31.12.2008, EUR

 

 

The BA Budget 2008 sets membership fees from each national parliament in amount of EUR 110, 096. The total BA budget 2008 is EUR 330,288. Amount of saving of the BA Budget 2007 is EUR 22, total of the BA Budget 2008 is EUR 330,310.

 

Country	Amount counted in, EUR	Amount counted in, EUR	%, EUR
Estonia	EEK 1,722628	110,096	100%
Latvia	LVL 77, 376	110,096	100%
Lithuania	LTL 380,140	110,096	100%

 

 

 

 

 

1. Session of the Baltic Assembly

 

2. Meetings of the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly

 

The following meetings of the BA Presidium, participation in the NB8 Speakers’ meeting, in the Sessions of the Benelux Interparliamentary Consultative Council and the Nordic Council, as well as one unplanned meeting of the Baltic Assembly Presidium meeting took place between January and December 2008:

– unplanned BA Presidium meeting: 21 January, Brussels (Belgium);

 

– BA Presidium meeting: 1 March, Tallinn (Estonia);

 

– Joint Meeting between the BA – BICC Presidiums, participation of the BA Presidium in the BICC Session: 6–9 March, Luxemburg;

 

– BA Presidium meeting: 6 June, Kuressaare (Estonia);

 

– Joint Meeting between the BA – BICC Presidiums, participation of the BA Presidium in the BICC Session: 12–15 June, Luxemburg;

 

– participation of the BA President in the NB8 Speakers’ meeting: 26–28 August in Jūrmala/Rīga (Latvia);

 

– participation of the BA Presidium in the 17^th BSPC: 31 August – 2 September, Visby (Sweden);

 

– Meeting of the BA Presidium: 11–12 September, Palanga (Lithuania);

 

– participation in the 4^th Council of Europe Forum for Future Democracy: 15–17 October, Madrid (Spain);

 

– Joint Meeting between the BA – NC Presidiums, participation of the BA Presidium in the NC Session and the NC parliamentary debate on Northern Dimension Policy:
26–30 October (Finland);

 

– Joint Meeting between the BA – BICC Presidiums, participation of the BA Presidium in the BICC Session: 12–14 December, Luxemburg.

 

 

 

The total amount of funds allocated for meetings of the BA Presidium was EUR 14,590, and EUR 13,468 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation and hotel expenses, catering expenses, rent and lease expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses. Balance: +1,122 EUR.

 

 

 

3. Meetings of the Committees of the Baltic Assembly

 

 

The following meetings of the standing committees of the Baltic Assembly took place between January and December 2008:

· BA Budget and Audit Committee

Two meetings of the BA Budget and Audit Committee took place in 2008: on 1 March in Tallinn (Estonia) and 11–12 September in Palanga (Lithuania).

                        The total amount of funds allocated for Budget and Audit Committee meetings was EUR 5,500, and EUR 5,483 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses.Balance: + 17 EUR.

· BA Economic Affairs, Communications and Informatics Committee

Joint meeting of the BA Legal Affairs and Security Committee and the BA Economic Affairs, Communications and Informatics Committee with participation of members of the Nordic Council and the Benelux Interparliamentary Consultative Council and the Baltic Council of Ministers took place on 28 – 29 February, Tallinn (Estonia).

The total amount of funds allocated for the BA Economic Affairs, Communications and Informatics Committee meetings was EUR 10,200, and EUR 10,200 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, rent and lease expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses. Balance: 0 EUR.

· BA Environmental Protection and Energy Committee

Four joint meetings of the Environmental Protection and Energy Committee took place in 2008:

·  Study visit of the BA Environmental Protection and Energy Committee: 31 March –
1 April, Copenhagen (Denmark);

·  Joint meeting of the BA Environmental Protection and Energy Committee and the NC Natural Resources and Environment Committee: 15–16 April, Stavanger (Norway);

·  Joint meeting of the BA Environmental Protection and Energy Committee and the NC Natural Resources and Environment Committee with participation of BICC representatives and members of the BSPC working group on energy and climate change: 22–23 May, Tallinn (Estonia);

·  Joint meeting of the BA Environmental Protection and Energy Committee and the NC Natural Resources and Environment Committee: 24–27 June, Minsk/Gomel (Belarus), Kiev (Ukraine);

The total amount of funds allocated for the Environmental Protection and Energy Committee meetings was EUR 14,290, and EUR 14,909 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, rent and lease expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses.Balance: - 619 EUR.

· BA Education, Science and Culture Committee

Two meetings of the BA Education, Science and Culture Committee took place in 2008:

· Study visit of the BA Education, Science and Culture Committee: 7–8 February, Helsinki (Finland);

· Joint meeting of the BA Education, Science and Culture Committee and the BA Economic Affairs, Communications and Informatics Committee: 8–9 May, Vilnius (Lithuania).

The total amount of funds allocated for the BA Education, Science and Culture Committee meetings was EUR 13,200, and EUR 11,660 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, rent and lease expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses.Balance:
+ 1,540 EUR .

 

· Rosettes of the BA Medal

According to the decision of the BA Presidium and the BA Budget and Audit Committee meeting (12.09.08), funds for production of the rosettes for the BA Medal were allocated from this budgetary position. Total: EUR 2,853.

 

 

· Ad Hoc Committee and Unplanned Committee Meetings

In 2008 the following ad hoc committee and unplanned committee meetings took place:

·  participation of the BA Environmental Protection and Energy Committee in the meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: 21–22 February, Paris (France);

·  Meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Labour Market and Social Welfare: 4–5 May, Helsinki (Finland);

·  Meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Labour Market and Social Welfare: 28–29 September, Oslo (Norway);

·  Meeting of the BSPC Working Group on Energy and Climate Change: 20–21 October, Copenhagen (Denmark).

                        The total amount of funds allocated for ad hoc committee and unplanned committee meetings was EUR 6,200, and EUR 6,164 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses. Balance: + EUR 36.

 

 

***

 

 

 

The total amount of funds allocated for the BA committee meetings in 2008 was EUR 65,090, and EUR 51,269 was actually spent. Balance: + EUR 13,821.

 

 

 

4. International Cooperation

 

 

 

From January to December 2008 the following seminars, conferences and other events with international partners took place:

 

 

 

4.3. Standing Committee of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference

 

4.4.      Cooperation with the Nordic Council

 

 

From January to December 2008 the following joint events took place:

 

– Joint seminar of the BA and the NC with participation of representatives from Belarus: 10 March, Vilnius (Lithuania).

 

– Nordic – Baltic parliamentary seminar: 21–22 April, Copenhagen (Denmark).

 

Total expenses planned for the cooperation with the Nordic Council amounted to EUR 3,680, and EUR 2,153 was actually spent. Expense categories included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, rent and lease expenses, preparation of information materials, organizational and representation expenses. Balance: + EUR 1,527.

 

 

 

 

 

4.5. Cooperation with the Benelux Interparliamentary Consultative Council

 

 

 

Follow up Conference on cooperation of small countries in the European Union took place on 27–28 November in Brussels, Belgium.

The total amount of funds allocated for the cooperation was EUR 3,280 and EUR 1,760 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses. Balance:
+ EUR 1,520.

 

 

 

4.6. Cooperation with partners of the EU Neighbourhood Policy (GUAM, etc.):

 

 

 

From January to December 2008 the following activities with partners of the EU Neighbourhood policy took place:

 

– Training visit to the South-East European Parliamentary Cooperation Group: 27–30 May, Sofia (Bulgaria).

 

– Participation in the Celebrations of the 20^th Anniversary of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, Meeting with the Members of the GUAM PA: 19–20 June, Baku (Azerbaijan).

 

– Visit of the GUAM PA delegation: 7–8 December, Tallinn (Estonia).

 

The total amount of funds allocated for the cooperation was EUR 2,980 and EUR 2,483 was actually spent. Expenditures included contract work, transportation/hotel/catering expenses, preparation of information materials, representation and organizational expenses. Balance:
+ EUR 497.

 

The total amount of funds allocated for the international cooperation in 2008 was EUR 53,540 and EUR 44,858 was actually spent. Balance: + EUR 8,682.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Informative Activities and Other Events

 

 

6. Baltic Assembly Prizes in Literature, the Arts and Science

 

The Baltic Assembly awards its prizes annually (monetary prize, certificate and statuette). In 2008, meetings of the National Judging Committees were held Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania), and one meeting of the BA Joint Judging Committee was held on 13–14 November in Riga (Latvia). Expenses for advertisement for competition for the BA Prizes were covered. The BA Prize awards ceremony took place on 5 December 2008 in Viljandi (Estonia).

The total amount of funds allocated for BA Prizes in 2008 was EUR 45,882, and EUR 45,772 was actually spent. Expenditures included awards for prize winners in literature, the arts and science, expenses for holding Judging Committee meetings and contracts for the concert director, artists and Judging Committee members, producing of certificates and statuettes, transportation, hotel and catering expenses, advertising expenses, and expenses for renting premises. Balance: + EUR 110.

 

 

7. Baltic Assembly Secretariat

 

 

 

In 2008 planned expenses of the BA Secretariat amounted to EUR 85,895 and EUR 84,012 was actually spent. These expenditures include:

 

8. Unplanned expenses

 

 

 

The Budget for 2008 included EUR 3,004 (i.e., 1% of the total BA budget) for unplanned expenses, and EUR 2,917 was actually spent for covering expenses related to changes in currency exchange rates and for commission fees on money transfers. Balance: + EUR 87.