Article 3 2 0 — Acquisition of expertise

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover:

• the cost of contracts with qualified experts and research institutes for studies and other research activities (workshops, round tables, expert panels and conferences) carried out for Parliament's governing bodies and the Administration,

• study appraisal costs and STOA's participation in scientific bodies,

• the travel, subsistence and incidental expenses of experts and other persons, including petitioners to Parliament, invited to take part in committee, study group or working party meetings,

• expenditure on calling in outside persons to take part in the work of bodies such as the Disciplinary Board or the Specialised Financial Irregularities Panel.

Article 3 2 2 — Acquisition of information and archiving

Item 3 2 2 0 — Documentation and library expenditure

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover:

• the extension and renewal of the general reference works section and keeping the library stock up to date,

• subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals and news agencies and to the publications thereof and online services, including copyright fees for the reproduction and dissemination of the above in written and/or electronic form and service contracts for press reviews and cuttings,

• subscriptions or service contracts for the supply of summaries and analyses of the content of periodicals or the storage on optical media of articles taken from such periodicals,

• utilising external documentary and statistical databases (computer hardware and telecommunications charges excepted),

• the obligations assumed by the European Parliament under international and/or interinstitutional cooperation arrangements,

• the purchase or rental of special library, documentation and media library materials, including electrical, electronic and computer facilities and/or systems, as well as outside services for the acquisition, development, installation, use and maintenance of these facilities and systems,

• the cost of services relating to library activities, in particular in dealings with library customers (enquiries, analyses), and quality management systems, etc.,

• binding and preservation equipment and work for the library, documentation and media library,

• the cost of internal publications (brochures, studies, etc.), including equipment, and communication costs (newsletters, videos, CD-ROMs, etc.),

• the purchase of new dictionaries and glossaries, or the replacement thereof, regardless of medium, including for the new language sections, and other works for the language services and the Verification of Texts Unit.

Item 3 2 2 2 — Expenditure on archive fonds

Remarks

Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43), and the implementing measures adopted within the European Parliament.

Bureau decision of 16 December 2002 on enhancing information and transparency: the archives of the European Parliament.

Rules on processing the papers of Members of the European Parliament, adopted by the Bureau decision of 2 June 2003.

This appropriation is intended to cover the cost of outside archiving services, the transfer of main archives onto various media (microfilm, disc, cassette, etc.), the purchase, hire and upkeep of special facilities and materials (electronic, computerised and electrical, books and magazines), including the related outside services, and expenditure on publications on all media (brochures, CD-ROM, etc.).

It is also intended to cover the cost of processing the papers of Members of the European Parliament accumulated in the exercise of their office and handed over, in the form of legal donations or legacies, to the European Parliament, to the Historical Archives of the European Communities (HAEC) or to an association or foundation under rules established by the European Parliament.

The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 18(1)(e) to (j) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 20 000.

Article 3 2 3 — Relations with parliaments of third countries and support for parliamentary democracy

Remarks

Presidency Conclusions, Conference of Speakers of EU Parliaments, Copenhagen 2006 and Bratislava 2007.

Bureau decision of 18 June 2007.

Geographical area covered: countries outside the European Union with the exception of European Union candidate and pre-candidate countries.

This appropriation is intended to cover the expenditure committed for promoting relations between the European Parliament and democratically elected national parliaments from third countries as well as with corresponding regional parliamentary organisations. It relates notably to activities aimed at strengthening the parliamentary capacity in new and emerging democracies, and promoting the use of new IC technologies by parliaments.

Article 3 2 4 — Production and dissemination

Item 3 2 4 0 — Official Journal

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover the institution’s share of the Publications Office’s expenditure on publishing and dissemination and other ancillary costs with regard to the texts to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 18(1)(e) to (j) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 500 000.

Item 3 2 4 1 — Digital and traditional publications

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover:

• all costs for digital publishing (Intranet sites) and traditional publishing (miscellaneous documents and printed matter subcontracted out), including distribution,

• upgrading and evolutive and corrective maintenance of DG TRAD editorial and translation systems, including the Intranet site.

The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 18(1)(e) to (j) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 160 000.

Item 3 2 4 2 — Expenditure on publication, information and participation in public events

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on information publications, including electronic publications, information activities, and participation in public events, trade fairs and exhibitions in the Member States and the accession countries, including updating of the Legislative Observatory (OEIL).

Part of this appropriation should be used for the EU's participation in the Expo Zaragoza 2008, ‘Water and sustainable development, following the decision of the interinstitutional working group on information at its meeting of 22 May 2007, and for presenting at this major international event, Parliament's efforts in the fight against climate change.

Item 3 2 4 3 — Visitors Centre

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to finance the Visitors Centre.

Item 3 2 4 4 — Organisation and reception of groups of visitors, Euroscola programme and invitations to opinion multipliers from third countries

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover subsidies granted for group visits and associated supervision and infrastructure costs, the running costs of the Euroscola programme, and the financing of traineeships for opinion multipliers from third countries. It shall be increased every year using a deflator that takes into account movements in GNI and prices.

The maximum subsidisable number of visitors should be substantially increased. Each Member of the European Parliament should have the right to invite a maximum of five groups each calendar year for a total of 100 visitors. The number of participants present for any given visit may vary between a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 100.

An appropriate amount is included for disabled visitors.

The subsidy granted shall be increased in order to be duly commensurate with the distance travelled and transport conditions. The services provided for visitors should also be improved.

An evaluation as to whether the new rules take into account specific requirements and restrictions relating to the origin of visitors, proposals for an area to be set aside in the new Visitors Centre for political groups and a report concerning access by visitors groups to the new Visitors Centre and the visit to plenary, availability of meeting rooms and staffing needs for its operation have to be provided.

Item 3 2 4 5 — Organisation of seminars, symposia and cultural activities

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure or subsidies connected with the organisation of national and multinational symposia and seminars for opinion multipliers from the Member States and the accession countries, the cost of organising parliamentary symposia and seminars, and the financing of cultural projects of European interest, such as the Sakharov Prize and the European Parliament Lux Prize for European Cinema. A maximum of EUR 300 000 of this appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on special events in the Chamber in Strasbourg and Brussels in accordance with the annual programme adopted by the Bureau.

Item 3 2 4 6 — Parliamentary television channel (Web TV)

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to finance the parliamentary television channel (Web TV).

An evaluation of the prototype will be made. It will have to take into consideration the content and the cost of the project, including the structures and level of participation of political groups and the definition of programme content.

Item 3 2 4 7 — Expenditure on information about the Debate on the Future of Europe

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on information measures carried out in the context of the debate on the future of Europe.

Item 3 2 4 8 — Expenditure on audiovisual information

Remarks

European Parliament resolution of 12 March 2002 on the guidelines for the 2003 budgetary procedure (OJ C 47 E, 27.2.2003, p. 72).

European Parliament resolution of 14 May 2002 on the estimates of revenue and expenditure of Parliament for the financial year 2003 (OJ C 180 E, 31.7.2003, p. 150).

European Parliament resolution of 14 May 2003 on the estimates of revenue and expenditure of Parliament for the financial year 2004 (OJ C 67 E, 17.3.2004, p. 179).

This appropriation is intended to cover:

• the operating budget of the audiovisual sector (including services under its own control and outside assistance such as technical services for radio and television stations, provision, production and co-production of audiovisual programmes, the hiring of lines, the transmission of television and radio programmes, and other measures to develop relations between the institution and audiovisual broadcasting bodies),

• expenditure on live Internet broadcasting of plenary sittings and parliamentary committee meetings,

• the recording of part-session proceedings on DVD-ROMs,

• the establishment of appropriate archives and a search engine ensuring uninterrupted public access to that information.

The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 18(1)(e) to (j) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 13 000.

Item 3 2 4 9 — Information exchanges with national parliaments

Remarks

Conferences of Speakers of European Parliamentary Assemblies (June 1977) and of European Union Parliaments (September 2000, March 2001). Geographical area covered: European Union countries and European Union candidate and pre-candidate countries.

This appropriation is intended to cover:

• expenditure committed for promoting relations between the European Parliament and national parliaments. It relates to parliamentary relations other than those covered by Chapters 1 0 and 3 0, exchanges of information and documentation, and assistance in the analysis and management of that information, including exchanges with the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD),

• funding of cooperation programmes and training schemes for officials of the aforementioned parliaments and, in general, activities to strengthen their parliamentary capacities,

  Training schemes include study visits to the European Parliament in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg; the appropriation is intended to cover all or part of the expenditure incurred by participants, in particular travelling costs, travel expenses, accommodation and daily allowances,

• cooperation measures, including those linked to legislative work, and measures linked to documentation, analysis and information, including those carried out by the ECPRD.

Article 3 2 5 — Expenditure relating to Information Offices

Remarks

This appropriation is intended to cover all expenditure (staff, buildings, conferences, meetings, publications, etc.) linked to the Information Offices of the European Parliament.

Managed by the Publications Office