29/04/2013 Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs
Strasbourg, 25.04.2013 – At a time of budgetary restrictions affecting most member States, the Council of Europe budget for 2014 and 2015 will show zero nominal growth, notes Rudy Salles (France, EPP/CD) in an opinion on the budgets and priorities of the Council of Europe for 2014-2015, adopted today by the PACE Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs. The Assembly will therefore have to make an effort to reduce its expenditure, states the report.
The committee also states that the PACE to a large extent endorses the strategy choices identified by the Secretary General for 2014 and 2015, in particular as regards the fight against corruption and crime – including action against trafficking in counterfeit medicines or human organs and other forms of corruption such as match-fixing – and protection of minorities and vulnerable groups.
The committee also believes there is a need to improve the search for extra-budgetary resources. Given that a sizeable part of the Council of Europe’s activity may be regarded as official development aid, the committee therefore supports the steps taken to include the Council of Europe on the OECD’s list of organisations eligible for official development aid, which would enable it to receive more in off-budget contributions.