Conté

Conté, also known as Conté sticks or Conté crayons, are a drawing medium composed of compressed powdered graphite or charcoal mixed with a wax or clay base, square in cross-section. They were invented in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who created the combination of clay and graphite in response to the shortage of graphite caused by the Napoleonic Wars (the British naval blockade of France prevented import). Conté crayons had the advantage of being cost-effective to produce, and easy to manufacture in controlled grades of hardness.

They are now manufactured using natural pigments (iron oxides, carbon black, titanium dioxide), clay (kaolin), and a binder (cellulose ether).

Conté crayons are most commonly found in black, white, and sanguine tones, as well as bistre, shades of grey, and other colors. Currently in the USA, sets of 12 assorted portrait and landscape colors are available as well as a sketching set, plus sets of 18, 24 or 48 colors. In Europe, 22 more colors are available and the colors other than sanguine, bistre, grey, black, and white are available open stock.

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European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control

The Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) is a committee of the European Parliament. with 30 permanent members. It can be seen as the European Union's internal "political watchdog", seeking to identify undesirable developments within EU institutions and other bodies and then to elaborate constructive suggestions for improvement.

The committee's current chair, elected on 7 July 2014, is Ingeborg Grässle.

Responsibilities of the committee

The Committee on Budgetary Control is responsible for the control of the implementation of the Union's budget, meaning that the taxpayers' money is spent efficiently, effectively and according to EU law. In close cooperation with the Court of Auditors, it audits the accounts of EU Institutions and suggests improvements in order to ensure sound financial management. It considers fraud and irregularities in the budget implementation, and suggests measures aimed at preventing and prosecuting such cases. In this context, it liaises with the Union's Anti-Fraud Office OLAF to strengthen the fight against fraud and corruption.

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/European_Parliament_Committee_on_Budgetary_Control