Activities of Pascal DURAND related to 2019/2057(DEC)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2018, Section II – European Council and Council
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (5)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas all institutions are bound to cooperate to ensure the smooth functioning of the discharge procedure in full respect of the relevant provisions in the TFEU and in the relevant secondary law; whereas the lack of cooperation from the Council in the discharge procedure has resulted in Parliament’s refusal to grant discharge to the Secretary-General of the Council since 2009; whereas the sustained lack of cooperation from the Council makes it impossible for Parliament to take an informed decision on granting a discharge, which, as a result, has a lasting negative effect on citizens’ perception of the credibility of the EU institutions and of transparency in the use of EU funds; whereas this lack of cooperation also has an adverse impact on the functioning of the institutions and discredits the procedure for political scrutiny of budget management as laid down in the Treaties;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Believes that answers to a number of recurring questions in the questionnaires to the different institutions, bodies and agencies, such as those on gender- and geographical balance, conflict of interests, lobbying and whistle-blowers' protection, could possibly be included in the evaluation report on the Union's finances, drawn up in accordance with Article 318 TFEU, insofar as these issues have a link with the implementation of the budget; recalls that the report referred to in Article 318 TFEU is explicitly mentioned in Article 319(1) TFEU as one of the documents to be examined in the context of the discharge procedure;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Considers that the commitments of the Commissioners-designate constitute a positive change in attitude compared to the stance taken by the Commission hitherto, as expressed in its letter of 23 January 2014, in which it stated that the Commission should not be expected to oversee the implementation of the budgets of the other institutions;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Suggests that, if the negotiations on a memorandum of understanding are not resumed swiftly, Parliament insists on inserting a “rdv-clause”, in the context of the negotiations on the next MFF, in the proposal for an Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, by which the three institutions would commit themselves to jointly defining the practical arrangements for the sharing and provision of the necessary information to the European Parliament in the framework of the discharge procedure, as well as to starting negotiations to that effect without delay;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Recalls that each institution and body is required under the Financial Regulation to take appropriate measures to act on the observations accompanying the European Parliament’s discharge decision and to report on the measures taken in light of those observations; points out that a refusal by an institution to comply with this requirement, after being called upon to act, might give rise to an action for failure to act under Article 265 TFEU;