L 234/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 16.9.2000 II (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT of 6 July 2000 giving discharge in respect of implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the 1998 financial year — Section I — European Parliament/Ombudsman Annex (2000/545EC) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, Having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in particular Rule 184(3) thereof, Having regard to Article 77 of the Financial Regulation and Article 13 of the Internal Rules for the implementation of the European Parliament's budget, Having regard to its resolution of 13 April 2000 postponing the decision on giving discharge in respect of implementation of the general budget for the 1998 financial year — Section I — European Parliament/ Ombudsman Annex [SEC(1999) 414 — C5-0008/1999 — 1999/2051(DEC)], Having regard to the information provided by its Secretary General in response to the specific instructions contained in paragraph 33 of the aforementioned decision, Having regard to the fact that the giving of discharge has been linked to the issue of financing of the political groups and parties, which goes beyond the administrative remit of the Secretary General, Having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A5-0189/2000), 1. Recalls that: (a) the figures closing the accounts of the institution for the 1998 financial year were adopted in the context of the abovementioned resolution of 13 April 2000; (b) the abovementioned resolution instructed the Secretary General to take a number of steps, aimed at improving financial and administrative management in Parliament; including the following, with deadlines: — by 1 June 2000, proposal of concrete measures to reverse the increase in use of the exceptional direct treaty procedure, for which calls for tenders should be substituted, including measures to train and improve the qualifications of Parliament's staff involved in the awarding of contracts, — by 1 June 2000, the Committee on Budgetary Control to be informed of progress made in introducing the new inventory system, — by 30 June 2000, a report to be submitted on the conclusions from the current reform process in the Commission relating to staffing policy, — by 1 July 2000, the Bureau to submit options for an accurate action and financing plan, particularly for the Louise Weiss Building in Strasbourg, including a legal assessment taking account of the state of the negotiations,