Ferber (PPE-DE). – (DE) Mr President, Commissioner Schreyer, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by expressing my sincere thanks to our rapporteur, who has presented an excellent report in difficult circumstances, given that all of us are already either preparing or waging an electoral campaign. The report does this House credit. Allow me to pick out a few points from the report for brief comment. I should certainly like to express my astonishment that the Commission has apparently agreed with the Council – or so the documentation seems to suggest – on a cut of EUR 100 million in the special programme for the removal of bottlenecks in the framework of the trans-European networks. I find that procedurally and politically unacceptable.

On the procedural side, the Commission is not the budgetary authority. Budgetary authority is vested in other institutions, and our Parliament is one of them. The Commission’s task is to take account of the will of the budgetary authority. With regard to the substance of this apparent agreement, it is evident, particularly in my own region, that we are not prepared for enlargement as far as the transport infrastructure is concerned and that there is an urgent need for funding here. It is therefore unacceptable that an important project proposed by the Commission under parliamentary pressure should now be ditched.

I wish to emphasise that clearly and may I also say that the Commission should rethink its political approach to the adoption of preparatory measures in connection with its visa policy, the Schengen information system and its refugee policy. Various directorates-general have adopted very different political approaches in this matter, and the Commission is surely duty-bound to pursue a coherent overall approach. What various parts of the Commission are putting out at this time cannot be accepted and is, in some cases, self-contradictory.

Lastly, allow me to refer to the establishment of new posts. Let me forewarn you clearly that we shall be examining very carefully whether 700 posts are really needed.