The European Parliament,

–   having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2004 on the strategic political orientations of the Barroso Commission(1),

–   having regard to the current framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the Commission, approved by Parliament's Conference of Presidents on 29 June 2000,

–   having regard to the Commission's Communication on its work programme for 2005 (COM(2005)0015) and to the commitments made by the President of the Commission, Mr Barroso, to Parliament on 26 January 2005 on the legislative programme of the Commission,

–   having regard to Rules 33 and 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.   whereas the annual legislative programme is an indispensable tool for the smooth functioning of the European institutions, and whereas the introduction of the multiannual strategy programme will bring a sharper focus to setting the political objectives of the Union,

B.   whereas closer coordination between the institutions of the Union and a greater capacity of the European Council to provide the affairs of the Union with more credible political leadership are prerequisites for the EU to fulfil its tasks successfully,

C.   whereas the Commission gives utmost priority to increasing Europe's prosperity through enhanced competitiveness, modernisation of the European economy and structural reform, and defends the view that increased investment in knowledge and human capital are driving forces behind sustainable growth, job creation and prosperity, and thus key preconditions to Europe successfully pursuing ambitious environmental and social goals,

D.   whereas the goals of economic growth, job creation and social justice will not be achieved if the Union does not strengthen integration and improve the quality of its legislative, regulatory and administrative performance,

E.   considering the central importance attached by the Commission to increasing the security of European citizens, by reinforcing efforts to fight terrorism and organised crime and by emphasising the need for a common approach to asylum and immigration, and an improved management of external borders,

F.   whereas the Commission puts strong emphasis on improving the quality of life of Europe's citizens and on building a cleaner environment and a healthier future for Europe,

G.   whereas the enlarged Union aims to play a stronger leadership role in the world and to assume greater responsibility at global level by using the EU's strength to project stability and further democracy and human rights, with special focus on the neighbouring countries, whilst encouraging development, in particular in Africa, and extending free trade world-wide,

H.   considering the great importance attached to the intensification of multilateral and bilateral relationships in general and to the development of a genuine and renewed 'Transatlantic Partnership' in particular,

I.   whereas the Union needs financial resources commensurate with the scale of its social, economic and political ambitions,

A more competitive and cohesive Europe

1.  Welcomes the central importance attached to the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy as a means of generating competitiveness in the European Union, and supports the measures envisaged, both in these communications and in the Lisbon mid-term review, to try to ensure that the process addresses fewer and more complementary objectives and follows a precise timetable for achieving its goals over the next five years;

2.  Invites the Commission, as already requested, to adopt the same timetable for reviewing the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy, because it believes environment policy to be an economic opportunity, especially considering its effects on industrial innovation;

3.  Stresses the importance of the Lisbon measures being implemented by Member States and regions, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, in parallel with action at EU level;

4.  Insists that all new legislative initiatives must be accompanied by rigorous impact assessments in respect of finance, regulation and the environment;

Single Market

5.  Reiterates its belief that prominent within the EU's competitiveness agenda should be specific further action to complete the single market, notably in energy, transport, telecommunications, and financial and other services;

6.  Invites the Commission to review its proposal for the software patents directive in accordance with the decisions taken by Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs on 2 February 2005 and by its Conference of Presidents on 17 February 2005 and to bring forward its legislative proposals for an integrated system of general patents

7.  Expects the Commission to take action in the coming months against Member States which have failed to implement EU legislation designed to liberalise markets, notably in the energy and telecom sectors;

Financial services

8.  Supports, in particular, the adoption of the required directives in the field of financial services and insists that the Commission should focus on securing approval for measures already in the pipeline and avoid bringing forward new proposals unless they were duly justified and assessed;

9.  Urges the Commission to ensure that the Lamfalussy process works effectively at each level; recommends that greater political attention be given to the implementation and application of existing legislation in the financial services field;

Corporate governance and contract law

10.  Applauds the commitment to improving the business environment as regards entrepreneurship and corporate governance, with the aim of fostering the efficiency and competitiveness of business and of strengthening both the rights of shareholders and the protection of third parties; calls for initiatives to work towards a convergence of civil and commercial law;

11.  Stresses the importance of increasing the degree of consistency in the area of contract law; calls on the Commission to continue its efforts to achieve greater coherence between the various contract law instruments, inter alia through the adoption of a Common Frame of Reference; asks the Commission fully to associate Parliament in those activities;

Research and development

12.  Welcomes the high priority given to strengthening the Union's R&D effort, not least through the establishment of a European research council, and the emphasis on the importance of the Seventh Research Framework Programme in contributing to the Lisbon goal of developing a knowledge-based economy; in this context, urges the Commission to present a proposal providing for concrete support for basic and innovative research - focusing on specific innovations such as hydrogen cells, solar energy, biotechnology, space technology and cleaner cars - as well doubling financial support (in terms of the ratio to GDP of the EU-25, compared to that for the EU-15 under the sixth programme);

Competition policy

13.  Believes that a strong competition policy and the effective enforcement of the rules thereof are extremely important in improving competitiveness; urges the Commission, therefore, to ensure that a properly resourced and strong competition policy - one which is independent of the Member States - is maintained in coming years; welcomes the impetus of the Commission in promoting competitive practices in a number of sectors, while initiating a process aimed at increasing private enforcement of EU competition rules, by improving litigation for damages resulting from infringement;

14.  Supports the Commission's overall policy aim of ensuring less, better focused state aid, as well as its intention to launch a wider reflection on the future of state-aid policy, but emphasises that there should be no discrimination between Member States in the application of such policy, and that changes due to purely statistical effects should be treated fairly;

Stability and Growth Pact

15.  Calls on the Commission to ensure that, in order to guarantee sound finances, the essential structure of the Stability and Growth Pact is safeguarded in any proposed reform, in particular the reference to the existing three per cent deficit, and that more attention is paid to the public debt position of Member States and to an improved monitoring of national economic performance and forecasting, whilst envisaging the possibility of some flexibility for countries with low debt ratios in times of severe recession, provided this encourages good behaviour in times of growth and underpins general structural reform;

16.  Believes that investment should play a leading role in the modernisation of Europe and that a joint action should be adopted to boost public and private investment, while focusing on the forms of investment most likely to help achieve the aims of the Lisbon Strategy: research and innovation, new infrastructures, knowledge economy, education and training, high-quality public and social services and investment in European industrial policy, in particular in new and dynamic sectors such as nanotechnology and biotechnology;

Cohesion policy

17.  Firmly asserts the importance of cohesion policy in its own right, not only as a fundamental principle of the treaties and an element of EU solidarity, but also as a complementary tool for achieving Lisbon objectives; considers, in particular, that investing in the TENs, the information society, human resources, technology, innovation and development of SMEs will increase competitiveness, enable job creation, and thus contribute to economic and social cohesion throughout the EU;

18.  Welcomes the Commission's intention to present its strategic guidelines for cohesion policy, and calls on it, when doing so, to apply the legal basis providing for the full participation of Parliament in the decision-making process; welcomes, likewise, the presentation by the Commission in good time of the cohesion policy regulations for 2007-13, stressing that the timely launch of the various cohesion programmes is now dependent upon the swift adoption of these regulations within the Council;

Trans-European Networks

19.  Supports the Commission in its endeavours to persuade the Member States that - for the completion of the single market, promotion of cohesion and creation of more efficient connections within an enlarged EU - the TEN priority projects should be planned and financed on the basis of support both from the EU budget and, where possible, through public-private partnerships, and that their construction should be carried out as rapidly as possible; believes that full use should be made of European Investment Bank and the Structured Finance Facility, in parallel;

Improving Europe's quality of life
Environment

20.  Points out that an effective implementation of both the EU Biodiversity Plan and the strategy on sustainable use of natural resources will require appropriate financial resources, including for the Natura 2000 network;

21.  Calls on the Commission to work with Parliament to find a balanced solution to defining a workable framework for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals ('REACH'), one which would minimise the impact on competitiveness whilst also protecting the environment and be based on a policy of prioritisation, risk assessment, the 'one substance, one registration' principle, as well as on a phasing out of animal testing; welcomes the Commission´s commitment to its REACH proposal and to following the regular codecision procedure, awaiting Parliament´s first reading before modifying its proposal;

22.  Requests the Commission to put forward before July 2005 its framework legislative proposal on waste, which aims at improving coherence in waste management, especially regarding ECJ case-law;

23.  Believes that the rules governing animal health and welfare are in need of updating in order to reflect new scientific developments;

Sustainable and innovative energy sources

24.  Insists on the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels through a mix of renewable and innovative energy sources, such as hydrogen, a realistic nuclear policy and cuts in consumption;

Agriculture, fisheries, rural development and tourism

25.  Welcomes the Commission's commitment to the ongoing reform of the CAP; requests the Commission to ensure that the implementation of CAP reforms in 2005 does not lead to distortions of competition among farmers in the Member States and that any renationalisation of the CAP is firmly avoided;

26.  Reiterates its belief that the Commission's Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming - by providing a framework for sustainable farming and a viable alternative to more traditional farming methods - constitutes a decisive element of rural development policy, and should as such be given high priority in the EU's strategic orientations for rural development;

27.  Calls on the Commission to take full account of Parliament's position when drafting its legislative proposals to reform the sugar regime so as to maintain sugar production in the EU whilst mitigating the effects of reform on trading partners in the developing world; expects the Commission to inform Parliament immediately and in detail as to how the WTO panel ruling, expected in April 2005, will affect the reform proposals;

28.  Regrets, considering the fundamental importance of fisheries for the economies of many regions in Europe, that there is a marked absence of proposals relating to the Common Fisheries Policy in the annual legislative and work programme; notes that a large number of matters - such as the renewal of fisheries agreements, technical measures for the management of Community fishing and the new recovery plans for fishing species at biological risk - are still pending;

29.  Expects the Commission to continue to pursue the process of reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, in a way that ensures a timely, full and successful implementation of such reform;

30.  Regards the lack of proposed Commission initiatives in the field of tourism as regrettable; urges the Commission to consider coming forward with additional measures to promote an important job-creating sector;

Demographic trends

31.  Welcomes the prospect of a Green Paper on demographic trends in the EU, to be followed by concrete actions, which should, in a coherent whole, offer concrete guidelines for meeting the manifold challenges linked to an ageing population; looks forward to its suggesting ways of providing the highest possible quality of life for the elderly, whilst at the same time ensuring sustainable pensions and health systems, taking account of the costs of long-term health care; underlines the necessity of giving special attention to research on, and remedies for, age-related health issues (such as neurodegenerative diseases, arthritis and mobility problems);

32.  Calls on the Commission to work urgently with Member States to increase the labour-market participation of those over 55 years of age - through positive incentive measures, raising retirement ages and/or reviewing early-retirement arrangements - so as to safeguard the sustainability of pension systems; considers that it is in society's interests to draw upon the experience and contribution of older generations for the overall common good;

33.  Believes that, in parallel, stronger emphasis should be placed on creating a 'child-friendly' environment, whether by means of tax incentives, better child-care facilities or a more flexible organisation of working time, thus enabling a better combination of professional and family life;

Social policy

34.  Reiterates its view that a strong and vibrant social dimension is an important component of a successful and dynamic economy, and that arrangements that strike the right balance between competing needs in the workplace can contribute significantly to economic success;

35.  Expects the Commission's new Social Policy Agenda for 2006-10 to concentrate on strengthening the capacity of the EU and Member State governments to carry through existing EU agreed aims, including improving employability and flexibility in working conditions and a better reconciliation of the demands of family and professional life;

Education, culture and youth policy

36.  Underlines the need for the Union to provide adequate and appropriate EU financial resources for the next generation of education, culture, youth and media programmes, if the ambitious goals they contain are to be attained; regrets, nevertheless, that no further major initiatives are planned in the fields of education and culture this year, although the latter fields play an essential role in European integration, as well as in the Lisbon Strategy;

37.  Supports the Commission's intention of publishing a communication on youth policy, which should offer a more integrated approach to such policy and eventually lead to the establishment of a 'European Pact' in this field; considers that it should be published at the same time as the Green Paper on demographic trends;

38.  Underlines the urgent need to accelerate the mutual recognition of secondary-school qualifications and university degrees, and to promote greater mobility of young people, enabling them to gain experience abroad, move more easily from one educational/training area to another and switch between different professional careers;

Gender equality

39.  Expects the Commission, in the framework of the announced communication on a 'policy approach to the fight against discrimination', to set out in detail its intentions for tackling the gender pay-gap in coming years;

A safer Europe for the citizen
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice

40.  Underlines the need to consolidate the progress made towards creating an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice under the Tampere programme and stresses the importance attached to the development of the Hague programme in this area, seeking in the process to strike an appropriate balance between increased security for citizens and proper protection of their fundamental rights; calls, in order to ensure coherent steps forward in this field of policy, for proper evaluation of measures already adopted;

Terrorism and organised crime

41.  Believes that the domestic and international fight against terrorism and organised crime - and the structures which sustain them - is critical to building a safer Europe for our citizens, and that the Commission should continue work as a matter of urgency on clearer common definitions of certain serious crimes with a cross-border dimension (notably terrorism, trafficking in drugs and human beings, money laundering, and cyber crime), combined with agreed minimum sentencing rules where appropriate; in this light, welcomes the Commission's plans to bring forward a new initiative on research into security;

Borders, asylum, immigration and visa policy

42.  Welcomes the emphasis on creating a common approach to border control, asylum and immigration, and highlights more specifically the continuing need to strengthen security at the EU's external borders, for more coherent and consistent visa rules, and for effective partnerships with third countries to reduce illegal immigration at its source;

43.  Urges the Commission to strengthen the common visa policy and increase the security of travel documents, by including biometric data, overseeing the effective implementation of VIS (Visa Information System), following its adoption by the Council, and accelerating the design and development of SIS II (Schengen Information System); insists, in this context, on the need to legislate at EU level for data protection; considers that the Commission should, as a matter of urgency, submit a framework decision on data protection providing the same level of protection under the third pillar as is provided under the first pillar;

44.  Calls, moreover, on national governments to forewarn other Member States before engaging in significant unilateral initiatives on the migration issue;

45.  Believes that the launch of the new Action Plan on Drugs will provide an improved framework for combating drug addiction and trafficking within the Union, and expects it to focus on best practice and follow evidence-based approaches;

46.  Calls on the Commission to propose a proper EU legal basis for Europol, which would strengthen its future role and ensure its effectiveness; stresses the need to reinforce confidence in the justice systems of Member States, based on the principle of mutual recognition, minimum standards and safeguards of rights for all involved;

47.  Notes the initiative to transform the EUMC into a European Agency of Fundamental Rights, but is concerned at potential duplication with other human rights organisations;

Transport safety

48.  Welcomes the Commission's policy objectives in the transport sector, with the strong emphasis on improved safety in maritime, air and road transport in general, and on security in respect of Trans-European Transport Networks in particular; in particular, the third package on maritime security should improve this aspect;

49.  Calls on the Commission carefully to check, in the mid-term review, whether the objectives of the White Paper are being attained or whether adjustments need to be made;

Health and disaster prevention

50.  Urges the Commission to ensure that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control becomes fully and effectively operational without any further delay, especially given the threat of communicable diseases, the likelihood of a pending influenza epidemic and the rapid increase in multi-drug resistant diseases, especially AIDS and tuberculosis;

51.  Stresses that citizens must be afforded adequate protection by reducing the risk of natural disasters and environmental or health crises by means of early-warning and immediate-response mechanisms and long-term prevention;

52.  Emphasises that the Commission must ensure a proper follow-up to its communication on a European Programme on Nutrition and Health, proposing concrete actions to fight obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, and misuse of drugs and alcohol, which all lead to diabetes and heart disease problems;

53.  Urges the Commission to place a strong emphasis, in the framework of the 7th Research Framework Programme, on intensified research into new/alternative medication to fight HIV/AIDS;

54.  Calls on the Commission to put forward, and on the Member States to decide upon, a timetable for the development of a coherent policy on patient mobility, with the aim of developing clear rules on the reimbursement of medical expenses for treatments received in a Member State other than the one in which a patient is insured;

Consumer protection

55.  Stresses the importance of clear, simple and safe rules for both consumers and producers within the single market, and accordingly suggests a further simplification of rules for trans-border contracts, in particular; believes, in this context, that consumer protection legislation should as a matter of principle follow the new approach consisting of minimum standards and mutual recognition;

56.  Does not consider it appropriate to combine in one strategy both consumer and health policies, when the current consumer policy strategy and public health programme expire (in 2007 and 2008 respectively); firmly believes that, whilst these two policies should follow the same political guidelines, both need their own strategies and budgets;

A stronger Europe in a safer world
Enlargement

57.  Expects a steady and determined development of the Union's common foreign, security and defence policies with a view to projecting European values on the world stage and to defending the EU's common interest in international affairs; puts great emphasis on the need to reach rapid agreement on setting up the joint external action service in a way that protects the prerogatives of the Commission and Parliament, engages national diplomacies and provides the Union's Foreign Minister with the resources, intelligence and instruments he will need to function well;

58.  Requests that the Commission keep Parliament fully informed, in detail, of progress in coming months in the preparation of enlargement negotiations with both Croatia and Turkey;

59.  Believes that, while entering the active phase of negotiations with Croatia (on the basis of the mandate soon to be communicated by the Commission), the Stabilisation and Association Process should be pursued and extended as a policy corner-stone for relations with the Western Balkans;

Neighbourhood policy

60.  Underlines the high priority it attaches to the implementation of a comprehensive neighbourhood policy, aimed at developing a sphere of democracy, stability and prosperity in the countries bordering the Union to its south and east; calls on the Commission to review its concept in close cooperation with Parliament, with a view to allowing for further differentiation between the different geographic regions and countries;

61.  Considers it particularly important, in this context, to develop a strong new Eastern dimension to neighbourhood policy and continue to send positive signals to Ukraine and other states as they develop stronger, functioning democracies; and to strengthen and deepen the existing Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and associated policies and, in particular, give new impetus to the Barcelona Process in the framework of the 10th anniversary of the Conference this year, and therefore analyse and, possibly, proceed with some revision of this process to ensure greater efficiency of the system;

62.  Calls, in particular, on the Commission to propose, and on the Council to consider, a further upgrading of the EU's relationship with the Ukraine, by providing for other forms of association, which would give a clear European perspective to the country and thus meet the expectations and hopes raised during the peaceful Orange Revolution;

63.  Reiterates the need for the EU to develop rapidly its common neighbourhood policies in order to help its neighbours achieve liberal democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights as well as higher levels of social, economic and environmental development;

64.  Takes the view that every possible effort should be made to achieve the reunification of Cyprus; calls on the Commission to strengthen inter-community projects, thus building up the momentum for the resumption of negotiations;

Bilateral relationships

65.  Attaches high priority to the further development of the EU's bilateral relationships, on the basis of agreements with third countries as appropriate; notes the importance of ensuring that relationships with Eastern and Mediterranean countries are strengthened accordingly, in particular through an enhanced structured dialogue in the framework of the Euromed Parliamentary Assembly;

66.  Reiterates, in particular, its call for a strengthening of EU-US relations, by updating and replacing the existing New Transatlantic Agenda with a genuine 'Transatlantic Partnership', to be backed by a commitment to removing remaining barriers to trade and investment by 2015; recalls that a sincere and fluid dialogue is the natural basis on which to structure transatlantic relations and that the Transatlantic Legislator's Dialogue (TLD) is an appropriate tool for this purpose; notes the continuing need to conclude the EU-US Transatlantic Aviation Agreement, as an example of developing a genuine external transport policy;

67.  Takes note of the Commission's intention to revisit the strategy towards Latin America and to launch a new approach to bilateral relations, and in this context underlines the need to relaunch the concept of a 'Bi-Continental Association' framework for relations between the two continents;

68.  Believes that, unless and until there is a significant improvement in the human rights situation in China, it would be wrong for the EU to envisage any lifting of its embargo on arms sales to China, imposed in 1989; requests that the Commission formally oppose such a move when it is discussed in the Council;

Regional issues

69.  Urges the Commission and Member States to capitalise on the opportunity for peace in the Middle East provided by the ceasefire declaration at Sharm el Sheikh, and to provide, in the framework of the Quartet, a clear and balanced input into the process of finding a lasting peace between Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state - able to live side by side in peace and security in the framework of a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East, as set out in the Roadmap;

70.  Welcomes the EU's positive role in the reconstruction of Iraq and in efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring military nuclear capability;

Development policy

71.  Expresses grave concern at the fact that, five years after the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by the United Nation, Sub-Saharan Africa has not met - nor is on track to meet - any one of the eight goals by the target date of 2015; stresses that, unless the international community dramatically increases both the quality and the quantity of its development assistance, the MDGs will be unattainable for a large number of least developed countries, in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa;

72.  Supports the special attention given by the Commission to Africa and its intention to develop a 'Strategy for Africa' to reflect the specific needs of the continent, and in particular, those of Sub-Saharan Africa, so as to give that region the means to progress towards the MDGs;

73.  Calls on the EU institutions to take the lead in swiftly implementing the UN Millennium Project's report, 'Investing in Development: a Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals';

74.  Welcomes the commitment to multilateralism in general and to the United Nations in particular, but cautions against allowing the slow pace of international cooperation to dictate the speed of our own initiatives to combat global warming, poverty and disease;

International action on environment and sustainable development

75.  Calls on the Commission to take practical steps for the establishment of a 'European diplomacy on environment and sustainable development', and urges the Commission to put forward a specific strategy in this area;

76.  Supports the Commission's aim of maintaining a leading role in building up a strong coalition for further post-Kyoto international commitments beyond 2012, not least because addressing climate change also brings opportunities and incentives for innovation in line with the goals set by the Lisbon agenda; stresses the need to give economic decision-makers the opportunity to integrate certain reasonable indications on the likely situation after 2012 into their forward economic planning and to encourage the USA to bring forward its own proposals;

Trade policy

77.  Considers international trade policy to be a key element in promoting competitiveness and growth both within the Union and in developing countries; underlines the importance of the multilateral approach to trade policy and of a successful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda in December 2005; considers bilateral trade agreements to be a useful tool for the strengthening of trade relations with specific partners, provided that the latter agreements do not distort the WTO system;

78.  Calls on the Commission to clarify the guidelines for the negotiations on agriculture within the WTO, in order to maximise the prospects of reaching an agreement in December 2005; in this context, reiterates the urgent necessity to adapt the geographic labels or guarantees of origin to the needs of both the market and consumer information; stresses the importance of progressively removing import barriers on goods from developing countries and progressively eliminating all forms of EU export subsidies on agricultural products;

A Europe that works better - closer to the citizen
Better law-making and better regulation

79.  Calls for the full implementation during the coming year of the Interinstitutional Agreement on better law-making(2); welcomes the commitment in principle by the Commission to the effective application of the impact assessment process envisaged in the Agreement for all legislative measures of substance; believes that early agreement on a common methodology for impact assessments between the three institutions would a significant step forward;

80.  Supports the drive to ensure prompt and effective transposition, implementation and enforcement of EU directives in national law; invites the Commission to come forward with a more ambitious approach for guaranteeing that Member States comply with and meet their obligations within the time-frame provided for in any given piece of legislation;

81.  Believes that simplifying legislation and enhancing the quality of its drafting remain of paramount importance; expresses concern at the unambitious list of areas of legislation earmarked for the planned simplification process and, consequently, calls on the Commission to identify and accelerate its programmes for simplifying, recasting and consolidating existing legislation - first envisaged in the 2003 action plan for better regulation - in order to make EU legislation more coherent and to reduce the overall volume of texts in selected policy areas;

82.  Stresses that it is of paramount importance to make Europe work better and to bring it closer to the citizens, by creating a more open, responsive and democratic Union, and therefore emphasises the need for a properly coordinated campaign by the European Council, Parliament and the Commission to ensure ratification of the Constitution and its entry into force on 1 November 2006;

Petitions

83.  Underlines the importance of the petitions process as a source of information on faulty implementation and/or enforcement of EU law; expresses its deep disappointment at the lack of effective, speedy follow-up by the Commission in dealing with petitions, which clearly highlights organisational problems within the Commission and a lack of coordination with the Member States;

Budgetary accountability and administrative reform

84.  Welcomes the Commission's emphasis on value for money and accountability in the communications, as well as the reference to the need for an effective roadmap aimed at securing a positive statement of assurance on the execution of annual budgets;

85.  Reiterates its request to the Commission to submit a proposal for a revision of the EU's financial regulation and its implementing rules, in order to remove all the obstacles to implementation, which hinder decision-taking and smooth implementation of the budget;

86.  Calls for the rapid creation of a secure and comprehensive internal control environment for the EU budget by addressing inter alia the problems of accountability arising from 'shared management' (including the development of the 'single audit model') and by taking a much tougher approach with decentralised paying agencies;

87.  Points out that certain pilot projects and preparatory actions are a prerogative of Parliament, and calls on the Commission to fully implement the corresponding decisions of Parliament, as adopted in the 2005 budgetary procedure, and to provide an appropriate follow-up;

88.  Urges the Commission, in this context, to use the opportunity of the special annual events budget line to make financial contributions to the EU democracy campaign, the 15th Mediterranean Games, the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity movement and EUR 1.5 million for the 20th World Youth Day 2005; calls on the organisers of the Youth Day to take into account the tsunami disaster in planning its projects and events;

89.  Requests the Commission, as already envisaged in 2003, to submit a formal proposal for a legal basis for the so-called 'Info-points/Carrefours', as well as for the new generation of conventions between the Commission and Member States and of programmes for grants after 2006;

90.  Calls on the Commission to inform Parliament as soon as possible on the state of implementation of its own internal reform process, launched by the previous Commission, as well as on its continuing plans for pursuing and completing such reform;

Fight against fraud

91.  Emphasises the importance of including 'fraud-proofing' measures in all relevant legislative texts and, in this light, expects the revision of the OLAF regulation to be completed in a way that enhances its independent status; urges the Commission to adopt a pro-active approach to encouraging whistle-blowers to come forward;

92.  Insists that the complete and successful implementation of the new accounting system must remain a priority during the year ahead;

o
o   o

93.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0109. (2) OJ C 321, 31.12.2003, p. 1.