Since rightholders are entitled to be remunerated for the exploitation of their rights, it is important that management fees do not exceed justified costs of the management of the rights and that any deduction other than in respect of management fees, for example a deduction for social, cultural or educational purposes, should be decided by the members of the collective management organisation.

All this makes it clear that, unless employment levels can be increased among the Roma, and unless they are better integrated into the majority of society, the costs of maintaining the situation at a bearable level will constantly rise, including costs for social assistance and benefits, essential costs for education, additional costs for providing security, administrative costs for supervising social spending and also higher costs for healthcare.

76. Regrets that, as of 20 February 2006, 87,2% of Members had not supplied the Parliament with statements of expenditure for their parliamentary assistance allowance, which were due by 1 November 2005 and as required by Articles 14(5)(e) and 14(6)(b) and (c) of the Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members, and which include declarations of their assistants" affiliation to a social security scheme if the assistant is covered by a service provider contract; regrets further that Parliament has not yet concluded framework contracts with companies specialised in the management in accordance with the applicable natio ...[+++]nal law of tax and social security issues connected with employment contracts, as required by Article 14(5)(f) of the Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members and as has been requested at least from July 2004;

76. Regrets that, as of 20 February 2006, 87,2% of Members had not supplied the Parliament with statements of expenditure for their parliamentary assistance allowance, which were due by 1 November 2005 and as required by Articles 14(5)(e) and 14(6)(b) and (c) of the Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members, and which include declarations of their assistants" affiliation to a social security scheme if the assistant is covered by a service provider contract; regrets further that Parliament has not yet concluded framework contracts with companies specialised in the management in accordance with the applicable natio ...[+++]nal law of tax and social security issues connected with employment contracts, as required by Article 14(5)(f) of the Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members and as has been requested at least from July 2004;

4. Recalls the EESC's assurance given in 2004 that there had been no further irregularities whatsoever with regard to the payment of its Members' travel expenses ; points out that the Court of Auditors nevertheless referred in its annual report on the 2003 financial year, published in November 2004, to three cases in which the travel allowance paid to Members was twice the amount set out in the Committee's own rules; notes that the Belgian prosecution service has opened a formal investigation based on a finding by OLAF of strong prima facie evidence that up to EUR 45 000 in expenses was wrongfully claimed by an EESC Member over a six-y ...[+++]ear period; is aware that the EESC voted to lift the immunity of the Member concerned and that a judgment of the competent Belgian court is expected before the end of 2006;

4. Recalls the EESC's assurance given in 2004 that there had been no further irregularities whatever with regard to the payment of its Members' travel expenses; points out that the Court of Auditors nevertheless referred in its annual report on the 2003 financial year, published in November 2004, to three cases in which the travel allowance paid to EESC Members was twice the amount set out in the Committee's own rules; notes that the Belgian prosecution service has opened a formal investigation based on a finding by OLAF of strong prima facie evidence that up to EUR 45 000 in expenses had been wrongfully claimed by an EESC Member over ...[+++]a six-year period; is aware that the EESC voted to lift the immunity of the Member concerned and that a judgment of the competent Belgian court is expected before the end of 2006;