91998E3670

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3670/98

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Council

(4 December 1998)

Subject: Mission expenses for EU officials

Press reports suggest that there are plans to increase mission expenses for EU officials by up to 30 %.

1. Are there really any such plans?

2. What is the justification for this increase?

3. What form will the increase actually take?

4. What additional charge to the EU budget is likely to result from this?

Reply

(22 and 23 February 1999)

1. The Council can confirm that the proposal(1) for a Council Regulation (EC, ECSC, Euratom) "adjusting the daily subsistence allowance rates for officials on mission within the European territory of the Member States of the European Union laid down in Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities" is currently being examined by the relevant Council bodies.

As stated in the explanatory memorandum, the proposal ensues from the proposal for a Regulation "adjusting the daily subsistence allowance rates for officials on mission within the European territory of the Member States of the European Union laid down in Article 13 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities and introducing an annual adjustment procedure" submitted by the Commission on 23 September 1996(2), on which the European Parliament delivered its Opinion on 12 March 1997(3).

2. The explanatory memorandum to the Commission proposal also states the reasons for the adjustment, arguing in particular that "the current allowances were set by the Council on 22 July 1991 (Regulation No 2232/91) following a survey of hotel rates and restaurant prices. [...] The scales fixed then no longer reflect prevailing economic conditions and this [...] means that the daily subsistence allowance rates and the ceilings for the reimbursement of hotel expenses for missions within the Member States urgently need revision."

3. The scale for the proposed daily subsistence allowances is given in detail in Article 1 of the said proposal.

4. The financial statement attached to the proposal evaluates the budgetary impact referred to in point 4 of the Honourable Member's question at ECU 9,8 million.

(1) Sent by the Commission on 17 July 1998 (COM(98) 455 final, not published in the Official Journal).

(2) COM(96) 451 final, OJ C 349, 20.11.1996, p. 8; proposal amended on 31 July 1997 (COM(97) 429 final,OJ C 277, 12.9.1997, p. 4).

(3) OJ C 115, 14.4.1997, p. 77.