Similarly, the Court's audit of administrative expenditure (€5.9 billion euro) shows that underlying transactions were materially legal and regular, and supervisory and control systems are generally adequate although some weaknesses remain.

The Court found the supervisory and control systems implemented and operating effectively and the transactions underlying the accounts, taken as a whole, to be legal and regular in respect of revenue, commitments, administrative expenditure and pre-accession strategy, although varying degrees of risk still exist in the implementing organisations in the latter case.

22. Considers that more use should be made of video-conferencing by its Administration and its parliamentary delegations; recognises that personal contact between politicians cannot be replaced, but points out that video-conferencing could lead to a more regular dialogue and reduce mission expenses; instructs its Secretary-General to follow technological developments closely with a view to ensuring that Members are provided with appropriate means of video-communication and other IT tools; requests its Secretary-General also to examine the feasibility of equipping Parliament's hemicycles and Committee meeting rooms with wireless techno ...[+++]logy for its computers and other related devices and to submit his assessment in time for the first reading of the 2004 Budget;

3. Notes that, in the opinion of the Court of Auditors, the transactions underlying the financial statements, taken as a whole, are legal and regular in respect of revenue, commitments and administrative expenditure but that such assurance cannot be provided in respect of other payments; considers that this global statement of assurance is too general and prevents Parliament from ascertaining that the transactions carried out by the Commission, and above all by the Member States, are regular, or where responsibility for error lies;

D. whereas for 1998, and thus for the fifth consecutive time, the Court of Auditors had declined to provide an assurance that the transactions underlying the payments for the financial year had been legal and regular, taken as a whole, and that the funding directly managed by the Commission had been no less affected by the problems than the expenditure indirectly effected under Member State management,

In the area of administrative expenditure the underlying transactions were materially legal and regular, and supervisory and control systems were generally adequate.