A report by Janusz Lewandowski (EPP-ED, PL) deals with the guidelines that MEPs would like to establish for the expenditure of the EU institutions other than the Commission in 2009, including the EP. This report refers to the issue of the ceiling of 20% of total EU administrative expenditure (under heading 5 - Administration) voluntarily imposed on itself by the European Parliament, given that the EP's powers and legislative activity will expand if the Lisbon Treaty enters into force.

The new Members' statute (which will require Parliament to pay most of MEPs' pay and allowances) and the 2009 elections will also have an impact on the EP's budget.  The budget has been sert to be as much as 1.452.517.167 euros. But MEPs believe it will be possible to meet these needs without going over the 20% limit.
 
Among the priorities for Parliament’s budget, as for the previous year, are the EP’s communication and information policies, notable three major projects which should be operational in 2009: a visitors’ centre, an audiovisual media centre and the web TV project.  MEPs also want to see the rapid adoption of a statute for MEPs’ assistants.

On assistants

The House Supports the recommendations of the conference of Presidents and the Bureau to ensure the consistent implementation of Parliament's internal rules on the reimbursement of parliamentary assistance expenses and to charge the Bureau working party on the Members' Statute, the Assistants' Statute and the Pension Fund with assessing in detail and as a matter of urgency the operation of the existing rules and, given the importance of the matter, to put forward proposals for amendments to those rules.
 
The report calls on the working group set up within the Bureau to put forward, together with the competent Commission services, proposals relating to a statute for Members' assistants to be forwarded as a matter of urgency to the Council for adoption under the French presidency so that it can become applicable on the same day as the new Members' Statute.
 
MEPs  believe that this proposed statute would ensure equal treatment of Members' assistants  that is also transparent, and help ensure that tax and social obligations, such as salaries and social security rights, are fulfilled and welcome the decision of the Bureau of 10 March 2008 on Members' parliamentary assistance, as a first step towards complying with the request expressed in its resolution of 25 October 2007 on the draft general budget for 2008.