Translation of "enveloppe de berlin " (French → English) :

If the Berlin reform for the 7 years dealt with by Agenda 2000, that is to say for the period 2000-2006, reduced the budgetary contributions for these actions by half in comparison with the previous period and, to that, we add the inevitable slowness with which we adopt decisions at a Community level, as a result of our complex institutional structure, it is not surprising that we are in a situation where we have not even been able to spend the budget laid down for the current year for innovative regional policy measures, and this is an example of political irresponsibility.

This has been made possible by using the flexibility reserve, whereby a total of €200 million is available in addition to the Agenda 2000 package adopted at the Berlin summit".

At the Budget Council on 20 July, the Member States unanimously decided to refocus the debate on the total amount of the financial envelope set aside for CARDS for the period 2000-2006 within the context of respect for the ceiling of heading 4 of the Financial Perspective, as determined by the European Council in Berlin.

3. Underlines that - with its vote of 6 May 1999 on the IIA - the Parliament has already accepted the cut of 22% made by the European Council in Berlin in respect of the Commission's proposal for heading 4 in Agenda 2000; therefore rejects the idea of a compulsory multiannual redeployment of EU traditional priorities solely through a reduction of the envelopes, to finance new needs;