Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1979 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities > Report No. 58 - Resources for Financing the Community Budget

REPORT

1. On 30th May, 1979 the Joint Committee made a report (the forty-seventh report) (Prl. 8085) to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a Communication [R/3185/78 (FIN 855)] sent by the Commission to the Council on 27th November, 1978 and entitled “Financing the Community budget—the way ahead”. This document contains an analysis by the Commission of the resources available for financing the Community budget in the years ahead. The conclusion reached by the Commission in its analysis is that the resources available will not be sufficient to finance Community expenditure after 1981 even if no account is taken of additional expenditure arising out of enlargement and the renewal of the Lomé Convention.

2. On 4th October, 1979, members of the Joint Committee had an opportunity of discussing the matter in Brussels with Mr. Christopher Tugendhat, the Commissioner responsible for the Budget. The discussion with the Commissioner confirms for the Committee the views expressed in the forty-seventh report and, in particular, the recommendation it made that advantage be taken of Ireland’s presidency of the Council to seek an early decision on this matter: preliminary decisions which fall to be taken by the Commision in the first half of next year must depend on the resources available after 1981. The Committee therefore repeats and renews the views already expressed.

3. In the circumstances outlined in the previous paragraphs the Joint Committee has decided to make this report drawing the attention of the Houses to these matters and to request a debate on this report in each House in accordance with the Orders of the Dáil and Seanad of 17th October, 1979 and 14th February, 1979, respectively.

(Signed) ALEXIS FITZGERALD,

Chairman of the Joint Committee.

8th November, 1979.