2007 OSCE budget approval welcomed by Spanish Chairmanship

VIENNA, 2 February 2007 - The Spanish Chairmanship welcomed today's decision, reached at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, to approve the Unified Budget for 2007, amounting to 168,200,000 euro.

"I am glad to announce today that a consensus has been reached on the 2007 budget, albeit slightly belatedly. This will allow the Organization to move forward and continue with its important activities in the OSCE area," said Ambassador Carlos Sanchez de Boado y de la Valgoma of Spain, Chairman of the Permanent Council.

Ambassador Sanchez de Boado noted that, as in previous similar occasions when the budget was not approved in due time, the delay might serve as an indication of the convenience to revisit the budgetary cycle of the Organization in order to make it more efficient and policy-oriented.

The Organization's 2006 agreed budget amounted to 168,165,800 euro.

The Permanent Council is the OSCE main regular decision-making body and it is chaired by the country holding the OSCE's annually rotating Chairmanship.

Spain took over the Chairmanship from Belgium on 1 January 2007.