Instructs its President to forward this decision and the accompanying resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the Ombudsman and to have them published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

(L series).

The Secretary-General

Julian PRIESTLEY

The President

Pat COX

(1)

OJ C 286, 28.11.2003, p. 1

(2)

OJ L 356, 31.12.1977, p. 1

(3)

OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1

21.4.2004

Official Journal of the European Union

L 330/141

RESOLUTION

of the European Parliament containing the comments accompanying the decision concerning discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the 2002 financial year — Section IV — Court of Justice

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

having regard to the revenue and expenditure account and balance sheet for the 2002 financial year (I5-0034/2003 — C5-0088/2004),

having regard to the Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors for the 2002 financial year, together with the replies of the institutions (C5-0583/2003)(1),

having regard to the statement of assurance by the European Court of Auditors, pursuant to Article 248 of the EC Treaty, as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions (C5-0583/2003),

having regard to the Council's recommendation of 9 March 2004 (C5-0145/2004),

having regard to Article 272(10) and Article 275 of the EC Treaty,

having regard to Article 22(2) and (3) of the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977(2) and Article 50 of the Financial Regulation of 25 June 2002(3),

having regard to Rule 93

of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A5-0228/2004),

Notes the replies given by the Court of Justice on 17 December 2003 to the questionnaire sent by the Committee on Budgetary Control on 26 November 2003;

Notes that as from next year the Court of Justice, pursuant to Article 86(4) of the Financial Regulation, will forward to the European Parliament a report summarising the number and type of internal audits carried out, the recommendations made and the action taken on those recommendations;

Regards as appropriate the Court of Justice's measures based on the European Court of Auditors' Special Report No 5/2000(4); notes the audit report by the company KPMG(5); also notes the report dated 21 October 2003 on new building projects, maintenance and infrastructures generally, which the Court of Justice has forwarded to the European Parliament;

Notes the letter of 18 February 2004 from the Registrar to the chairman of the Committee on Budgetary Control, in which the Registrar announces a series of measures both to counter the increase which has emerged over the last few years in the average length of proceedings and to take account of enlargement; calls on the Registrar to submit a detailed progress report to the European Parliament in time for the discharge procedure for the 2003 budget;

Non-official use of official cars

Notes that the Court of Justice, in addition to the official journeys authorised by it or by its President, defrays the cost of the use of official cars by its Members up to a ceiling of 30 000 km a year (Members of the Court of First Instance: 25 000 km; President of the Court of First Instance: 30 000 km);

Notes that the Members of the Court thus enjoy benefits in kind although no corresponding decision has been taken by the EU Council of Ministers, which is responsible for their emoluments;

Calls for the Court of Justice to amend its rules by 1 July 2004 to require its Members themselves to bear in full the cost of non-official use of official cars;