2011 BUDGET : PARLIAMENT WANTS TO CONCENTRATE ON YOUNG PEOPLE.

The European Parliament will stress, in the 2011 budget negotiations that will open in the coming months, the promotion of young people, innovation and research. It also wishes to launch discussion on its new expenditure resulting from application of the Lisbon Treaty.

This is the gist of two draft reports on budget priorities for 2011, adopted on 4 March in the Budget Committee (BUDG) in Brussels. The first, by Sidonia Elzbieta Jedrzejewska (EPP, Poland), concerns the EU general budget (Commission). For this fifth exercise under the multiannual financial framework 2007-2013, MEPs are calling for emphasis to be placed on the financing of actions for young people but also, more generally, on the transition period between completing education and entering the labour market. Innovation and research must also be highlighted, with special attention on new digital tools.

The resolution contains a reference to the Europe 2020' economic strategy presented by the Commission, which should "focus more on combating unemployment," and states the need to devote attention to climate change and the new European External Action Service. On the latter point, the EP plans to exercise its right of scrutiny over the new body under the discharge procedure. Concerning administrative spending, the text mentions the 3.7% pay increase of EU civil servants, which caused a controversy in late 2009. Following the Council's decision to limit this increase to 1.85%, the Commission lodged an action for annulment before the Court of Justice. Depending on the final decision, the difference with retroactive effect could amount to 140 million for all the institutions.

The second report, by Helga Trupel (Greens-EFA, Germany), concerns the budgets for the other institutions, particularly Parliament. It calls for taking account of the institution's additional spending resulting from its new powers under the Lisbon Treaty. The EP has proposed to amend its 2010 budget to increase it...