Activities of Angelika WINZIG related to 2022/2133(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (before 30.11.2021 the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking) for the financial year 2021
Amendments (12)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes, from the report of the Court of Auditor’s (the ‘Court’s report’) on the annual accounts of the Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2021,Welcomes that the annual accounts present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Joint Undertaking on 31 December 2021, the results of its operations, its cash flows, and the changes in net assets for the year then ended, in accordance with its Financial Regulation and with accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer; notes,highlights furthermore, from the Court’s report that the underlying transactions to the accounts are, in all material respects, legal and regular;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Acknowledges that Horizon Europe envisages ambitious goals for the Joint Undertaking, that can only be achieved if effective solutions that address the weaknesses in the internal control systems and prepare for the future challenges arising from increased responsibilities, e.g. in the area of human resources management and planning, are designed and implemented; points out, in this context, that particularly complicated and burdensome calculations and reporting requirements represent a significant risk of error and calls therefore, to explore the possibilities of simplifications wherever possible and compatible with the existing legal framework;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes, from the Report on the Budgetary and Financial Management 2021,Underlines that the 2021 EU-Rail Budget does not include any revenue or commitment/payment appropriations in relation with EU-Rail resources coming from Horizon Europe or its Private Members; notes and that it consists only of appropriations related to Shift2Rail and Shift2Rail Members;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. NotWelcomes that, at the year-end 2021, the Undertaking had implemented 100% of its commitment appropriations made available in its active budget, which include staff and administrative expenditure; notes and that the payment appropriations were implemented up to 85% of the active funds; notes that the implementation when compared to the full Joint Undertaking budget, including unused appropriations not required in current Year, was 100% in commitment and 63% in payment appropriations;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes, from the Court’s report,Highlights that the Joint Undertaking implemented 100% of its commitment budget available for Horizon 2020 projects; notes that the implementation rate for the Joint Undertaking’s 2021 operational payment budget available, including operational unused and reallocated appropriations, fell to 61% (2020: 76%); notesis aware that this situation was mainly caused by the poor quality of the beneficiaries’ technical reports and/or the need to request from the beneficiaries, additional evidence confirming the achievement of project results; calls on the Joint undertaking to explore any additional means of facilitating the reporting rules for achievements of project results in order to avoid delays in the future; notes, moreover, that most of the Joint Undertaking’s payment are lump- sumps paid for project work packages that have been properly implemented by multiple beneficiaries; notes, therefore, that the delay of a single beneficiary affects the payment of the whole lump-sum amount related to the work package;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. NotWelcomes that, during 2021, the Joint Undertaking has further progressed in delivering the Shift2Rail Programme, although operational activities have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, further delaying the programme outputs of about additional 6 months compared to 2020 delays, in particular due to the increased number of demonstration activities on-site that were active in 2021; notesis pleased that the internal control system in place has ensured effective and efficient sound financial management;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. NoteHighlights that, by the end of 2021, the Shift2Rail Programme reached pivotal milestones in term of Programme implementation with almost all Shift2Rail resources being committed for the Programme activities and all planned Innovative Programme/Cross Cutting Activities related activities were running in granted projects; noappreciates that, on average, almost 75% of the Programme has been realised in view of reaching the Technology Readiness Level 6/72 operational demonstrations planned for conclusion during 2023; notes that, in total, it is estimated that the Total Value of the activities performed in 2021 amounts to EUR 123.5 million, of which EUR 113.6 million delivered by the Members other than the European Union; _________________ 2 Technology Readiness Level reaching at least 6 - technology demonstrated in relevant environment;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. NoteRegrets that, in 2021, the staff turnover continued to be high with some staff members and one SNE leaving the Joint Undertaking; notes that this was attributable, besides other aspects, to the fact that other Union Joint Undertakings are in the position to offer Temporary Agent posts (TA) instead of Contractual Agent posts (CA);
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. NotWelcomes that, as it was the case already in 2020, the Joint Undertaking continued also in 2021 to follow the EC approach in response to the Covid-19 pandemic by implementing special measures designed to protect staff; notes that, in particular, this was ensured by applying teleworking arrangements, and, when working onsite, by decreasing physical contacts between colleagues and utilising protective measures; notes, in additionis pleased that the Joint Undertaking strived to tackle the negative effects of the pandemic on the staff’s mental health by introducing already in 2020 a wellbeing programme;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. NotWelcomes that, following the Court’s observations, that the EU-Rail agrees to pay its employer’s pension contributions in line with the calculation to be provided by the Commission’s services, once de-jure aspects are ascertained; calls on the Joint Undertaking not to wait for the final calculation of outstanding contributions, but to consider this obligation when planning its future budget e.g. through a corresponding accrual for pension contributions;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. NoteHighlights that, in 2020, the Joint Undertaking adopted a revised Internal Control Framework; notes and that a first annual self-assessment of the revised Internal Control Framework was performed in Q1 2021 in order to evaluate the compliance and effectiveness of internal controls, looking back to 2020, as well as reflecting the current situation in internal control activities existing at that time;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. NotUnderlines that, as for the treatment of potential conflicts of interests, and to implement the requirements following from its constituent act with regard to this matter, the Joint Undertaking has adopted the respective rules by means of its internal legal framework in relation to its Members, staff, as well as the members of its Governing Board; notes and that the annual declarations of interests of the latter are publicly available in the Joint Undertaking official website.