frequently in order to cope with a growing workload. Furthermore, if, as indicated in paragraph 14, Russian becomes a working language of the Assembly, it will also be necessary to increase the number of teams of interpreters. The sub-head relating to these expenses will therefore have to be increased. I consider that the extra appropriations required will be almost 4 million francs.
30. Where staffing is concerned, I should like to put forward a proposal with a view to improving relations between the Assembly and the national parliaments. In the Council of Europe's intergovernmental sector, certain governments have made national civil servants available to the Organisation. This practice should be extended to the Assembly. In 1997, four parliaments of member states could be invited to make available to the Office of the Clerk, for a given period (one or two years), parliamentary officials. These officials would receive a subsistance allowance, and their travel and removal expenses incurred on their move to Strasbourg would be refunded to them. An appropriation of 800 000 francs should be sufficient for the year 1997.
31. All the proposals relating to staff in the above paragraphs represent an increase in the appropriations allocated under the "Staff" head of some 9 million francs.
32. Where the political groups are concerned, while their responsibilities and duties have increased, the same does not apply to their budget. An increase of some 500 000 francs in the appropriations allocated to them would make it possible for them to operate more efficiently.
33. Increases are necessary under several sub-heads in relation to the overall expenditure which comprises the Assembly's budgetary package. This applies in particular to the expenditure of the Private Office of the President of the Assembly (70 000 francs), the expenditure relating to travel by the members of the Assembly (500 000 francs), the consultation of experts (200 000 francs), the modernisation of the computer and office equipment of the Office of the Clerk (500 000 francs), the Europe Prizes (100 000 francs) and other expenditure for which no special provision is made (50 000 francs). In contrast, a substantial reduction (500 000 francs) is to be estimated under the sub-head covering expenses for inviting parliamentary delegations from non-member states, as the number of these has declined. I estimate that approximately 0,9 million francs in additional appropriations should be allocated to the Assembly's budgetary package.
34. Lastly, in respect of the Assembly's programme of interparliamentary co-operation, an increase in appropriations of some 500 000 francs should be estimated.
Conclusion
35. The above requests as a whole represent an increase of approximately 10,2 million francs over the appropriations allocated to the Assembly for 1996. This is a rise of some 14%, so it is of the same order as the increase estimated for the Organisation's ordinary budget as a whole.
36. Although it seems significant, this increase has to be viewed in relation to the political importance of the Assembly's work on the consolidation of Europe's democratic security. Almost half the increase stems from strictly political decisions: the introduction of Russian as a working language and the Assembly's undertaking to monitor member states' honouring of their obligations.
37. Furthermore, it should be emphasised, in the context of this budgetary report, that national parliaments make a contribution to the functioning of the Assembly by meeting the travel and subsistence expenses of Assembly members when they participate in sessions and in committee meetings. This contribution to the operating expenses of the Assembly derives from Article 38 of the Statute of the Council of Europe ("Each member shall bear the expenses of its own representation in the Committee of Ministers and in the ... Assembly"), and if it were to be quantified, it would place more in proportion the size of the requested increase in appropriations.
38. In the preliminary draft opinion which I am putting forward, there is a table recapitulating the changes in appropriations for 1997 compared with the appropriations for 1996, as well as a brief explanation of these changes based on this explanatory memorandum.
APPENDIX
Reporting committee: Committee on the Budget and the Intergovernmental Work Programme.
Budgetary implications for the Assembly: The Assembly requests from the Committee of Ministers an increase of its appropriations in real terms of 8 305 000 FF for staff expenses; 500 000 FF for allocation to political groups; 920 000 FF for equipment and other operational expenditure (budgetary package) and 500 000 FF for the Assembly's co-operation programme.
Reference to committee: standing mandate.
Draft opinion adopted unanimously by the committee on 24 June 1996.
Members of the committee: MM. Schreiner (Chairman), Cox and Theis (Vice-Chairmen), Behrendt, Mrs Belohorsk�, MM. Bokov, Boucheron, Bugli, Mrs Calner, MM. Cherep, E�rsi, Goovaerts, Sir John Hunt, MM. J�nsson, Kaalund, Kamhi, Kol�_, Kriedner, Mrs Luthtanen, MM. Lu�s, Mattina, Mautner-Markhof (Alternate: Schieder), Mitrofanov, Motiu (Alternate: Manescu), Muravschi, Mrs van Nieuwenhoven, MM. Oorzhak, Pante__jevs, Pattison, Pavlidis (Alternate: Korakas), Piatkowski, Plattner, Popovski, Pukl, Ragno, Mrs Ringstad (Alternate: Mr Thoresen), Sanz (Alternate: Mart�nez).
N.B. The names of members who took part in the meeting are printed in italics.
Secretaries to the committee: Ms Nollinger and Ms Ramanauskaite.
[1]. By the Committee on the Budget and the Intergovernmental Work Programme.