[ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the opinion of the Court of Auditors (‘the Court’) on the 2018 accounts of the Union; highlights that the estimated overall level of error in expenditure from the Union budget was 2,6 %, which is within the range of error estimates for the last two years ~~and only~~but slightly higher than the ~~all-time low of~~ 2,4 % in 2017; reminds that the target material threshold stands at 2 % and calls on the Commission to increase its efforts to reach an overall level of error below that threshold;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses nevertheless the importance for the Union of the Court systematically and independently assessing error levels for all areas of the Union budget;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Notes with concern the nine cases of suspected fraud that were communicated to the European Anti- Fraud Office (OLAF) by the Court in 2018;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2 c. Stresses that the 2018 analysis of follow-up made by the Court covered 184 recommendations; notes that the Commission has implemented 76 % of the recommendations fully or in most respects; regrets that 11 recommendations have not been implemented at all; shares the view of the Court that a more structured and documented risk assessment planning should be implemented;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2 d. Welcomes the 35 special reports published in 2018 by the Court across the various areas of Union spending which aim to examine whether the objectives of selected Union policies and programmes have been met, whether results have been achieved effectively and efficiently and whether the funding by the Union has added value;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Court’s special reports on the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa1 (‘EUTF for Africa’) and on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey2 (‘Turkey Facility’); takes note of the Court’s finding that the EUTF for Africa, which support activities in 26 African countries, is a flexible tool that is faster in launching projects than traditional funding instruments but lacks focus to efficiently steer action towards addressing the unprecedented challenges it faces; considers that the Commission should review the design of the EUTF for Africa, in particular to increase its focus and accelerate its implementation, with a view to making it more effective; notes the Court’s finding that the first tranche of EUR 3 billion (out of a total of EUR 6 billion) mobilised under the Turkey Facility provided a swift response to the refugee crisis but only half of the projects achieved the expected outcomes; believes that the efficiency of cash-assistance projects should be improved; urges the Commission to act upon the Court’s recommendations, including for more investments in municipal infrastructure and socio-economic support to address refugees’ needs and the development of a strategy to transition from humanitarian to development assistance; _________________ 1Special report 32 /2018 “European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa: Flexible but lacking focus”. 2Special report 27/2018 “The Facility for Refugees in Turkey: helpful support, but improvements needed to deliver more value for money”.deleted

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Court’s special report on Union support for Member States in their efforts to tackle radicalisation3 , financed among other sources by the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Justice Programme; shares the view of the Court that the Commission should improve the framework for overall coordination of Union funded actions to address radicalisation, to increase practical support to practitioners and policymakers in the Member States, and to improve the framework for assessing results; _________________ 3 Special report 13/2018 “Tackling radicalisation that leads to terrorism: the Commission addressed the needs of Member States, but with some shortfalls in coordination and evaluation”.deleted

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Welcom~~Notes that the Court did not find major flaws in the Commission’s clearance procedures regarding the A~~sylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and~~MIF and the ISF and that it agrees with the Commission's clearance decisions; ~~deplores, however,~~regrets, however, that the examination by the Court revealed deficiencies in the application of public procurement rules and some system weaknesses in the management of the AMIF and the ISF; deplores that three out of the 18 transactions examined by the Court contained errors, of which one shared management transaction under the AMIF showed an error rate of 9,4 %; urges the Commission to address ~~the systemic~~all the weaknesses identified by the Court~~, such as a lack of ex post checks of supporting documents in case of ex ante administrative checks of payment claims; calls on the Member States to improv~~ and to follow the Court’s recommendations, such as ensuring that when making administrative checks of payment claims documentation required from grant beneficiaries is systematically used to properly examine the legality and regularity of procurement procedures; calls on the Member States' authorities responsible for national AMIF and ISF programmes to adequately check the legality and regularity ~~checks~~ of the procurement procedures organised by beneficiaries of these funds.;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

Saskia BRICMONT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the Commission for improved compliance with the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management;

2019/12/11
Committee: LIBE

9 Amendments of Saskia BRICMONT related to 2019/2055(DEC)

ParlTrack - 2011-2024