Activities of Petri SARVAMAA related to 2021/2107(DEC)
Plenary speeches (2)
Discharge 2020 (debate)
Discharge 2020 (debate)
Amendments (69)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. Whereas the execution of the budget of the European Parliament is in full respect of the principles of efficiency, legality, predictability, economy and avoidance of arbitrariness; whereas the reduction of bureaucracy is also envisaged the freedom of the mandate of the Members of the European Parliament is respected;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that Parliament's final appropriations for 2020 totalled EUR 2 038 745 000, or 18,1% of heading V of the Multiannual Financial Framework1 set aside for the 2020 administrative expenditure of the Union institutions as a whole, representing a 2,1% increase over the 2019 budget (EUR 1 996 978 262), but at the same time 0,4 percentage point decrease in its relative share in the overall budget; _________________ 1 Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884).
Amendment 3 #
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Congratulates the Secretariat General for the outstanding implementation of the budget of the European Parliament in such challenging conditions as the ones faced during the financial year of 2020;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with concern, the specificthe finding by the Court, in its annual report on the implementation of the budget concerning the financial year 2020, of minor errors in two payments (i) an over-payment for IT-services caused by an incorrect application of contract terms and (ii) an incorrect payment of a subsistence allowance to a Member, following a mistake in an attendance list; regretnotes that the control system in place did not prevent nor detect thoese two mistakes; calls on Parliament to implement the necessary changes to ensure that it only pays daily allowances to Members who qualify for them by the end of 2022 and to inform Parliament’s Budget Control Committee when those changes will enter into force, but recognises that the main control mechanisms function well taking into account the significant number of transactions per year;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 2
Paragraph 14 – indent 2
- with regard to the first phase of the audit of financing of European political parties and European political foundations, acknowledging that the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (the Authority) had very limited resources at its inception for setting up new management and control procedures; considering that there remain areas of joint or overlapping responsibilities between the Authority and DG FINS that provide scope for further enhancement of the cooperation foreseen by the main legislation governing the registration process (Regulation (EU) 1141/20142[1] with subsequent amendments), notably under its Article 28; identifying a number of provisions governing the registration process in the Regulation for which there may be scope to enhance the clarity, comprehensiveness and ease of application; _________________ 2Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 1).underlines the necessity for Member States to ensure that their contact points are available to the Authority for regular meetings;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. ExpStresses its concern that decisions calling for different rules or measures to be implemented by Parliament, passed by the Plenary, are not taken up by the Bureau; expresses its strong view that all discharge decisions passed by the Plenary should be thoroughly followed up by both the Bureau, pursuant to Rule 25 of and Annex V to the Rules of Procedure and Article 6 and 166 of the Financial Regulation, as well as by Parliament’s administrationthe importance of the discharge procedure and asks the Bureau to take Parliament's discharge resolutions into consideration; highlights that the Bureau has been mandated by the Plenary to decide all administrative, staff and organisational matters concerning Members;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Asks the Secretary-General to forward this resolution to the Bureau, highlighting all requests for action or decisions by the Bureau; callsRecalls that the Bureau shall take financial, organizational and administrative decisions on matters concerning Members on a proposal onf the Secretary-General to establish a plan of action and a timetable enabling the Bureau to follow-up and/or to respor of a political group pursuant to Rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure; asks the Secretary-General to forward this resolutiond to the demands and recommendations contained in Parliament’s discharge resolutions and to include the actions taken and implemented in the annual monitoring documentBureau; highlighting all requests concerning the special competence of the Bureau;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Appreciates the remarkable efforts of Parliament and its IT services during 2020 to immediately provide members, staff, accredited parliamentary assistants and trainees with electronic devices to work remotely; asks, however, to know the buying criteria for the devises and which practical considerations influenced the decision to buy the currently used surface devices; underlines with concern the amount of technical issues with the devices among Members and assistants, such as abrupt disconnections, lost documents, overheating, short battery capacity, and poor connectivity during video calls;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. WelcomNotes the fact that Strasbourg part- sessions were suspended for the most part in the year 2020 and that digitalised processes included the organisation of remote meetings and remote voting systems in plenary and parliamentary committees; acknowledges the temporary nature of these extraordinary circumstances; calls on the President of the Parliament to allow for a remotecontinue hybrid participation of Members until the COVID- 19 pandemic is brought to safe levels;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the serious risks of hearing problems as a result of extended working arrangementthe switch to remote meetings for Parliament’s interpreters having to rely on often very poor sound coming from certain remote-mode interventions; calls on the Bureau to ensure that the sound quality on the remote participation tool fulfils all relevant ISO standards without any further delay and, if necessary, make the use of adequate hearing and speaking equipment a precondition for participants’ contributions in meetings to be interpreted encourages participants to further take advantage of tools designed to improve the remote participation;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Underlines that interpretation is vital for the functioning of committees and parliamentary life; recognises that due to the sudden and disruptive changes caused by the pandemic and consequent sanitary restrictions, the administration had to quickly find feasible solutions to provide interpretation services; stresses that some committee sessions did not have all required languages, thus complicating participation of some members and diminishing their options to interact; understands that the three working languages are English, French, and German but strongly highlights that any of the 24 official languages should be provided upon request of members;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. DeplorNotes the fact that there is no system in place to ensure that Members who are temporarily absent for a justified reason, such as maternity leave, parental leave, long-term sick leave or career’s leave, can continue to carry out their core duties, first and foremost to speak in debates and to vote; calls on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs to provide for the continuation of remote participation and for providing for the substitution of a Member - whether female or male - while on parental leave and in the above mentioned cases; urges the Bureau to find feasible and temporarily limited solutions for members who are absent for justified reasons, such a maternity leave, paternity leave, serious health matters, or temporary carer's leave, to continue to carry out their core duties, first and foremost to speak in debates and vote; recalls that daily allowances remain linked to physical presence at Parliaments places of work;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes that Parliament distributed reusable facial fabric masks to members of staff at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; notes that FFP2/3 masks have subsequently been proven to provide a much higmedical face masks EN14683 or FFP2 respiratory protective devices have been required to be worn while in Parliament's buildings in order to reinforce ther protection from SARS-CoV-2; regrets that there iof Members and staff as well as nto general requirement to date to wear FFP 2/3 masks on Parliament’s premisfurther reduce the release of infectious respiratory particles;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses that Parliament needs to be at the forefront of adopting more digital, flexible and energy-efficient working methods and meeting practices, learning from the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and capitalising on the technology investments already implemented which contribute to a significantly reduced need for office space, electricity, water consumption and emissions due to less daily commuting; notes that on the initiative of former President Sassoli, focus groups on “Rethinking Parliamentary Democracy - A stronger European Parliament after Covid-19” discussed the future of work within Parliament between April and July pertaining to each of their fields of action: plenary, parliamentary prerogatives, communication, external diplomacy and internal organisation; notes that the focus groups delivered a final report including recommendations which implementation will be discussed by the Bureau;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on Parliament to re-evaluate its EMAS target for 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; reiterates its call to amend its current CO2 reduction plan for reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 using an internal carbon pricetionally recognised method when it has been validated as e.g. an Internal Carbon Pricing (ICP) mechanism by which companies voluntarily price their carbon footprint and thereby put a value on their greenhouse gas emission;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. DeplorNotes that three of Parliament’s buildings in Brussels (Martens, Campoamor and Wayenberg nursery) have recently been awarded an internationally recognised environmental certification on sustainability, a BREEAM Excellence, confirming the long-standing policy and actions by Parliament to gradually transform its buildings portfolio into an environmentally exemplary one; notes that presently, on Parliament’s Brussels site, only four buildings (a quarter of the total number of buildings - SPINELLI, CAMPOAMOR, ARENDT, MONTOYER pinelli, Campoamor, Arendt, Montoyer-Science) are equipped with photovoltaic panels, and that these installations represent a cumulative surface area of less than 2% of the total roof surface in Brussels; expects the Bureau to decide to install as manof Parliament's buildings in Brussels; notes that three new photovoltaic installations (100m² on the Montoyer 70, 200 m² on the Spinelli and 52 m² of replacement of the current solar panels by photovoltaic paonels as possible by 2023, that could share their energy with the city of Brussels during weekends when the Parliament’s premises are mostly empty; on the Brandt building) will be completed by the end of 2022 (and this represents an increase of 64 %, in 2022, of the total surface equipped with photovoltaic panels); invites the Bureau to further evaluate the installation of additional photovoltaic panels by 2023, taking into account technical feasibility and cost effectiveness;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Strongly regretNotes that there are currently no photovoltaic panels on any of theParliament’s buildings in Parliament’s Strasbourg siteStrasbourg as the emphasis has been placed on more efficient means of saving energy, by installing new highly efficient heat pumps; notes that the feasibility studies based on which it was decided not to install solar panels on the roofs in Strasbourg date back to 2011 and reiterates that prices for solar panels have decreased by more than 80% since 2010; expectinvites the Bureau to decidevaluate tohe install as manyation of photovoltaic panels as possible that could share their energy with the city of Strasbourg when Parliament’s premises are mostly empty; calls on the Bureau to also consider renting the roofs’ surfaces to external users for the installation of solar panels and thereby use it as an additional source of income for Parliamentby 2023, taking into account technical feasibility and cost effectiveness;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the installation of heat pumps and cogeneration in the buildings in Strasbourg and Brussels to produce renewable electricity and heat; further welcomes that the new ADENAUERdenauer building in Luxembourg was built using the most modern environmental techniques available including geothermal and solar energy and full use of daylight; calls on Parliament to further increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix and, in particular, energy production and tothat contributes to the gradual phase -out of fossil fuels as soon as possiblethrough a technology-open strategy for the expansion of renewable energies; calls on Parliament to publish the energy certificates of all EParliament buildings;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Recalls that efficient lighting solutions are an essential factor for the sustainability of buildings; welcomes that the replacement of existing lighting with low-energy LED lights is evaluatedcarried out whenever possible and feasible in Parliament’s buildings; regretnotes that not all offices in Parliament’s three seats are equipped with motion detectors and that, however, such areas not yet equipped are very limited in extent and in buildings rented or awaiting decision on their future use; and that it appears that the motion detectors in several offices in the SPINELLIpinelli building do not work; calls on Parliamenthave too long delays before activating the lights to switch off, as is visible in particular in the mornings when the lights remain on for a long period of time after the cleaning company has intervened; calls on Parliament to develop further information to building occupants of the correct and efficient use of lighting with or without detectors and to ensure that fully functioning motion detectors are installed wherever feasible and cost-efficient to reduce energy consumption;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Welcomes that the WAYENBERG nurseryextension of the Wayenberg nursery in Brussels, completed in September 2020, is the first passive building of Parliament; calls oninvites the Bureau to turn all of Parliament’s buildings into passive buildings by 2030initiate in 2022 technical studies to identify additional possibilities to further reduce energy consumption and increase the production of renewable energy and to implement them as soon as possible;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Calls for the removal of remaining individual printers, encouragingEncourages Parliament’s staff to use high quality printer stations shared by several offices; encourages staff to request the removal of remaining individual printers on a voluntary basis bearing in mind the lifecycle of printers and the potential waste volumes of such devices; encourages Parliament’s staff to use high quality printer stations shared by several offices;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Recalls that nearly two thirds of Parliament’s carbon footprint originates from the transport of people; calls for the expansion of voluntary teleworking to more days and functions; calls for a preference to be given tonotes that during the covid-19 pandemic, a remote working regimen was introduced in Parliament by President's decision; notes that on 16 July 2021 the Secretary- General decided that as of 1 September 2021 new teleworking rules apply to staff of Parliament´s secretariat by making available three different modes of teleworking; notes that hybrid or fully remote working including events and meetings, including for the provision of interpretation and for remote interpretation whenever possible; calls for a revision of mission rules by the end of 2022 to ensure a proper needs- based approval and a specific justification for authorisation for all missions, including requirements for low carbon transport modes and interpretation services enables flexibility for Members and staff; reiterates that these measures are temporary; calls for preference to be given to in-person meetings, while allowing virtual presence whenever it is possible; recalls that Parliament introduced working groups on Parliament's future work; calls on Parliament to take the Focus groups' conclusions into account;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Recalls that nearly two thirds of Parliament’s carbon footprint originates from the transport of people; calls for the expansion of voluntary teleworking to more days and functions;highlights the value of physical presence in Parliament and calls for a preference to be given to in- person meetings, while allowing hybrid or fully remote events and meetings, including for the provision of interpretation and for remote interpretation, whenever possiblerelevant and it does not disturb the parliamentary work; calls for a revision of mission rules by the end of 2022 to ensure a proper needs-based approval and a specific justification for authorisation for all missions, including requirements for low carbon transport modes;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Welcomes the gradual shift to zero- emission vehicles in Parliament’s car service fleet; calls for the service fleet to be fully electric by 2024 the lateste- vehicles as well as hybrid-vehicles that are powered by renewable energy such as hydrogen, e-fuels and biofuels to allow long distances in Parliament’s car service fleet; calls for the service fleet to take new possibilities of low-emission transport into account according to market availability and suitability as well as taking into account the existing infrastructure;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Calls for an appropriate increase in line with present and near future demand in the number of car parking spaces reserved exclusively for electric vehicles; calls on Parliament to set up an incenti whereever sucheme covering the full price of an annual Brussels public transport ticket for all staff in return for their car parking vignette, followed by a reassessment an exclusivity is justified by the presence ofn the overall number ofy same parking spaces needed and the use of; considers unused car parking to be turned into inter alia additional bicycle parking spaces;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Welcomes the introduction of a wider and more sustainable food choice, including the introduction of a greater variety of vegetarian and vegan products, in Parliament’s canteens; reiterates that plant-based food not only has health advantages but also has a much lower carbon footprint; calls on Parliament to increase the variety of vegetarian and vegan meals further and incentivise the consumption of such meals with a view to reducing the consumption of meat, fish and other animal-based products in Parliament’s canteens as much as possible;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Welcomes the introduction of a wider and more sustainable food choice, including the introduction of a greater variety of vegetarian and vegan products, in Parliament’s canteens; reiterates that plant-based food not only has health advantages but also has a much lower carbon footprint; calls on Parliament to increase the variety of vegetarian and vegan meals further and incentivise the consumption of such meals with a view to reducing the consumption of meat, fish and other animal-based products in Parliament’s canteens as much as possible; further requests that minimum one fresh gluten-free meal option is available each day and that allergy and diet information is displayed visibly on the food cards next to the counters;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Recalls the support by the vast majority of Parliament for a single seat to ensure efficient spending of Union taxpayers’ money and to assume its institutional responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint; recalls that Parliament’s plenary has previously requested a debate on its right to determine its own working arrangements and committed itself to initiating an ordinary treaty revision procedure under Article 48 of the Treaty on the European Union with a view to proposing changes necessary to the Treaty onat according to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and in particular Protocol (No 6) annexed to the Treaties, Parliament shall have its seat in Strasbourg, where the 12 periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session, shall be held; highlights that exceptional circumstances which affect the Ffunctioning of the European Union and Protocol 6 to allow it to decide on the location of its seat and its internal organisation4 ; _________________ 4Report A7-0350/2013 available at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/A-7-2013-0350_EN.pdfparliament are temporary in nature; underlines the will of Parliament to resume back to the normal functioning based on the Treaties as soon as the situation allows; notes that permanent changes would require a Treaty change for which unanimity is needed;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Reiterates its call on Parliament to introduce a user-friendly online booking system for the use of Parliament’s car services to travel to Strasbourg to be operational once regular sessions in Strasbourg resume; further calls on Parliament to widen the user group to also include members of staff, group staff and APAs without the requirement for Members to accompany them;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Notes with satisfaction that, since the start of the new legislature, the necessary infrastructure to enable Members to publicise scheduled meetings with interest representatives has been available on Parliament’s website with a view to improving transparency; calls on Parliament’s services to expand the infrastructure to allow assistants and policy advisers to voluntarily publish their meetings with interest representatives; recalls that Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure obliges Rapporteurs, Shadows and Committee Chairs to publish their meetings with interest representatives; notes with concern that as of 30 April 2021, only 380 out of the 705 current Members had publicised at least one meeting with an interest representative on Parliament’s website; further notes that 10 out of the 24 Committee Chairs have published none or just a single meeting with an interest representative since the start of this legislature; recalls that the nature of competences of different committees does not necessarily warrant a significant number of meetings that fall under current transparency obligations; recalls that the information, reminder notices and emails on the obligation to publish meetings should be sent to all Members at more regular intervals;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Recalls the President’s written reply dated of April 2020 to the joint letter from the Anti-Corruption Intergroup, which, in particular, agreed to implement a number of changes to the tool for publishing Members’ meetings with interest representatives to improve its user- friendliness, first and foremost by linking it to the Transparency Register and to the Legislative Observatory; regrets that these practical improvements have not yet been implemented; urgeasks Parliament’s administration to effectively establish this link immediately after the testing period in December 2021as soon as it is feasible without undue practical hinders;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Welcomes that, with effect from July 2021, the 2011 Interinstitutional Agreement on a Common Transparency Register has been replaced by a new register, in which the Council participates; notes that the quality of entries regarding the activities of interest representatives in the Transparency Register has improved over recent years and commends, despite limited resources, the role of the Joint Secretariat in that improvement; regrets, however, that the overall quality of entries remains unsatisfactory, with the Secretariat’s check of around 40% of entries over the course of 2020 finding that only 43% of checked entries provided satisfactory data quality, a number similar to 2019; welcomes the allocation of an additional 1.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts for the Secretariat; urges the Secretariat to use these for further reducing the number of registrations with sub-optimal data;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Reiterates that Article 4 of the Code of Conduct provides, with respect to financial interests and conflicts of interest, that the Members’ declarations of financial interests shall be provided in a detailed manner; regrets that according to a recent study from Transparency International EU, around 15% of Members with additional incomes have included vague or generic job descriptions in their declarations5 ; notes that in such cases it is questionable whether the activity can be checked for any potential conflict of interest with parliamentary activity; further regrets that Parliament’s services are instructed to only carry out general plausibility checks; repeats its call on the Bureau to review the format of the declarations to require more detail; asks the President to instruct the services to systematically carry out thorough checks of the declarations to ensure that the information provided therein is sufficiently detailed to allow for an assessment of any potential conflict of interestwhere there is reason to believe that the information provided is out of date, the President may, where appropriate, request the Member in question to correct the declaration within 10 days; _________________ 5https://transparency.eu/burning-candle- mep-income/
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Strongly supportWelcomes Parliament’s services’ ongoing project to make plenary voting records available on a dedicated space where users will have access to clear and reader-friendly documents, and welcomnotes the new layout for the roll-call votes in which the individual voting record of each Member will be published, giving the option to visualise the distribution of votes according to inter alia political group affiliation and/or nationality; regretacknowledges that it is not yet technically possible for Parliament’s services to allow for the display of the text of each amendment along with the voting record as it is offered by several private providers; calls on Parliamentary services to make available all amendments and roll-call voting records at committee level and to include them in the new layout; further asks Parliament’s services to provide the possibility to Members to test a beta version of the new tool and provide feedback to be taken into account during the development of the tool;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Takes note of the fact that there were again no cases of whistleblowing recorded by Parliament in 2020; recalls that the most recent cases of whistleblowing date back to 2016 and that each of the three APAs concerned were subsequently dismissed; recalls that, among others, APAs are in a vulnerable position due to their special employment situation; recalls the importance of bringing current Parliament rules in line with the higher level of protection as set out in Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on whistleblower protection6 , similar to the level of protection provided to victims of harassment, and that this should also include the establishment of an advisory committee dealing with the protection of whistleblowers; regrets that thon Parliament to fully adapt its own internal rules in contained in the Staff Regulations to Directive (EU) 2019/19376, including by setting up secure channels for reporting; further notes that whistleblowers deserve is little awareness amproper protectiong, staff of the existence of a contact point for whistleblowers in the Secretary General’s cabinet and considers that this contact point cannot replace a fully-fledged advisory committee; calls on the Bureau to require training for contact points of whistleblower disclosures and to adopt clear and legally certain standards regarding in which cases whistleblower protection can be granted, including for APAs, and to publish those standardimilar to that of victims of harassment; requests Parliament to raise awareness, where possible, among parliamentary staff on their whistleblower protections; _________________ 6Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17).
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Notes that creating the permanent possibility for members of stafftrainees and study visitors to telework from anywhere, under conditions to be specified, could entails a great number of advantages for both members of staff and institutions including the improvement of staff well-being and increasing Parliament’s attractiveness as an employer, financial savings made through, inter alia, a reduced need for office space, a reduced environmental impact from staff commutes and a closer link between the Union institutions and citizens in Member States other than Belgium, France and Luxembourg; calls on Parliament to enter into; underlines that pursuant to Article 20 of the Staff Regulations, members of staff of Parliament shall reside at their place of employment; stresses not only the legal obligation, but also the need for physical presence and inter- institutional discussion with a view to reviewing the decision obliging staff to telework exclusively from their place of empts importance for learning and skill develoypment, e.g. under the condition of temporarily forfeiting their expat allowa; underlines the advantages of-in person interaction and presence;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Welcomes the achievements made so far as a result Parliament’s gender mainstreaming policy, in reaching gender parity at the level of Directors and 40% of women employed at the level of Heads of Unit; notes that there is still significant room for improvement at the level of Directors-General with currently 23% of women employed at this level; calls on Parliament to aim to reach gender parity at all three lwelcomes the fact that the Bureau approved on 13 January 2020 new and more ambitious targets for gender balance in senior and middle management posts in Parliament’s secretariat to be achievelsd by 2024: 50 % female heads of unit, 50% female directors and 40% female directors- general; Reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when the Bureau discusses general matters affecting its staff policy, and repeats its request to the Secretary-General to take the appropriate measures to implement this key approach; reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to take further steps to ensure transparency and fairness during senior management appointment procedures, in particular in light of the Court of Justice’s judgment fromjudgment of the Court of Justice of 14 July 2021 in case T-670 / 19 against the European Parliament; asks for the full implementation of the measures recommended in Parliament’s resolution of 18 April 2018, notably that officials from staff representative bodies sit on Parliament’s/19, Carbajo Ferrero v Parliament1a; notes the limitations through Article 3, fourth paragraph, of Annex III of the Staff Regulations concerning the participation of staff representatives in senior management selection panels; callrequests, furthermore, to ensure consistency when it comes to external publications of senior management posts and diligence in the publication of these posts as and when they fall vacant; _________________ 1aJudgment of the General Court of 14 July 2021, T-670/19, Fernando Carbajo Ferrero v Parliament, ECLI:EU:T:2021:435
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 a (new)
Paragraph 69 a (new)
69 a. Recalls the importance of achieving a fair geographical balance among Parliament’s staff; requests further efforts to ensure that employment at Parliament is equally attractive to all Union nationalities; is convinced that the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer is a key component of its success; is deeply concerned by the difficulties encountered in recruiting certain nationalities and bringing certain job profiles in-house; calls on the Secretary-General to do his utmost in order to reach a geographical balance for Parliament’s staff, both on the total number by country and on the number of management positions and to explore all available options in order to increase the competitiveness of Parliament as an employer; calls on Parliament to build its own outreach capacity, with the goal of attracting to competitions quality candidates that Parliament needs, in terms of profile, age and nationality and especially from under represented countries;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Calls forSupports a debate on the space needs of Parliament in light of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, current and future increase in teleworking and, if appropriate, for the adaptation of its long- term building strategy; requests, in particular, that the building policy be reviewed to ensure a dedicated office space for each staff member, as this policy would result in significant office space being unused during large parts of the working weekcalls the work done by the focus groups and the working group on buildings and requests their involvement in this debate; encourages the review of the building policy to see if a dedicated office space for each staff member remains necessary, as a change might result in office space savings; considers that voluntarily e.g. two staff members teleworking for 3 days a week should be able to share one work station; recalls that many members, APAs, and staff appreciate the working setting at Parliament's three places of work and consider it part of their professional well- being to have enough office space to work;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 a (new)
Paragraph 79 a (new)
79 a. highlights that the mopping-up practice has favoured savings of more than EUR 100 million over the last years in interest payments and thus constitutes best practice for the use of taxpayers money in public institutions; encourages the Bureau to identify additional budget lines that could benefit from this practice; notes that this practice has helped prevent the spending of remaining funds for unnecessary expenses at the end of the year; recalls that the “mopping-up transfer” supports the long-term building strategy of Parliament of owning buildings instead of renting them; recalls that the ramassage enabled Parliament to buy the strategically important Scholl building in 2020 and pay the full buying price in one transaction thus avoiding further financing costs
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 a (new)
Paragraph 79 a (new)
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 a (new)
Paragraph 83 a (new)
83 a. Points out the purchase price of the Scholl building, purchased at EUR 74,9 million; underlines that the difference of EUR 10 590 000 between the purchase price (EUR 74 900 000) and the estimation by the external expert (EUR 64 310 000) should be analysed against the situation where Parliament would not have acquired the building; notes that the usufruct contract signed by Parliament in 2009 did not include an exit clause, entailing that Parliament would have in any case had to pay the full amount of due usufruct payments for the remaining contractual period (~ EUR 24 000 000); stresses that if Parliament had not acquired the building, it would have paid in any case the usufruct and in addition would have lost already realised investments; notes that in total this potential loss in case of a non-acquisition amounts to EUR 39 300 000; emphasises that Parliament, by acquiring the Scholl building in 2020, with a price of EUR 74 900 000, has guaranteed the safeguarding of EUR 39 300 000, as well as avoided the future increase of the real estate market value and the risk of losing the building to a potential new undesirable investor in closest proximity; notes that while bearing in mind the calls by the Committee on Budgetary Control for cost-efficiency in real estate transactions, the purchase of the Scholl building seems justified given the financial and strategic explanations;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Highlights that, in Brussels, some buildings either currently occupied by Parliament or of major strategic interest due to their location and the related security aspects, are not part of Parliament's propertyortfolio, as was the case with the SCHOLLScholl building before it was acquired by Parliamentsition; notes that Parliament's Building Strategy Beyond 2019 underlines the importance of owning and interconnecting Parliament’s central buildings and mentions TREVESreves II as a building that is in Parliament’s interest to acquire; notes that while these criteria are important, they should not be the ultima ratio foressential and that they should be carefully analysed when proposing the purchase of a new building and cannot justify the purchase of additional office space at a price that lies significantly above market value, which must be concluded at a price representing an acceptable negotiation result and be the best offer in line with the quality-price ratio established for the procurement;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 a (new)
Paragraph 85 a (new)
85 a. Notes that the Committee on Budgets is responsible for opinions and decisions concerning buildings-related projects with significant financial implications according to Annex VI to the Rules of Procedure; notes the competences of the Committee on Budgets in Article 266 of the Financial Regulation in relation to buildings of all institutions, bodies and offices, including Parliament; underlines that this includes early information, information on transparent and detailed planning, scrutiny, and decision making as well as the authorisation of projects;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86
Paragraph 86
86. Takes note of the unanimous decision of the Bureau of 23 October 2019 to approve the creation of an IDEA Lab in 2020 with the aim of testing new, innovative solutions in the context of offices and facility management; notes that the decision of the Bureau was not based on any specific cost estimate; further notes that as part of the IDEA Lab, one Member’s office, at a cost of 486.012 EUR, and adjacent showroom, at a cost of at least 203.978 Euro, were built and equipped over the course of 2020; considers the testing of innovative office and facility management solutions useful in general but strongly rejects that the extensive costs incurred in this case are justifiable to taxpayers; further raises a strong concern about the fact that the renovated office space is now occupied by the Chair of the Bureau’s Building Working Group responsible for the projecfollows up on the successful testing of different office set-ups in the context of refurbishment works in 2019; recalls that these previous projects were unanimously welcomed, completed ahead of schedule and concluded with potential savings far below the estimated cost;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 a (new)
Paragraph 86 a (new)
86 a. Recalls the recommendations of the Focus Group 5 to evaluate in the IDEA Lab IT tools, more and better equipped meeting rooms, offices with remote/web-streaming meeting facilities and improved videoconferencing with a broader range of features;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 b (new)
Paragraph 86 b (new)
86 b. Recalls that during the Bureau meetings of 16 December 2019, 22 July 2020, 24 September 2020, 16 December 2020, and 18 January 2021, the members of the Bureau suggested that the IDEA Lab tested solutions in the area of environmental performance, energy efficiency, security(especially electronic locks), IT and teleworking as well as ICT innovation strategy;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 c (new)
Paragraph 86 c (new)
86 c. Notes that as part of the IDEA Lab, the area of and around one office on the 15th floor serves as test area and that this area was substantially adapted at a cost of EUR 629 259 over the course of 2020; recalls that the removal of modular bathrooms in Members' offices has been tested in the IDEA Lab and is considered a potential space gain that could be achieved in all offices during the coming 5-10 years; recalls that only on the 15th floor is it possible to cut and isolate the existing water pipes and adjust the ventilation ducts without permanent water cuts for the other floors;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 d (new)
Paragraph 86 d (new)
86 d. Stresses that currently 20% of the space is not or not anymore properly used, such as the copy rooms or space initially intended as server rooms; further notes that the findings of the IDEA Lab will deliver data and experience for future renovation works not only in the Paul- Henri Spaak Building, but also in the Altiero Spinelli building which will be usable for another 20-25 years;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 e (new)
Paragraph 86 e (new)
86 e. Underlines that the Bureau in its constitutive meeting of 26 January 2022 renewed the support for the IDEA Lab; welcomes that the IDEA Lab is now entering a phase in which the reflections that have existed from the beginning can be implemented, namely to integrate the costs of testing and applications on one budget line for the project management of the IDEA Lab on the one hand, and on corresponding budget lines in the directorates-general in charge of the individual applications on the other;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87
Paragraph 87
87. Welcomes the fact that the extension of the WAYENBERGayenberg nursery in Brussels was completed in September 2020, and that the new facilities have been gradually put to us; invites the Bureau to initiate in 2022 technical studies to identify additional possibilities to further reduce energy consumption and increase the production of renewable energy, and to implement them as soon as possible;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. Welcomes that the strategic approach related to the implementation of Europa Experiences in all Member States by the end of 2024, as decided by the Bureau in November 2019, was reinforced in November 2020 with the adoption by the Bureau of a timeline for the deployment of the facilities in all Member States; strongly expresses the view that European Parliament Liaison offices and Europa Experiences are some of the best soft tools the Union and Parliament have to promote the work of the institutions and benefits of the Union for citizens; encourages Parliament and the Commission to continue to establish new Europa Experiences in all capitals and locations of strategic importance in view of the next European elections 2024; supports a formalised contract to split the costs for all Europa Experience between the Commission and Parliament to ensure sound long-term financing of the venues;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
93. Observes with concern that the European Court of Justice estimates that the fund will be insolvent by 2024; reiterates that the Bureau’s own commitment to guaranteeing the fund does not constitute a legal obligation to guarantee particular levels of payouts of the fund as no contract between the fund and Parliament exists; appeals to the Bureau, the board of directors and the members of the voluntary pension fund to support measures aiming at limiting the deficit of the voluntary pension fund, while considering any further measures in this light;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95
Paragraph 95
95. Regrets that the Secretary-General has not yet come forward withStresses that Article 27(2) of the statute for Members states that Members who contributed to the fund acquired rights anyd findings in responuture entitlements, which shall be maintained in full, and thus, do not cease toif the investigation into the legal foundations of the scheme as called for in the 2017 Discharge Resolutfund terminates; recalls moreover, that Parliament paid monthly two thirds of the total contributions of the defined benefit pension scheme thus underlining its regular participation in the fund; stresses that Members who paid contributions to the voluntary pension; funderlines that this investigation should be carried out by an independent party and acquired rights and future entitlements did so in good faith, thus relying on Parliament to honour its financial obligations;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 95 – subparagraph 1 (new)
JSIS
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95 a (new)
Paragraph 95 a (new)
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95 b (new)
Paragraph 95 b (new)
95 b. Calls on the Bureau to ensure that the JSIS shall provide a coherent and individual explanation for declining a reimbursement request; regrets the culture of declining a reimbursement request in pdf format without the possibility to challenge the decision in person; calls on the Bureau to introduce the possibility for local doctors in charge of a treatment of an applicant to talk to the responsible JSIS unit or expert group to explain the treatment and medical benefits; further expresses its wish to improve the user-friendliness of the application enabling a quicker and more direct follow-up of individual requests;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 106
Paragraph 106
106. Points out that the Authority has limited powers with regard to verifying whether a registered party or foundation is in breach of the EUnion’s core values and has never triggered the complex values compliance procedure thus far; calls for the strengthening of the current administrative set-up of the Authority in order to better monitor its compliance with the relevant rules and the implementation of sanctions, as well as to ensure its complete autonomyindependence and neutrality;