Activities of Saskia BRICMONT related to 2020/2172(DEC)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) for the financial year 2019
Amendments (5)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the important role of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (‘Europol’) in supporting Member States’ criminal investigations; emphasises also the extension of its tasks and its growing role in the and in preventiong and combating of serious crime, including terrorism affecting two or more Member States;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that a number of projects had to be deprioritised in the revised Annual Work Programme for 2019 due to budgetary constraints and that due to the Commission’s request to reduce the staffing levels for Contract Agents (CAs) Europol deferred the recruitment of all CA vacancies in 2019; recalls, however, that the budget of the Agency increased from EUR 156 to 169 million and its staff from 826 to 837 compared to 2018;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets to note again the Court’s finding that there were weaknesses in contract management and ex ante controls linked that the Europol irregularly prolonged again the duration of a framework contract for the provision of business travel services by signing an amendment after the contract had expired; notes that this resulted in irregular payment of EUR 32 531 in 2019.recalls that this is a further amendment signed to the same contract in 2018 and notes that although a new framework contract for business travel services entered in force in 2019, Europol decided to extend the old contract; deplores that this resulted in irregular payment of EUR 32 531 in 2019; further regrets the shortcomings in public procurement found by the Court and underlines that the Agency should integrate sufficient checks concerning the terms used in the documents to the call for tenders in its ex- ante controls before signing the order forms;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Regrets the observation by the Court that Europol failed to make payments within prescribed terms as laid down in the Financial Regulation and that similar or even higher levels of delays were found in 2018 and 2017; stresses that according to the Court this recurrent weakness exposes the Agency to reputational risk; calls on Europol to take note of the observations by the Court and implement corrective actions;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Calls on the Agency to ensure, in all its activities, full transparency and full respect with fundamental rights;