74 Amendments of Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ related to 2021/2106(DEC)
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Welcomes the fact that in the 2014-2020 period, CEF Transport co- funding amounting to EUR 23.03 billion was allocated to 959 actions. While addressing infrastructure along both the core and the comprehensive network of the trans-European transport network, the programme focuses its support on the core network, with more than 170 sections concerned.
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Highlights the importance of the Union budget for achieving Union’s political priorities, as well as its role to assisting Member States in unforeseen situations as COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences; stresses that sound and timely implementation of the budget contributes to addressing more efficiently and effectively the needs and challenges in different policy areas; warns that the implementation of the budget under time pressure may lead to increase in errors and irregularities;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the low implementation rate of CEF during the 2014-2020 period:Highlights that CEF’s 2014-2020 cumulative implementation rate reflects the progress of the projects and recalls that CEF Transport projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2024; calls on Member States to significantly speed up investments, and on the Commission to step up its monitoring in view of the urgent need for infrastructure investment in order to facilitate a swift recovery from the Covid-19 crisis; icalls concerned that a significant under- the Commission and Member States to accelerate the execution of payments for transport infrastructure financed by the Cohesion Fund contribution to CEF for 2021 is expected, and tha2021-2027 to prevent implementation delays, and decommitment of funds might occur;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Underlines the relevance of the reporting on the performance of the Union budget’s programmes for the discharge procedure; draws attention that the added value of the invested resources is closely linked to the achieved results and their contribution to improving the daily life of European citizens;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes that under CEF Transport, the roll-out of the CEF debt instrument to support green mobility projects continued, and the pipeline of operations grew further; underlines that despite the delays in investment decisions due to COVID-19, four new operations were signed under the high-risk ‘Future mobility’ product, leveraging total investments of EUR 266 million.
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the positive evaluation of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy progress and the agreement on the Streamlining Directive, which will play a key role in accelerating pre-identified cross-border projects on the core network; notes however that there are bottlenecks along the corridors where more focus is needed to guarantee connectivity and timely completion of the core network by 2030; is concerned that phased and new projects along the TEN-T network arcould be at risk due delays in adoption of partnership agreements and cohesion programmes for the 2021-2027 period;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines its strong and repeated requests to the Commission and executive agencies to ensure the protection of the Union budget by making global and systematic use of digital and automatised systems for reporting, monitoring and audit; remarks that this should include the establishment of a mandatory single interoperable database on beneficiaries of funds from all Union programmes; acknowledges that the Commission proposed to make obligatory the use of a single data-mining and risk-scoring tool for funds under shared management and the Recovery and Resilience Facility; notes that this has not been retained in the adopted texts; highlights that such a system should build on unique identifiers for all recipients including information about their ultimate beneficiaries and should also automatically ensure the use of systems such as the date mining tool, ARACHNE, in order to provide for the best possible protection of the Union finances; notes that this digitalisation is overdue and indispensable given the cross- border nature of misuse of funds, fraud, misappropriations, conflicts of interest, double-funding and other systemic problems; underlines that this single datamining tool should be easily searchable and available for OLAF, EPPO and the Commission, in order to enhance the protection of the Union budget and Next Generation EU against irregularities, fraud and conflicts of interest;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic justified considerable changes to the 2020 budget in the form of transfers and amending budgets in order for the Union to give a robust input in order to help alleviate the threats from the pandemic not least through the rapid development of vaccines. Furthermore, notes that the pandemic meant that audits mainly had to be done remotely which also implies that the estimated error rates should be considered as minimum estimate. Also notes that the Commission, on the basis of its specific COVID-19- related risk assessment carried out in 2020, considers that the level of assurance was safeguarded and that its estimated risk at payment and risk at closure are representative of the level of error in the financial transactions;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Asks the Commission to modify the spending rule N+3 years to the previous rule N+2 years in ordercooperate and assists Member States for timely implementation of their programmes and that the spending rule N+3 years is not used as an excuse for delays; encourages the efforts and measures undertaken by the Commission to increase the budget execution and reduce the outstanding commitments for the 2021-2027 period;
Amendment 44 #
11. Calls on the Commission and the budgetary authority to ensure the provision of sufficient funding for audits and controls of Union funds in light of the massive increase of funds to be disbursed during the coming years under the combined MFF and NextGenerationEU instrument;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates the need to further simplify rules and procedures, develop compulsory training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for SMEs, spin-offs, start- ups, administration and payment agencies and all others relevant stakeholders; acknowledges progress made through the 2018 revision of the Financial Regulation and the improvements introduced for the 2021-2027 spending programmes;
Amendment 49 #
13. Stresses the increased importance of performance indicators, including the selection of indicators, definition of targets and milestones and monitoring and reporting in light of the new delivery models for the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the reformed Common Agricultural Policy; welcomes in this regard the Commission's work to improve monitoring and reporting on performance of the EU budget with more streamlined and qualitative indicators, as reflected in the adopted basic acts of the 2021-2027 spending programmes;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to continue promoting gender balance and a gender budgeting approach in the allocated funds; calls onwelcomes the Commission to urgently develop a's progress towards gender mainstreaming methodology in order to integrate a gender equality perspective in all policy areasand the development of pilot methodology for the tracking of gender related expenditure under the MFF 2021- 2027; asks the Commission to inform the Parliament about its feasibility test on the EU funding programmes in the context of Draft Budget 2023;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the establishment of new own revenues in order to repay, from 2028, the loans granted under NextGenerationEU (about EUR 15 billion per year until 2050) with a view to ensuring a better protection of the Union budget; notes that by doing so, the Union's debt burden will not be borne by future generations and essential Union programmes such as Horizon Europe, ESF+, Erasmus+, will not have to be reduced;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets that the Court for the year 2020 has again issued an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the expenditure side of the budget and at the same time acknowledges that the level of error has remained stable at 2,7 % in 2020, which is the same as for the year 2019; underlines, however, that an error rate is not the same as fraud and notes that in 2020 six possible fraud cases were reported by ECA to the Union’s Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) compared to nine in 2019’s; reiterates the need to step-up the efforts in the fight against fraud both at Union and Member State level, in close cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and OLAF;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that the annual absorption rate for EFSI funds in 2020 was 15 %, which is the same as the final year of the previous 2007-2013 MFF but that the cumulative absorption rate iwas still only 55 %, which is 7 % lower than at the end of 2013. Notes that this implies thatat the end of 2020 45 % of the total commitments under the EFSI funds for the period 2014-2020 equal to EUR 209 billion has stillwere not been paid out and constitutesd the main part of the total outstanding commitments (RAL) of EUR 303 billion;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the relaxation of applicable rules to provide additional liquidity, ands well as to exceptional and necessary flexibility for COVID-19 related expenditure and of administrative rules and controls in the interest of rapid reaction;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Regrets that the COVID-19 pandemic made it much more difficult to carry out on-the-spot checks and audits, which implies that the estimated error rates for 2020 should be considered as minimum rate; notes however that the Commission, on the basis of its specific COVID-19-related risk assessment carried out in 2020, considers that the level of assurance was safeguarded and that its estimated risk at payment and risk at closure are representative of the level of error in the financial transactions;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Stresses that the combined effect of the new NextGenerationEU instrument and the delays in adoption of legislation risks putting serious pressure on administrative capacities in Member States and the Commission, which again may lead to more errors, less control and increasedpotential losses for the Union budget;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 – point h
Paragraph 34 – point h
h. developto finalise a gender mainstreaming methodology for use across the budget at the latest by the end of 2022, and to follow the recommendations of the Court in its special report on gender mainstreaming in the EU Budget;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Underlines that auditing the performance of the Union budget is equally as important as compliance auditing in order to get a comprehensive view not only of the legality of spending as well as the efficiency and economy of the spending, but of the results achieved and the priorities and targets met;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. RegretNotes that for the common provisions regulation (CPR) for the EFSI funds, an impact assessment was not carried out andseven shared management funds for the period 2021-2027 , an impact assessment was not carried out, since the CPR sets common rules and delivery mechanism for other policies; welcomes that funds related regulations were accompanied by their own impact assessments; notes that important evaluations of the CAP were not available before the impact assessment was made concerning the CAP reform;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Welcomes the Court’s assessment that the scale and scope of Erasmus+ created added value and that its efficiency has been improved by its simplification compared to predecessor programmes; notes with concernthe Court’s view that the Commission has not taken gender equality into account across all aspects of Erasmus+, and that the programme statement for Erasmus+ did not provide a financial estimate of the programme’s contribution to gender equality; recalls that while there are significant gender differences between study fields, 58% of the total number of participants in the programme are women;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58 a. Notes with concern that women researchers are underrepresented in Horizon 2020 being only 36% (28% in projects from the European Research Council (ERC), 42 % in Marie- Sklodovska Curie grants and 31%in the other parts of the Programme);
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 b (new)
Paragraph 58 b (new)
58 b. Appreciates that the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Horizon 2020-funded researcher, being the 10th one funded by this programme to be honoured with a Nobel Prize to date;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 c (new)
Paragraph 58 c (new)
58 c. Notes that in 2020 1 173 projects were funded through the ERC programme in Horizon 2020 and 1 255 Principal Investigators received funding; notes as well that currently among the hosting institutions there are institutions from 25 Member States and among the Principal Investigators there are nationals of 23 Member States; notes further that since 2014 the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions has supported the mobility and training of around 69 000 researchers thus exceeding its target of 65 000 researchers;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 d (new)
Paragraph 58 d (new)
58 d. Is concerned by the findings of the UN Human Rights Office’s report from 12 February 2020 on business enterprises involved uncertain activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which raise particular human rights violations concerns; notes with concern that some of the identified 112 business entities, in cases of which the UN Human Rights Office has reasonable grounds to conclude that have been involved in one or more of the specific activities referenced in Human Rights Council resolution 31/36 have received EU funding through the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes; calls on the Commission, especially with regard to the UN Human Rights Office’s report from 12 February 2020, to report to the discharge authority how it verifies and what is the outcome of its verification of EU support from the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes to entities’ potential activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and/or the possible exploitation of Horizon project results for the building, expansion, development or management of the Israeli settlements;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h
Paragraph 59 – point h
h. manage expectations by setting realistic and achievable objectives and targets; considers that the EU Youth Guarantee falls short of expectations; calls on the Commission to cooperate better with member states to develop Erasmus+ for professional training, especially for certain technical professions, the artisans, etc;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h a (new)
h a. ensure that sufficient resources are available for Horizon Europe in order to launch new Union partnerships in areas such as clean hydrogen, batteries, clean aviation, rail, connected and automated mobility, zero-emission road and waterborne transport, in particular for the Work Programme 2021-2022; stresses the need to support projects that contribute, in particular, to a future- proof, sustainable, smart and climate- friendly European transport network;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h b (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h b (new)
h b. create a new budgetary line for tourism, to support the recovery of a sector severely hit by the COVID-19crisis, making it resilient for the future, digitalised and sustainable;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h c (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h c (new)
h c. propose new result-oriented mechanism including short, mid and long-term planning and technical assistance, to increase the added value of European Funds and to ensure that Member States meet the 2030 and 2050 completion targets, respectively for the core and comprehensive TEN-T networks;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h d (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h d (new)
h d. continue its action on the grouped purchase of vaccines to protect against COVID-19 which allows savings and develops the Union's sovereign autonomy in the field of health and which can be extended to other areas such as energy, semiconductor or rare earth elements;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h e (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h e (new)
h e. implement its commitment to gender equality in the Horizon Europe and to report to the Parliament about the proportion of the male and female researchers participating;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h f (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h f (new)
h f. encourage better geographical balance and participation of more researchers from underrepresented Member States;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Expresses its concern that the number and impact of the errors detected demonstrate that the controls in place do not yet sufficiently mitigate the high inherent risk of error in this area; is concerned that this concerns, in particular, managing authorities whose verifications are inot sufficiently effective in preventing or detecting irregularities in expenditure declared by beneficiaries; notes with concern that the Court also considers that other errors are the result of decisions taken by managing authorities themselves;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Notes with concern that the Court has concluded that the residual error rates that audit authorities reported were not always reliable and that shortcomings remain in the way audit authorities perform and document their work; underlines the Court's finding that audit authorities need to keep better track of the risk of fraud in their audits of operations; underlines, however, that an error rate is not the same as fraud and notes that in 2020 six possible fraud cases were reported to the Union’s Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) compared to nine in 2019’s; reiterates the need to step up the efforts in the fight against fraud both at Union and Member State level, in close cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and OLAF;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Takes note that the Court, in its Special Report 26/2021' Regularity of spending in EU Cohesion policy: Commission discloses annually a minimum estimated level of error that is not final' found that the new legal provisions for the programming period 2021-2027 address some limitations in the acceptance of accounts; regrets that nevertheless, the Court found that some risks remain at the time of releasing the payment retention;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Notes with concern that the Court also found that there are inherent limitations to the Commission's desk reviews, thus reducing their contribution to confirming the Residual Total Error Rate (RTER); is concerned that the Commission's desk reviews are not designed to detect additional ineligible expenditurethe Court’s findings that the Commission's desk reviews are not designed to detect additional ineligible expenditure, which limits their contribution to confirming the regularity of the underlying transactions and the validity of the Residual Total Error Rate (RTER) reported by the audit authorities; notes further that for programmes with confirmed track-record of low error rates, such desk reviews are an efficient tool to confirm the reported error rates and audit opinion from the audit authorities; notes with concern that both the compliance audits of the Commission and of the Court found material errors that the desk reviews could not have detected;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Is worriedTakes note that the Court found that the Commission did not always follow its risk-based approach for selecting the riskiest audit authorities for compliance audits and that while the Commission detects irregular expenditure in its compliance audits, it often revises their final results in the follow-up phase with the Member States;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. RegretNotes that due to data limitations and the fact that many operations were still ongoing at the time of the Court's audit, it was not in a position to draw an overall conclusion on the actual performance of ESF expenditure during the 2014-2020 period;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 a (new)
Paragraph 77 a (new)
77 a. Notes with appreciation that by the end of 2020 45.4 million participants were supported by the ESF and the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and 5.4 million people found a job (including self- employed) under both programmes as reported by the Commission;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 b (new)
Paragraph 77 b (new)
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 c (new)
Paragraph 77 c (new)
77 c. Welcomes the impact of the temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) as reported by the Commission in its second report; notes that SURE has been successful in cushioning the severe socio-economic impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; notes that in 2020 SURE supported approximately 31million people in the 19 beneficiary Member States, of which 22.5 million are employees and 8.5 million self-employed, as well as that around 2.5 million firms affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have benefitted from SURE, allowing them to retain workers;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 d (new)
Paragraph 77 d (new)
77 d. Welcomes the increase in implementation of the financial instruments under all ESI funds in 2020 leading to EUR 10.3billion cumulative payments to final recipients (EUR 4.7 billion in 2019);
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point h
Paragraph 78 – point h
h. propose a legislative revision to ensure that the payment retention is adequately protected before it is released, to improve its audit work, audit documentation and review process, to strengthen the main elements of the regularity of information provided in the AARs, and to ensure that the College of Commissioners provide relevant and reliable information in the AMPR;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point k
Paragraph 78 – point k
k. simplify rules and procedures, encourage Member States to develop compulsory training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for SMEs, spin- offs, start- ups, administration and payment agencies and all other relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point l
Paragraph 78 – point l
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point m
Paragraph 78 – point m
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point n
Paragraph 78 – point n
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point o
Paragraph 78 – point o
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 a (new)
Paragraph 90 a (new)
90 a. Takes note that by the end of 2020 ESI funds supported over 2 million projects in the agricultural sector and rural areas and contributed to maintaining 31 500jobs and creating 4 000 new jobs in the maritime and fisheries sector; notes, in addition, that more than 54 000 new jobs have been created through projects supported by the rural development programs and that 131 000 young farmers benefited from the business start up support;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – point a
Paragraph 91 – point a
a. simplify rules and procedures, encourages member States to develop compulsory training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for young farmers, SMEs, spin- offs, start-ups, administration and payment agencies and all other relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – point b
Paragraph 91 – point b
b. generalismake better use and encourage the use of IAI and data from new technologies such as Sentinel tothe EU-owned Copernicus Sentinel satellites to monitor and control the correct use of CAP funds;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – point c
Paragraph 91 – point c
c. make theencourage the systematic use of the IT tool, Arachne, mandatory and systematic forby paying agencies, as an important tool that can be usedcontribute to identifying projects, beneficiaries and contractors at risk of fraud;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
94. Is concerned that the European Court of Auditors in its Special Report No 10/21 found that the Commission has not adequately applied gender mainstreaming in the Union Budget; calls onwelcomes the Commission to urgently develop’s progress towards gender mainstreaming methodology in order to integrate a gender equality perspective in all policy areas, including the useand the development of a pilot methodology for the tracking of gender-disagg reglated data and indicatorsexpenditure under the MFF 2021-2027;; recalls that the need for gender mainstreaming is ever more urgent in the light of the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 99
Paragraph 99
99. Notes with concern that the Court found marked differences in the implementation of national programmes and that there are gaps in ISF-Borders and Visa’s performance information; welcomes that performance indicators published in the AMPR give an optimistic picture of ISF-Borders and Visa performance; notes with concern that the Court found that the programme has contributed insufficiently to the consistent application of the acquis through trainingwelcomes the Court’s findings that ISF- Borders and Visa has contributed to efficient visa processing by funding the upgrading of 2 680 consulates (290 % of the 2020 target); notes however that 4322 staff (38 % of the 2020 target) have been trained in the common visa policy to date, which according to the Court could increase the risk that Schengen visa applications will not be processed in a harmonised manner;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 99 a (new)
Paragraph 99 a (new)
99 a. Welcomes the success under the effective integration and legal migration’ strand of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and notes with appreciation that the target of 2.6 million persons for the 2014-2020 period have been considerably surpassed as almost 6 million persons in the target group have received integration assistance;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 100 – point k
Paragraph 100 – point k
k. implement measures to ensure complementarity and better coordination between AMIF and EASO/Frontex (e.g. in the area of forced returns orin support to asylum authorities);
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107
Paragraph 107
107. Welcomes that IPA II has responded flexibly to help mitigate crises; notes with concern that there are some gaps in IPA II’s performance information; regretsnotes the Court’s observation that the implementation of political reforms is generally slow, as well as its conclusion that their progress depends not only on IPAII support, but also on other contextual factors such as the political will of the IPA II beneficiary concerned; notes with concern that the Court has found that Union support has been more effective in promoting fundamental reforms than in securing their implementation;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107 a (new)
Paragraph 107 a (new)
107 a. Reiterates its urgent call on the Commission to re-establish relations with International Management Group (IMG) and to resume the cooperation with this organisation by contracting it, as the Commission has done for more than EUR 100 million for 20 years until 2014, using the specific provisions of the Financial Regulation which allow the signature of direct contracts with any technically qualified contractor, irrespective of the legal nature of its legal status, in all countries in crisis situations;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 a (new)
Paragraph 112 a (new)
112 a. Recalls that the Paymaster Office (PMO) of the Commission is responsible on the basis of a service-level agreement for the verification of the legal conditions for the installation allowance and the payment authorisation of both installation and residence allowance of EU high-level public office holders provided for in the Council Regulation (EU) 2016/300 of 29 February 2016 determining the emoluments of EU high-level public office holders;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 a (new)
Paragraph 112 a (new)
112 a. Notes that in 2020 the Commission received 8.001 initial and 309 confirmatory applications for access to documents, as well as that fully or partially access was granted in 81% of the initial cases, and wider or even full access was further granted in more than 37% of the cases reviewed at confirmatory stage;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 b (new)
Paragraph 112 b (new)
112 b. Is concern, however, about the serious lack of transparency from the Commission regarding buying and distributing of vaccines in the EU during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020; notes with regret the case of the Commission refusal of public access to text messages exchanged between the Commission President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company on the purchase of a COVID 19 vaccine; draws attention that based on its findings during the inquiry on this case, the Ombudsman considers that it constituted maladministration;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 c (new)
Paragraph 112 c (new)
112 c. Takes note that as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic the Commission spent less budget amounts on missions, conferences and meetings as well as training in 2020 than the amounts included in the 2020 budget; takes note that part of the savings as well as appropriations from other areas of administrative expenditure were redirected to pandemic related needs such as ICT equipment, including for the provision of home office equipment to all staff, and expenditure of the medical service for the COVID-vaccination campaign, including sanitary measures in the childcare centres;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 b (new)
Paragraph 112 b (new)
112 b. Stresses that all EU institutions, and especially the Commission, must respect the highest data protection criteria both in the processing of public tenders and in the good or service to be procured, which requires specialised knowledge on the part of the officials in charge;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 a (new)
Paragraph 116 a (new)
116 a. Echoes the difficulties encountered by the EU institutions installed in Luxembourg to recruit staff according to their needs and recalls the Eurostat study showing that the disparity in purchasing power between Luxembourg and Brussels (25,4%) exceeded the 5% threshold even when housing was excluded from the calculations;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 b (new)
Paragraph 116 b (new)
116 b. Acknowledges that, during 2020 the COVID-19 outbreak had an impact on the internal functioning and the management of the Commission’s budget;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 c (new)
Paragraph 116 c (new)
116 c. Echoes the Court’s conclusion that “any unethical behaviour by staff and Members of EU institutions and bodies is unacceptable. Such behaviour – even if it is only alleged – attracts high levels of public interest and reduces trust in the EU. Unethical behaviour is also linked to the risk of corruption and fraud";
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 117 – point a a (new)
a a. is of the opinion that a rental contract for or a purchase contract of a property shall not be considered sufficient evidence in the sense of the Article 4 of the Council Regulation (EU) 2016/300 as such property may be destined for other uses than primary residence and thus, calls on the Commission to review the mechanism for verifying the legal conditions of the installation allowance to request other documents as evidence to the greatest extend possible with respect to proportionality and privacy;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 117 – point e a (new)
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 117 – point e a (new)
e a. urges the Commission to address the long-standing and serious problem of salary indexation in Luxembourg by adopting a delegated act to correct the relevant Staff Regulations provision;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point e b (new)
Paragraph 117 – point e b (new)
e b. integrate in the internal management strategy the lessons drawn from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of business continuity and crisis management approaches, IT responsiveness, resiliency of the organisation, duty of care towards its staff, effectiveness of internal communication and flexibility of working processes;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point e c (new)
Paragraph 117 – point e c (new)
e c. strongly recommends a review of the nomination and appointment procedures for the Union institutions and bodies with a view to strengthening and respecting both the opinions expressed by the Commission and Parliament, and the democratic participation of relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 a (new)
Paragraph 117 a (new)
117 a. calls on the Commission to strengthen and optimise the collaboration with the European Data Protection Supervisor in the area of public procurement, particularly in the training of public procurement officers;