8 Amendments of Daniel BUDA related to 2020/2140(DEC)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that more than half of EU expenditure in 2019 may be considered as high-risk, including reimbursement-based payments for investments in the areas of cohesion and rural development; notes that the increase in the estimated rate of material error from 4,5 % in 2018 to 4,9 % in 2019 can result in auditors giving an adverse opinion on EU expenditure; highlights the fact that high risk expenditure accounted for over half (53%) of the expenditure audited in 2019, which was an increase on 2018;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the level of error was material for the spending areas that the Court had identified as higher risk, including rural development, market measures, environment and climate action; points out, however, that the error rate of 2,7 % for rural development represents a considerable improvement on the situation in previous years; observes that high-risk expenditure mainly concerned reimbursement-based payments, for instance in the fields of cohesion and rural development, where Union spending is managed by Member States; understands that high-risk expenditure is often subject to complex rules and eligibility criteria, and stresses the need to eliminate undue administrative burdens that hinder the implementation of investments through the CAP;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the main reasons for this error rate are project ineligibility, infringement of internal market rules, and ineligible expenditure; recalls that these areas have high inherent risk of error and that checks by managing authorities are not always effective; stresses that the European Union needs cohesive, efficient and reliable mechanisms for stimulating Member States' absorption of European funding;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that simplification for final beneficiaries, in particular for young and new farmers, should be a priority for Member States when carrying out their strategic planning; stresses the need to introduce procedures, at the implementation stage of the national strategic plans, that are as flexible as possible and tailored to specific needs;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights the launch in 2019 of the Arachne pilot project, an IT programme for identifying high fraud risk beneficiaries, conflicts of interest and irregularities, and stresses the need for payment agencies to make widespread use of this instrument;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points out that cohesion policy has already proven its added value and will be even more indispensable in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis; underlines that eliminating the root causes of irregularities via streamlining and strengthening of administrative capacities would help beneficiaries and authorities concentrate on results and contribute to reducing the error rate; notes that the urgent flexibility measures adopted in response to the pandemic have had an immediate effect, and that many of these measures, which have yielded outstanding results, should be continued;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that both the Commission and the Member States are responsible for addressing fraud in CAP spending; encourages them to step up their efforts to prevent and detect fraud, in cooperation with the aEuropean Anti-fFraud oOffice (OLAF), and stresses the need for increased cooperation between the Commission and Member State authorities with a view to disseminating information on the most frequent types of CAP fraud;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concern that, at the end of the sixth year of implementation, absorption rates for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF) are 6,6% lower than at the same stage in the previous programming period; and draws attention to the risk that, as the eligibility period draws to an end and given the circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis, Member States may prioritise spending over performance and regularity.; emphasises that Member States' objectives for the 2021-2027 programming period will be far more ambitious, as a response to the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis, with a view to protecting citizens, saving jobs and bolstering the investment climate, involving all levels of government in the development and implementation of the recovery plans;