European Economic and Social Committee Brussels, 8 May 2014 To the members of the Budget Group ________________________________ The secretary-general of the European Economic and Social Committee is pleased to enclose the DRAFT MINUTES of the Budget Group meeting held at the Committee building in Brussels on 15 April 2014 _____________ EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2.a) (EN) Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 99 — 1040 Bruxelles/Brussel — BELGIQUE/BELGIË Tel. +32 25469011 — Fax +32 25134893 — Internet: http://www.eesc.europa.eu EN The Budget Group met on Tuesday 15 April 2014 from 2.30 to 3.30 p.m. with Mr Wilms in the chair. ATTENDANCE LIST Budget Group Members Ms Angelova Mr Clever Mr Confalonieri Mr Dimitrov Mr Kallio Ms Le Nouail Marlière Ms Sharma Mr Stöhr Mr Wilms Present X Absent X X X X X X X X President's Private Office Ms Arvidsson Directorate for Finance, Budgets and Accounts Mr Smet, director Mr Kind, BUD Mr Webers, BUD Mr Montes, BUD Group secretariats Mr Thyssen, Group I Ms Paesmans, Group I Ms Florio, Group II Mr Beffort, Group III EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 1/7 I. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA The agenda (EESC-2014-01837-00-00-LET-TRA) was unanimously adopted. II. APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES Following a discussion, the Budget group approved the draft minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2014 (EESC-2014-01837-00-00-PV-TRA) with the modifications proposed by Ms Sharma concerning points IV.E) and VI.B) and Ms Angelova concerning point V.A). The Budget group took note of the minutes of the meeting held on 18 February 2014 as revised in the meeting on 17 March 2014 (EESC-2014-01252-00-01-PV-TRA). III. PREVIOUS BUDGET YEARS A) 2012 discharge The Chairman informed the members of the Budget Group that the EP voted on 3 April to grant the EESC secretary-general discharge for the implementation of the 2012 budget. The Budget Group took note of the EP's report on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the EU for 2012, Section VI (EESC-2014-0183700-00-ADMIN-TRA). The Chairman highlighted the EP's observation concerning the videoconferencing tool, which it considers a very useful mechanism to make budgetary savings and be efficient, to which due follow up needed to be given. In the context of the EP's observation that more in-depth information on the improvements of the IT infrastructure should be provided in the annual activity report, Ms Sharma recalled that the state of play of the IT audit continued to be on the list of issues requiring follow-up. IV. CURRENT BUDGET YEAR (2014) A) General trends including transfers The Budget Group took note of the general trends including transfers (EESC-2014-0183706-00-GB-REF). Concerning chapter 20 (building and associated costs) the Budget Group requested a list of scheduled projects for buildings. The Budget Group had no observation on the proposed internal transfer of appropriations EESC No INT1/2014 from item 2548 (interpretation) to item 2542 (conference costs) (EESC-2014-01837-07-00-GB-REF). B) Items and Articles 1004, 1008, 1422, 162, 2542 and 2548 The Budget Group took note of the reports on items 1004 (EESC-2014-01837-00-00-GBREF), 1008 (EESC-2014-01837-01-00-GB-REF), 1422 (EESC-2014-01837-02-00-GB- EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 2/7 REF), 2542 (EESC-2014-01837-04-00-GB-REF) and 2458 (EESC-2014-01837-05-00-GBREF), and article 162 (EESC-2014-01837-03-00-GB-REF), and the estimated consumption of available appropriations for activities encoded under these budget lines. It also took note of the memo on unused interpretation slots (EESC-2014-01837-05-00GB-TRA). C) Requests by sections and other bodies: new and modified requests The Budget Group approved the following new requests: Europe Day in Helsinki (EESC-2014-01837-07-00-ANN-TRA) New strategies for Broadband roll-out in the EU 2014-2020 (EESC-2014-01837-1100-ANN-TRA) 3rd Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EESC-2014-01837-1500-ANN-TRA) EU Strategy Baltic Sea Region Annual Forum (EESC-2014-01837-16-00-ANN-TRA) Joint meeting of the ECO bureau (EESC-2014-01837-17-00-ANN-TRA) Conference on industrial policy (EESC-2014-01837-25-00-ANN-TRA) Mission – Schuman day (EESC-2014-01837-26-00-ANN-TRA) The Budget Group invited the President's private office to clarify the number of participants in the different scheduled meetings. EP Forum in Prague (EESC-2014-01837-32-00-ANN-TRA) Information Seminar 2014 - Greek trade unionists (EESC-2014-01837-33-00-ANNTRA) and forwarded the following request to the Bureau for decision: Joint Seminar with EU-Russia Civil Society Forum (EESC-2014-01837-19-00-ANNTRA) The Budget Group invited the Chairman of the REX Section to provide additional information whether the meeting would be postponed or the request be withdrawn and on the role of the EIDHR (European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights). The Budget Group approved the following modified requests: Conference on extractive industry as a source for regional development (EESC-201401837-09-00-ANN-TRA) Extra guest participants at TEN section meetings (EESC-2014-01837-10-00-ANNTRA) EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 3/7 SDO Side Event to the meeting of the UN Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals (EESC-2014-01837-18-00-ANN-TRA) Follow-up Committee on International Trade (EESC-2014-01837-20-00-ANN-TRA) 33rd meeting of the EU-Turkey JCC (EESC-2014-01837-21-00-ANN-TRA) Preparatory meeting of the 33rd meeting of the EU-Turkey JCC (EESC-2014-0183722-00-ANN-TRA) 14th EU-China Round Table (EESC-2014-01837-23-00-ANN-TRA) Preparatory meeting of the 14th EU-China Round Table (EESC-2014-01837-24-00ANN-TRA) and forwarded the following request to the Bureau for decision: 2014 EESC Civil Society Prize: award ceremony – promotion, implementation and follow-up (EESC-2014-01254-10-00-GB-TRA). The Budget Group questioned the amount of EUR 37 000 for a video film of winners including shooting in winners' countries and requested to be informed about the impact of similar videos. D) Requests by sections and other bodies: information on previous requests (p.m.) E) Requests by sections and other bodies: regularisation (p.m.) F) Meetings already authorised (submitted for information) The Budget Group took note of the urgent requests approved by the Budget Group chairman and the president: Europe 2020 Steering Committee - 17th meeting (EESC-2014-01837-00-00-ANNTRA) DAG/DTC – Ad hoc group "Action plan for Europe" (EESC-2014-01837-02-00ANN-TRA) Co-organisation of a conference on added value in the food supply chain (EESC2014-01837-12-00-ANN-TRA) Hearing and first meeting as part of the ECO/364 study group's work (EESC-201401837-01-00-ANN-TRA) The Budget Group considered the number of urgent request to be excessive and recommended to limit the number of urgent requests as possible. It also took note of the requests for up to three additional participants approved by the president: EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 4/7 Ad Hoc Group on Disability (EESC-2014-01837-03-00-ANN-TRA) Meeting of the EESC's SMEs, Crafts and Professions Category (EESC-2014-0183704-00-ANN-TRA) Europe 2020 Steering Committee 16th meeting – regularisation (EESC-2014-0183705-00-ANN-TRA) Civil Society Day 2014 (EESC-2014-01837-06-00-ANN-TRA) TEN Members' Debate on User Protection in the Digital Environment (EESC-201401837-13-00-ANN-TRA) Impact of services on Industry (EESC-2014-01837-14-00-ANN-TRA) G) Members' training courses The Budget Group approved the applications for Members' training courses (EESC-201401837-03-00-GB-TRA). H) List of own-initiative opinions New own-initiative opinions Situation after the expiry of the milk-quota system in 2015 (EESC-2014-01837-2900-ANN-TRA) Sport and European Values (EESC-2014-01837-31-00-ANN-TRA) The Budget Group recommended considering these requests in the context of the list prepared by the Registry and presented to the Bureau twice a year. I) Project proposals New projects (p.m.) Modified projects The Budget group forwarded the following project proposals to the Bureau for decision: Continuous representation of the EESC at the Platform of the EU outermost regions' civil society organisations (EESC-2014-01837-30-00-ANN-TRA) The Budget Group questioned the political relevance of the project in the current economic situation and whether its costs could be justified against the background of the EESC's mission. EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 5/7 V. FUTURE BUDGET YEARS Preparation of the 2015 budget The Budget Group took note of the document Preparation of the 2015 Budget – Section VI (EESC-2014-01837-01-00-ADMIN-REF), which the secretariat had prepared under the control of the Chairman. VI. GENERAL ISSUES A) Expiry of the EESC-CoR administrative cooperation agreement Against the background of the extension by one year of the expiring cooperation agreement, the Budget Group chairman announced his participation in a hearing of services concerned by the cooperation with the CoR scheduled for 7 May. The Chairman expressed his concern about the current state of cooperation between the two administrations. B) Internal standards for expenditure on catering costs The Budget Group held a first exchange of views on the draft rules on the use of the appropriations under budget items 2546 (representation expenses) and 2540-AD (internal working meals) (EESC-2014-01837-27-00-ANN-TRA) as well as the draft code of conduct for catering expenses in general (EESC-2014-01837-28-00-ANN-TRA). The Budget Group supported the proposal of its Chairman to send a letter to the bureaux of sections and groups in order to start a wide debate on this matter which should be drawn to a close with the adoption of a code of conduct in the autumn. VII. OTHER BUSINESS (p.m.) VIII. OUTSTANDING ISSUES REQUIRING FOLLOW-UP IT audit state of play (questions to be sent by Ms Angelova) Transfer of offices between the VMA and the JDE building and ensuing costs: follow-up and a new plan (date to be confirmed) Discussion with the head of the Conferences and Interpretation Unit on the general policy concerning the use of local interpretation in events held outside Brussels Security service risk assessment (p.m.) Establishing internal standards for expenditure on catering provided to external guests (September) Review of the consumption under the "Going local" sub-cost-centre (May) Spending review update Information on the unified methodology for measuring translation costs EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 6/7 IX. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING The date of the next meeting will be Wednesday, 21 May 2014 at 10.30 p.m. in room JDE 60. _____________ EESC-2014-02531-00-00-PV item 2a) (EN) 7/7