At its meeting on 12 November 1998, the GR-AB considered the adjustment of scales of contributions of member States to the budgets of the Council of Europe for 1999 (document (CM(98)176) and, in particular, the contributions payable to the Ordinary Budget for 1999, on the basis of options laid out by the Secretariat in document CM(98)175.

There was support for all of the options in respect of the contributions to the Ordinary Budget, but no consensus was reached.

During the discussions one delegation asked for tables reflecting two additional specific options to be prepared by the Secretariat. The possibility was also raised that the Deputies, when fixing the contributions to the Ordinary Budget for 1999, might at the same time decide upon a methodology for fixing the contributions in forthcoming years with the objective of achieving a staged return to the full application of Resolution (94)31 within a fixed timescale.

Tables have now been prepared which indicate the effect on States’ contributions of deciding on a return by stages to the strict application of Resolution (94)31 in the year 2000, in 2001 and in 2002. There are three different options indicated for a return to the Resolution in the year 2000, the last two of which (Options 4.2 and 4.3) represent the two additional options which one delegation requested at the GR-AB meeting on 12 November 1998.

It is certain that the above two elements will evolve over the periods concerned and that actual contributions payable by individual States during those years would vary from those indicated in the tables. The absence of any change in these elements does, however, mean that the evolution of individual States’ contributions in the tables reflects solely the question in hand, i.e. how to move from the present situation to a full application of the Resolution.

The various options detailed in the appended tables are as follows:

Options 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 all provide for a return to the Resolution in the year 2000, but each uses a different intermediate step in 1999, as follows :

Option 4.1  (Appendix I) : 1999 contributions are calculated 33 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 67 % pro rata to 1998 contributions

Option 4.2 (Appendix II) : 1999 contributions are calculated 50 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 50 % pro rata to 1998 contributions

Option 4.3 (Appendix III) : 1999 contributions are calculated 67 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 33 % pro rata to 1998 contributions

The columns in the tables show the following information:

(1) Member States;

(2) Contributions in 1998;

(3) Contributions in 1999 and in subsequent years based on:

- the Resolution (94)31 scale for 1999;

- the total of contributions fixed for the 1999 budget.

(4) The FF contributions in 1999 by application of the option proposed;

(5) The FF difference between 1998 contributions and 1999 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(6) The percentage difference between 1998 contributions and 1999 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(7) The FF contributions in 2000 by application of the option proposed, i.e. in accordance with Resolution (94)31;

(8) The FF difference between 1999 contributions and 2000 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(9) The percentage difference between 1999 contributions and 2000 contributions by application of the option proposed.

Option 5 (at Appendix IV) shows the effect of a decision to return to the full application of Resolution (94)31 in the year 2001. The intermediate steps for 1999 and 2000 are as follows:

- 1999 contributions are calculated 33 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 67 % pro rata to 1998 contributions;

- 2000 contributions are calculated 67 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 33 % pro rata to 1999 contributions.

The columns in the tables show the following information:

(1) Member States;

(2) Contributions in 1998;

(3) Contributions in 1999 and in subsequent years based on:

- the Resolution (94)31 scale for 1999;

- the total of contributions fixed for the 1999 budget.

(4) The FF contributions in 1999 by application of the option proposed;

(5) The FF difference between 1998 contributions and 1999 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(6) The percentage difference between 1998 contributions and 1999 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(7) The FF contributions in 2000 by application of the option proposed;

(8) The FF difference between 1999 contributions and 2000 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(9) The percentage difference between 1999 contributions and 2000 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(10) The FF contributions in 2001 by application of the option proposed, i.e. in accordance with Resolution (94)31;

(11) The FF difference between 2000 contributions and 2001 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(12) The percentage difference between 2000 contributions and 2001 contributions by application of the option proposed.

Option 6 (at Appendix V) shows the effect of a decision to return to the full application of Resolution (94)31 in the year 2002. The intermediate steps for 1999, 2000 and 2001 are as follows :

-    1999 contributions are calculated 25 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 75 % pro rata to 1998 contributions;

-    2000 contributions are calculated 50 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 50 % pro rata to 1999 contributions;

-    2001 contributions are calculated 75 % by reference to Resolution (94)31 and 25 % pro rata to 2000 contributions.

The columns in the tables show the following information:

(1) Member States;

(2) Contributions in 1998;

(3) Contributions in 1999 and in subsequent years based on:

- the Resolution (94)31 scale for 1999;

- the total of contributions fixed for the 1999 budget.

(4) The FF contributions in 1999 by application of the option proposed;

(5) The FF difference between 1998 contributions and 1999 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(6) The percentage difference between 1998 contributions and 1999 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(7) The FF contributions in 2000 by application of the option proposed;

(8) The FF difference between 1999 contributions and 2000 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(9) The percentage difference between 1999 contributions and 2000 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(10) The FF contributions in 2001 by application of the option proposed;

(11) The FF difference between 2000 contributions and 2001 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(12) The percentage difference between 2000 contributions and 2001 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(13) The FF contributions in 2002 by application of the option proposed, i.e. in accordance with Resolution (94)31;

(14) The FF difference between 2001 contributions and 2002 contributions by application of the option proposed;

(15) The percentage difference between 2001 contributions and 2002 contributions by application of the option proposed.

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The Rapporteur Group on Administrative Questions is invited to consider the options set out above, in conjunction with those appearing in document CM(98)175, with a view to formulating recommendations to the Committee of Ministers on the apportionment between member States of the total of contributions to the Ordinary Budget for 1999 and, should the members of the GR-AB so wish, on a methodology for fixing contributions in forthcoming years in order to achieve a staged return to the full application of Resolution (94)31 within a fixed timescale.