The Assembly,
a table of requestedchanges in real terms for 1987 compared with initial appropriations for1986;
detailed explanations of the changes in real termsrequested.
| VOTE III of the ordinary budget - Expenditurepertaining to the Assembly | Initialappropriations for 1986 | Changes in real terms proposedfor1987 |
|---|---|---|
| F | F | |
| HEAD XXIII - Staff | ||
| 66 - Salary, allowances and social charges ofthe Clerk of the Assembly | 724400 | |
| 67 - Remuneration of permanentstaff | 15 525 000 | |
| 67 bis - Assembly staffingchanges | + 418 000Note | |
| - 211000Note | ||
| 68 - Staff recruited to fill vacant permanentposts on a temporary basis | 60000 | |
| 69 - Expenses on arrival anddeparture, home leave | 140000 | |
| 70 - Overtime and allowances forexceptional duties | 74500 | |
| 71 - Remuneration and accessorycharges for temporary conference staff | 9 455 000 | + 105 000Note |
| 72 - Provision for cost-of-living and otheradjustments to remuneration | 798000Note | |
| TOTAI HEAD XXIII | 26 776 900 | + 312000 |
| VOTE III - Expenditure pertainingto the Assembly | 1985 expenditure | Initial indicative appropriations for1986 | Changes in real term proposedfor1987 |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | F | F | |
| HEAD XXIV - Special secretariat expenses and otherexpenses | |||
| 73 - Special secretaria expenses and otherexpenses | 752 500 | + 247 500Note | |
| TOTAL HEAD XXIV | 752 500 | + 247 500 | |
| HEAD XXV - Supplies,services and other operational expenditure (budgetary package) | |||
| Sub-heads | |||
| 74 - Publishing and printing | 1 371 000 | 1 460 000 | |
| 75 - Representational,travelling and subsistence expenses of the President of theAssembly | 271 100 | 265 000 | |
| 76 - Expenditurepertaining to the Private Office of the President of the Assembly | 138 000 | 145 000 | |
| 77 - Representationalexpenditure, other official expenditure and travelling expenses of the membersof the Assembly | 407500 | 340 000 | + 45 000 |
| 78 - Officialjourneys | 745 500 | 745 000 | |
| 79- Consultation of experts | 480 500 | 540 000 | - 200 000Note |
| 80 - Organisation of adhoc conferences | 44 000 | 550 000 | + 100 000Note |
| 81 - Other expenditure not specificallyprovided for in this vote | 78 000 | 79 000 | +10 000 |
| 82 - Europe prizes | 70000 | 98000 | |
| TOTAL HEAD XXV | 4 005 600 | 4 222 000 | - 45 000 |
| TOTAL VOTE III | 31 751 400 | + 514500 |
threeplenary part-sessions totalling nineteen days, attended by 170 Representativesand an equal number of Substitutes ;
meetings of the Bureauand the Standing Committee between Assembly sessions;
aStanding Committee meeting of four days in Switzerland, held in conjunctionwith meetings of several committees -
meetings of one dayor more in either Strasbourg or Paris, outside the plenary Assembly sessions,of each of the thirteen general committees, sub-committees and specialistworking parties;
one meeting, of one or more days, of eachof the thirteen general committees and of one of the subcommittees of eachgeneral committee once a year elsewhere than in Strasbourg or Paris (ruleadopted by the Standing Committee on 12 December 1963), and attendance at aconference or hearing held by a Council of Europe body other than thesub-committee or committee in question;
meetings of theSteering Committee of the Strasbourg Conference and the European Parliamentaryand Scientific Contact Group (of the Committee on Science and Technology);
ad hoc conferences and parliamentary hearings held by theAssembly.
financial provision for theAssembly's political groups;
the 2nd Strasbourg Conferenceon Parliamentary Democracy and the organisation of an event on intercommunityand intercultural experiences (Order N°. 428 (1986)).
staffing adjustments considered necessary to the proper functioningof the Clerk's Office.
A higher appropriation is needed than in 1986 becauseof the effect, over a full year, of the salary adjustment with effect from 1July 1986.
This appropriation covering basic salaries,nonrecurring and regular allowances and social insurance will be based on theapproved 1986 establishment of the Clerk's Office (47 posts - see tablebelow).
At 1 July 1986 staff numbers in the Clerk's Office, bydivision, were:
| Posts | Clerk, Deputy Clerk, President's PrivateOffice, secretariats | Div. I | Div. II | Div. III | Table Office | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A7 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| A6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| A5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| A4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| A2 / A3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | |
| B5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| B4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| B3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| B2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 47 |
Increases will be necessitated by:
salary increments and changes in the actualsituation of staff;
the effect over the full year 1987 ofthe salary adjustment with effect from 1 July 1986.
Estimatefor 1987: - 207 000 F
Creation of an A4 post (committee secretary)- 390 500 F
Upgradings:
1 A2/A3post to A4 - 18 000 F
1 B3 post to B4 - 9 500F
Transfer of a B4 post from the Clerk's Officeto the Directorate of Education, Culture and Sport - 211 000 F
Comments
InOpinion N° 124 (1985) the Assembly stressed the resources it needed to performsatisfactorily its new functions (currently preparations for the 2nd StrasbourgConference and for the European Public Campaign on North / SouthInterdependence). It also pointed out the workload of Division II of theClerk's Office. The Division II problem has been partly solved now that theadministrator previously detailed for much of the time to scientificco-operation is shared by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demographyand the Social and Health Affairs Committee. The Assembly accordingly repeatsits request for the creation of an A4 post, mainly to deal with the StrasbourgConference: thorough preparations for the 2nd conference and planneddevelopment of this activity in the years ahead will require the full-timeattention of a highly capable official. An A4 post is warranted by the dutiesthe official will have, which will include servicing the Steering Committee andContact Group of the Strasbourg Conference. Preparations for meetings willrequire a great deal of consultation, and occasional negotiation with theEuropean Parliament and parliaments and embassies of non-member states involvedin the conference. A newsletter has been issued to conference participantssince 1985.
Although the work generated by the StrasbourgConference in itself fully justifies creating an A4 post, this slight increasein staff can be expected to help the Assembly cope better with exceptional worksuch as servicing the Colombo Commission in 1985 and 1986 and, in 1988,cooperating with other secretariat departments on the North /SouthCampaign.
Since 1981 the Assembly has been asking for A4 grading forall secretaries to its committees (the equivalent posts at the EuropeanParliament carry head-of-division rank, while those at the WEU Assembly aregenerally graded AS). As the Committee of Ministers has not granted thisrequest, the Assembly will propose, as a matter of particular urgency,upgrading the post of Secretary to the Social and Health Affairs Committee fromA3 to A4. The post now involves more, and more responsible, work:
setting up two new sub-committees, on drugsand bio-ethical matters, both priority multidisciplinary activities in thedraft Third Medium-Term Plan;
arrangements for a generalAssembly debate on European social policy after each cycle of supervision ofthe European Social Charter (see Recommendation 1022 (1986));
greater involvement of the Social and Health Affairs Committee inCouncil of Europe intergovernmental work (it monitors six conferences ofspecialist ministers: labour, health, social security, family affairs, equalitybetween women and men, the Pompidou Group);
direct workingrelations with several international organisations (ILO, WHO, UNICEF),occasionally at comparatively high level.
Lastly, it should be noted that the social sector ("social changes") is one ofthe priorities in the Secretary General's draft Third Medium-Term Plan and willprobably generate additional work for the Social and Health AffairsCommittee.
As regards B-grade staff in the Clerk's Office, theAssembly requests the upgrading of a B3 post to B4 because central functions inthe Clerk's Office (secretarial services to the President of the Assembly,secretarial services to the Clerk and Deputy Clerk) now involve much more, andmuch more demanding, work including:
optimumco-ordination of Assembly committee meetings in order to cut costs(particularly in respect of official journeys and interpreting) and meetheavier demands with the finance available ;
administrativearrangements for, inter alia, conferences, colloquies, seminars, hearings andthe annual mini-sessions;
planning the use of computerfacilities by the assistants in the Clerk's Office.
Duties of this type generally go to B4 staff and cannot be performed bythe Clerk's personal secretary.
Under new arrangements formanaging the Assembly exercise in scientific co-operation, the post ofadministrative assistant to the Assembly's Scientific Adviser was transferredto the Directorate of Education, Culture and Sport with effect from 1 January1987 at a saving of 211 000 F to the Assembly budget.
Sub-head 68(previously Sub-head 81) - Staff recruited to fill vacant permanent posts on atemporary basis
Comments
The Assembly proposesthat 1987 appropriations for Sub-heads 68, 69 and 70 be kept at the same levelin real terms as for 1986.
Estimate for 1987: - 9 560 000 F
1986appropriation: - 9 455 000 F
Increase: - 105 000 F
This covers remuneration and social charges for:
temporary staff employed during sessions (parliamentary secretaries;stenographers; ushers and messengers; interpreters ; translators and revisers;secretaries ; offset assistants ; stitchers and binders ; press and informationprécis writers; doctor, nurse; other (radio technicians, telephone exchangeoperators, drivers, post office staff, police, firemen, etc.)) ;
temporary staff employed between sessions (interpreters for meetings,conferences and hearings of committees and sub-committees. temporaryassistants, etc.).
The appropriation needsraising because of the effect, over the full Year 1987, of the salaryadjustment as from 1 July 1986. An increase in real terms of 105 000 F comparedwith 1986 is justified by the Assembly's share of the cost of interpreters andtemporary staff for the 2nd Strasbourg Conference on Parliamentary Democracy,an exceptional item of expenditure.
Comments
The costof the 2nd Strasbourg Conference on Parliamentary Democracy (Strasbourg, 28-30September 1987), currently put at approximately 660 000 F, is to be shared bythe Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament and the six parliaments ofnon-member states taking part. The Assembly is to pay one third, includingapproximately 105 000 F for simultaneous interpreting from and into sixlanguages and temporary staff for the plenary sessions and the meetings of theseven working parties.
This covers 1987 salary increases in the Clerk'sOffice.
Estimate for 1987: - 1000 000 F
1986 appropriation: - 752 500 F
Increase: -247 500 F
(1985 appropriation: 734 000 F)
Theappropriation is apportioned among the Assembly's political groups according toa scheme decided by the Bureau.
Comments
The lastsubstantial increase in this appropriation was in 1978 (for the 1979 budget).Since then the political groups have become more active spokesmen (morefrequently appointed for major Assembly debates, tabling of amendments, tablingof motions for resolutions and recommendations, preparation of divergentopinions on explanatory memoranda to reports). They also regularly holdseminars. Secretaries to political groups thus have a great deal of work, yetthe five groups still cannot afford fulltime secretaries.
Moreover the political groups are in favour of larger allocations in order toproceed with seminar plans.
An increase of 247 500 F in real termsis accordingly requested for the political groups. If that amount is approvedby the Committee of Ministers, it will be apportioned among the five groupsaccording to the criteria agreed by the Bureau of the Assembly.
Indicative 1986 appropriation: - 1 460000 F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 1 371 000 F)
This sub-head covers publishing and printing costs relating to:
official Assembly documents, namely:1200 bilingual copies of the Working Papers (2800 to 3 000 pages) in each official language ;900 copiesin each official language of the Official Report of Debates (1 200-1 400pages);
distribution of reports anddocuments adopted by the Assembly and its committees and translation (andcirculation by national parliaments) of certain texts adopted;
other documents of the Assembly and itscommittees.
Comments
The Assemblyrequests the same level of provision as in 1986.
Indicative 1986appropriation: - 265 000 F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 271100 F)
These are representational, travelling and subsistenceexpenses incurred by the President of the Assembly in the performance of hisduties:
Comments
As the Assembly doesnot yet know at this stage the needs of its new President it requests for thetime being that this appropriation be kept in real terms at the same level in1987 as in 1986.
Indicative 1986 appropriation: - 145 000 F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 138 000 F)
This sub-headcovers:
Comments
The Assemblyrequests the same level of provision in real terms as in 1986.
Indicative estimate for 1987 385 000 F
Indicative 1986 appropriation: 340 000 F
Increase: 45 000 F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 407 000 F)
This sub-headcovers:
entertainment and similar expensesincurred by the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, committee chairmen andrapporteurs (approximately 51 000 F in 1985) ;
travellingexpenses and subsistence allowances of members of the Assembly attendingmeetings of certain Council of Europe bodies (other than sessions of theAssembly and meetings of Assembly committees) on the Council's behalf ortravelling on Assembly business at a committee's request;
accident insurance premiums for members of the Assembly travellingofficially at the Council's expense.
Comments
In all recent opinions the Assembly has pointed outthat it is increasingly difficult for national parliaments to meet the expensesof members travelling on Assembly business other than committee orsub-committee meetings (for example, travelling expenses for representing theParliamentary Assembly on various occasions, attendance at conferences,colloquies, etc. organised by the Assembly, presenting flags of honour toprize-winning towns). For this reason, more of members' travelling expenseswill have to be charged to Sub-head 77. The Standing Committee was informed ofthis in November 1984, March 1985 and July 1985. At the latter meeting itagreed measures to keep down Sub-head 77 expenditure (seeDoc. 5468, item VI). The indicativeappropriation for this sub-head was nonetheless overspent by over 120 000 F,mainly because of development of the Assembly's external relations and greaterAssembly co-operation with the Council of Europe's intergovernmental sector(attendance at conferences of specialist ministers, steering committeemeetings, etc.). It is therefore important gradually to increase theappropriation for Sub-head 77.
An increase in the proportion of theSub-head 77 appropriation (approximately 30%) used to meet the travel andsubsistence expenses of Assembly members who present the flags of honourawarded annually by the Parliamentary Assembly to prize-winning towns was,however, avoided-although the number of flags awarded has gone up appreciably,from 30 to 41 -by reducing the subsistence allowance and asking municipalitiesto bear some of the expenses incurred. To meet the ever-increasing number ofapplications for flags of honour, the Committee for the Environment, RegionalPlanning and Local Authorities has decided to substantially increase the numberof flags awarded (50 in 1986), which in itself makes a 20 000 F increaseessential. In this connection the committee recommended further measures withfinancial implications in its report, "Thirty years of the Europe Prize"(Resolution 862 (1986)).
The Assembly therefore requests that theappropriation for Sub-head 77 be increased in 1987 as follows:
25 000 F for official travel by Assemblymembers in general;
20 000 F for members' travel andsubsistence expenses incurred by the award of flags ofhonour.
Indicative 1986 appropriation: - 745 000F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 745 000 F)
Official travel by staff of the Clerk's Office and other Secretariat staffrequired to attend meetings of Assembly bodies and other organisations orhaving to accompany members of the Assembly on special journeys.
Comments
Despite the rising cost of travel and accommodation,the Clerk's economy measures (grouping of meetings, travel by the cheapest modeof transport, etc.) have kept spending within the appropriation and it is hopedthis will again be possible in 1986. The Assembly accordingly requests that theindicative appropriation for Sub-head 78 be kept at the same level in realterms in 1987.
Indicative estimate for 1987: - 340000 F
Indicative 1986 appropriation: 540 000 F
Reduction: 200 000 F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 480000 F)
This covers fees, travelling expenses and subsistenceallowances of, and administrative assistance to experts, including those fromnon-member countries, given specialised work or brought in for consultation byAssembly bodies, either individually or as members of working parties. Theappropriation has also financed the programme of scientific co-operationinitiated by the Committee on Science and Technology (approximately 300 000 Fin 1985).
Comments
The Assembly (Committee on Scienceand Technology) and the Secretary General have come to an arrangement wherebyit is intended transferring the exercise in scientific co-operation to theDirectorate of Education, Culture and Sport as from 1 January 1987. Theexercise will thus cease to be financed by the Assembly budget. One third ofthe resources previously devoted to scientific cooperation (approximately 300000 F in 1985) will go, from 1987 on, to the new structures and activitiesinstituted by the Committee on Science and Technology to provide for continuitybetween the -Parliamentary and Scientific Conferences" (sub-committee onscience policy and "European parliamentary and scientific contactgroup")Note.
This being the case, the Assembly requests the sum of 340 000 F in 1987;a reduction of 200 000 F compared with the indicative appropriation for1986.
Indicative estimate for 1987: - 650 000 F
Indicative 1986appropriation: - 550 000 F
Increase: - 100 000 F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 444 000 F)
This covers theorganisation of conferences, colloquies, symposia and seminars, including thetravel and subsistence expenses of those taking part (experts, Council ofEurope staff), as well as publishing, translation and printing costs (includingnon-official languages) and the entertainment and other expenses incidental tothose meetings.
Comments
The Assembly will have tocontribute approximately 115 000 F under Sub-head 80 towards the 2nd StrasbourgConference as well as at least 70 000 F towards the event on intercommunity andintercultural experiences (Order N°. 428 (1986)). It will be scaling down itsnormal programme of ad hoc conferences, hearings and seminars in 1987 but evenso it cannot meet the expenses arising from the Strasbourg Conference and theevent on intercommunity and intercultural experiences unless the appropriationunder Sub-head 80 is raised in real terms by 100 000 F (exceptionalnon-recurring item of expenditure).
Indicative estimate for 1987: - 89 000 F
Indicative 1986 appropriation: - 79 000 F
Increase: 10 000F
(Approximate expenditure in 1985: 78 000 F)
Refreshment for staff on night duty, hire of cars, gratuities forexceptional work (during meetings outside Strasbourg), medals, flags, flagpoles, etc. As decided by the Committee of Ministers, Sub-head 81 covers, from1986, travelling expenses and lump-sum allowances payable to a few officials ofparliaments of non-member states undergoing training with the ParliamentaryAssembly.
Comments
Even in 1985, when the Assembly didnot yet have visiting trainees from parliaments of non-member states, theindicative appropriation under Sub-head 81 was inadequate. The Assemblytherefore requests an increase of 10 000 F in real terms for 1987.
Indicative 1986 appropriation: - 98 000 F
(Approximateexpenditure in 1985: 70 000 F)
This sub-head covers:
the Europe Prize - 38 000 F in 1986
the Council of Europe Museum Prize - 32 000 F in 1986
- management expenses (handing over of prizes, including travel,dinners, receptions, flowers, diplomas, insurance, etc.) - 28 000 F in1986
Comments
The Assembly requeststhat the indicative appropriation for Sub-head 82 be kept at the same level inreal terms
in 1987, for reasons beyond its control, the Committeeon Culture and Education was unable to award the Council of Europe Museum Prizein 1986 but the prize will be awarded again from 1987 onwards.
TheCommittee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities drew up areport on "Thirty years of the Europe Prize" for the July 1986 meeting of theStanding Committee (Resolution 862(1986)).