(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament ,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2003) 777)(1) ,

–   having regard to Articles 251(2), 71(1), 80(2), 156, first subparagraph, and 175 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C5-0652/2003),

–   having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets(A5-0066/2004),

1.  Considers that the amounts referred to in the legislative proposals are compatible with the ceiling of heading 3 of the financial perspective as adjusted and revised in order to take account of enlargement;

2.  Calls for the budgetary authority to be more fully involved in the definition of the financial impact of the legislative programmes in accordance with the statement on financial programming annexed to its resolution of 26 October 2000 on the Interinstitutional Agreement on financial statements(2) ;

3.  Welcomes the Commission proposals in respect of the agreement on indicative figures reached at the conciliation of 24 November 2003;

4.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

5.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

(1) Not yet published in OJ. (2) 2 OJ C 197, 12.7.2001, p. 354.