Activities of Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ related to 2023/2129(DEC)
Reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
Amendments (82)
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Underlines the risk of conflicts of interest when all actors involved in the implementation of the EU budget at any level, might be compromised for reasons beyond economic interest, particularly family, emotional life, political or national affinity; notes the highly fragmented legal framework across Member States and regions concerning the conflict of interest and welcomes the Commission guidance to promote a uniform interpretation and application; supports the Court’s observation in its Special report 6/2023 that “data mining, by comparing information from different sources, has the potential to help detect possible conflicts of interest”;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Underlines the risk of conflicts of interest when all actors involved in the implementation of the EU budget at any level, might be compromised for reasons beyond economic interest, particularly family, emotional life, political or national affinity; notes the highly fragmented legal framework across Member States and regions concerning the conflict of interest and welcomes the Commission guidance to promote a uniform interpretation and application; supports the Court’s observation in its Special report 6/2023 that “data mining, by comparing information from different sources, has the potential to help detect possible conflicts of interest”;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Recalls that on 15 December 2022, the Council adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 on measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary, including the suspension of 55 % of budgetary commitments under three operational cohesion policy programmes; notes that the Commission has been monitoring the implementation of the remedial measures proposed by Hungary in the framework of the ‘Conditionality Regulation’; notes that in December 2023, the Commission reassessed on its own motion the situation in Hungary and concluded that the Union’s budget remains at the same level of risk as there are still commitments that were neither correctly nor timely fulfilled;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Recalls that on 15 December 2022, the Council adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 on measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary, including the suspension of 55 % of budgetary commitments under three operational cohesion policy programmes; notes that the Commission has been monitoring the implementation of the remedial measures proposed by Hungary in the framework of the ‘Conditionality Regulation’; notes that in December 2023, the Commission reassessed on its own motion the situation in Hungary and concluded that the Union’s budget remains at the same level of risk as there are still commitments that were neither correctly nor timely fulfilled;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Notes that in December 2022, the Commission concluded that Hungary was not fulfilling the horizontal enabling conditions under the CPR on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (‘the Charter’) with regard to judicial independence and the provisions of several laws posing serious risks to LGBTIQ+ rights, academic freedom and the right to asylum; is concerned about the Commission decision in December 2023 considering that the horizontal enabling condition of the Charter had been fulfilled in relation to judicial independence, thus enabling the Hungary authorities to submit reimbursement claims of up to EUR 10,2 billion; believes that this decision politically contradicts the decision to prolong the measures adopted under the Conditionality Regulation and reiterates the need of treating as a single, integral package all the measures required for the release of EU funding under the Conditionality Regulation, the CPRs and the RRF Regulation; expresses its disappointment that Parliament was not adequately informed during the process;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Notes that in December 2022, the Commission concluded that Hungary was not fulfilling the horizontal enabling conditions under the CPR on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (‘the Charter’) with regard to judicial independence and the provisions of several laws posing serious risks to LGBTIQ+ rights, academic freedom and the right to asylum; is concerned about the Commission decision in December 2023 considering that the horizontal enabling condition of the Charter had been fulfilled in relation to judicial independence, thus enabling the Hungary authorities to submit reimbursement claims of up to EUR 10,2 billion; believes that this decision politically contradicts the decision to prolong the measures adopted under the Conditionality Regulation and reiterates the need of treating as a single, integral package all the measures required for the release of EU funding under the Conditionality Regulation, the CPRs and the RRF Regulation; expresses its disappointment that Parliament was not adequately informed during the process;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recalls that spending areas subject to more complex rules and eligibility criteria are at higher risk of errors and create an excessive administrative burden for recipients of support, specially newcomers; reiterates the need to implement simplification in EU spending programmes to the extent possible, striking a balance with robust checks and controls; stresses that the digitisation of the management, reporting and auditing of EU funds is essential to improve access for potential recipients in an equitable way and to make the management of funds more efficient and transparent for the citizens as a whole;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recalls that spending areas subject to more complex rules and eligibility criteria are at higher risk of errors and create an excessive administrative burden for recipients of support, specially newcomers; reiterates the need to implement simplification in EU spending programmes to the extent possible, striking a balance with robust checks and controls; stresses that the digitisation of the management, reporting and auditing of EU funds is essential to improve access for potential recipients in an equitable way and to make the management of funds more efficient and transparent for the citizens as a whole;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses the importance of EU cohesion policy for economic and territorial convergence and development in the regions of the Union, as well as for supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; highlights the synergies of the cohesion funds in coordination with other EU programmes, particularly the RRF, to maximise the impact and efficiency of public spending;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses the importance of EU cohesion policy for economic and territorial convergence and development in the regions of the Union, as well as for supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; highlights the synergies of the cohesion funds in coordination with other EU programmes, particularly the RRF, to maximise the impact and efficiency of public spending;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Welcomes the vital role played by NGOs in representing civil society and in promoting and defending the values enshrined in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (‘the Charter’) while implementing programmes and projects financed by the EU budget in full respect of the EU financial rules and the protection of the EU’s financial interests;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Welcomes the vital role played by NGOs in representing civil society and in promoting and defending the values enshrined in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (‘the Charter’) while implementing programmes and projects financed by the EU budget in full respect of the EU financial rules and the protection of the EU’s financial interests;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recalls that the audit approach and methodology of the Court are based on international audit standards that require the testing of a random, representative sample of transactions that result in an estimate of the error rate; recalls that the Court differentiates between low-risk expenditure, i.e. entitlement-based payments under simplified rules, and high- risk expenditure, i.e. reimbursement-based payments subject to complex rules; notes that for the 2022 expenditure, the Court has selected 66 % of its audit population from the high-risk expenditure (63,2 % in 2021), amounting to EUR 110,1 billion, and 34 % from the low-risk expenditure, amounting to EUR 56,7 billion; notes that the Court’s estimated error rate for 2022 (4,2 %) is mainly driven by ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ (2,5 % of the overall error rate), ‘Natural resources and environment (0,8 %), ‘Neighbourhood and the world’ (0,4 %), and ‘Single market, innovation and digital’ (0,3 %), all of themfor the most part considered high-risk expenditure areas by the Court; notes that the Commission’s risk at payment for 2022 is 1,9 %;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recalls that the audit approach and methodology of the Court are based on international audit standards that require the testing of a random, representative sample of transactions that result in an estimate of the error rate; recalls that the Court differentiates between low-risk expenditure, i.e. entitlement-based payments under simplified rules, and high- risk expenditure, i.e. reimbursement-based payments subject to complex rules; notes that for the 2022 expenditure, the Court has selected 66 % of its audit population from the high-risk expenditure (63,2 % in 2021), amounting to EUR 110,1 billion, and 34 % from the low-risk expenditure, amounting to EUR 56,7 billion; notes that the Court’s estimated error rate for 2022 (4,2 %) is mainly driven by ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ (2,5 % of the overall error rate), ‘Natural resources and environment (0,8 %), ‘Neighbourhood and the world’ (0,4 %), and ‘Single market, innovation and digital’ (0,3 %), all of themfor the most part considered high-risk expenditure areas by the Court; notes that the Commission’s risk at payment for 2022 is 1,9 %;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the Court, in the exercise of its mandate, does not investigate fraud but does take account of the risk of fraud; notes that the Court forwards to the EPPO suspicions of criminal offences falling in its competences and to OLAF suspicions of fraud, corruption or other illegal activity affecting the Union’s financial interests identified while performing its audits; notes that, in 2022, the Court reported 14 cases of suspected fraud to OLAF, and in parallel reported 6 of these cases to the EPPO, resulting so far in 26 OLAF investigations and 3 EPPO investigations;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the Court, in the exercise of its mandate, does not investigate fraud but does take account of the risk of fraud; notes that the Court forwards to the EPPO suspicions of criminal offences falling in its competences and to OLAF suspicions of fraud, corruption or other illegal activity affecting the Union’s financial interests identified while performing its audits; notes that, in 2022, the Court reported 14 cases of suspected fraud to OLAF, and in parallel reported 6 of these cases to the EPPO, resulting so far in 26 OLAF investigations and 3 EPPO investigations;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Welcomes the online based transparency platforms developed and maintained by the Commission which provide data on the implementation of the EU spending programmes and allow to search through the recipients of EU funding and projects, such as the Financial Transparency System, giving information about the EU funding under direct and indirect management, the RRF Scoreboard, the Cohesion Open Data Platform and Kohesio platform;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Welcomes the online based transparency platforms developed and maintained by the Commission which provide data on the implementation of the EU spending programmes and allow to search through the recipients of EU funding and projects, such as the Financial Transparency System, giving information about the EU funding under direct and indirect management, the RRF Scoreboard, the Cohesion Open Data Platform and Kohesio platform;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 – point iii
Paragraph 36 – point iii
(iii) step up efforts to improve transparency in the use of funds, including as regards information on final beneficiarierecipients;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 – point iii
Paragraph 36 – point iii
(iii) step up efforts to improve transparency in the use of funds, including as regards information on final beneficiarierecipients;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Notes the Court’s review 06/2023 on the Commission’s 2022 AMPR for the Union budget and its conclusion that Volume I of the 2022 AMPR followed the Commission’s corporate management board strategic guidance when it presented the facts and achievements concerning budgetary management for 2022, and notes that there was scope to improve the quality of performance data; notes the Commission’s replies to written questions on an IAS audit into data qualityon the Commission’s control system in relation to the reliability of performance information and the reassurance given that the identified issue is being dealt with;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Notes the Court’s review 06/2023 on the Commission’s 2022 AMPR for the Union budget and its conclusion that Volume I of the 2022 AMPR followed the Commission’s corporate management board strategic guidance when it presented the facts and achievements concerning budgetary management for 2022, and notes that there was scope to improve the quality of performance data; notes the Commission’s replies to written questions on an IAS audit into data qualityon the Commission’s control system in relation to the reliability of performance information and the reassurance given that the identified issue is being dealt with;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44 a. Notes that the EU budget needs to respond to multiple challenges with additional financial programmes, such as the NGEU recovery instrument; notes that for 2022, the revenue from traditional own resources remained relatively stable, while budgetary guarantees for borrowing and lending operations were a substantial part of revenue; recalls in that regard Parliament’s resolution of 10 May 2023 on own resources: a new start for EU finances, a new start for Europe;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44 a. Notes that the EU budget needs to respond to multiple challenges with additional financial programmes, such as the NGEU recovery instrument; notes that for 2022, the revenue from traditional own resources remained relatively stable, while budgetary guarantees for borrowing and lending operations were a substantial part of revenue; recalls in that regard Parliament’s resolution of 10 May 2023 on own resources: a new start for EU finances, a new start for Europe;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Welcomes the developments that have resulted in lifting both the quantified and unquantified reservation in the area of textiles and shoes imported from China; notes with satisfaction that the United Kingdom has now paid the total amount due (final payment of EUR 1,57 billion in January 2023) including interest (EUR 1,4 billion in February 2023); notes that 26by the end of 2023, 27 Member States had made significant provisional payments for their expected amounts due to the Union budget and that in line with the CJEU judgment in the case C-213/19 the Commission will apply the same quantification method for these Member States as for the United Kingdom, which will result in recalculated amounts, allowing the Commission to finalise the exercise completely;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Welcomes the developments that have resulted in lifting both the quantified and unquantified reservation in the area of textiles and shoes imported from China; notes with satisfaction that the United Kingdom has now paid the total amount due (final payment of EUR 1,57 billion in January 2023) including interest (EUR 1,4 billion in February 2023); notes that 26by the end of 2023, 27 Member States had made significant provisional payments for their expected amounts due to the Union budget and that in line with the CJEU judgment in the case C-213/19 the Commission will apply the same quantification method for these Member States as for the United Kingdom, which will result in recalculated amounts, allowing the Commission to finalise the exercise completely;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Notes that, in total, CEF Energy 1 and 2 (2014-20232) provided EUR 6,324 billion of support to energy projects (EUR 5,874 billion works, EUR 0.5 billion studies) to more than 1178 Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and by the end of 2022, 10723 actions that received support from CEF-1 Energy were completed;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Notes that, in total, CEF Energy 1 and 2 (2014-20232) provided EUR 6,324 billion of support to energy projects (EUR 5,874 billion works, EUR 0.5 billion studies) to more than 1178 Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and by the end of 2022, 10723 actions that received support from CEF-1 Energy were completed;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65 a (new)
Paragraph 65 a (new)
65 a. Notes that Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and weaponisation of energy upended energy markets in 2022, triggering price volatility and energy insecurity across the world EU’s energy system; highlights the Commission’s response to the crisis developing the REPowerEU Plan aiming to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and phase out Russian energy imports before 2030; notes that REPowerEU Plan mobilises close to EUR 300 billion, approximately EUR 72 billion in grants and EUR 225 billion in loans; notes that REPowerEU Plan has additionally provided a legal basis for both Member States and the Commission to modify national RRPs and to check whether M&Ts are well defined to clarify them where necessary;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65 a (new)
Paragraph 65 a (new)
65 a. Notes that Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and weaponisation of energy upended energy markets in 2022, triggering price volatility and energy insecurity across the world EU’s energy system; highlights the Commission’s response to the crisis developing the REPowerEU Plan aiming to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and phase out Russian energy imports before 2030; notes that REPowerEU Plan mobilises close to EUR 300 billion, approximately EUR 72 billion in grants and EUR 225 billion in loans; notes that REPowerEU Plan has additionally provided a legal basis for both Member States and the Commission to modify national RRPs and to check whether M&Ts are well defined to clarify them where necessary;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 a (new)
Paragraph 76 a (new)
76 a. Notes that the Court identified cases of projects for which ineligible expenditure was accepted, as well as their contribution to the overall estimated level of error; stresses the importance of remedying the systemic root causes and the need for audit authorities to effectively assess the eligibility criteria;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 a (new)
Paragraph 76 a (new)
76 a. Notes that the Court identified cases of projects for which ineligible expenditure was accepted, as well as their contribution to the overall estimated level of error; stresses the importance of remedying the systemic root causes and the need for audit authorities to effectively assess the eligibility criteria;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 b (new)
Paragraph 76 b (new)
76 b. Notes that the Commission considers that self-declarations are a useful tool to gain assurance when finding alternative supporting evidence would be difficult or administratively too costly for the beneficiaries; supports the Court’s recommendation to improve checks by audit authorities of self- declarations issued by beneficiaries of the funds in order to ensure their validity and reliability;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 b (new)
Paragraph 76 b (new)
76 b. Notes that the Commission considers that self-declarations are a useful tool to gain assurance when finding alternative supporting evidence would be difficult or administratively too costly for the beneficiaries; supports the Court’s recommendation to improve checks by audit authorities of self- declarations issued by beneficiaries of the funds in order to ensure their validity and reliability;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Takes note that for ERDF and CF, the Commission implemented financial corrections and withdrawals amounting to EUR 11 billion over the programming period, including EUR 2,4 billion for the accounting year 2021-2022; notes further that the Commission continues the implementation of its targeted ‘action plan on public procurement and State aid’ in cooperation with Member States; acknowledges that national authorities are primarily responsible for making the financial corrections decided by the Commission but believes that additional checks shall be implemented in order to confirm that all corrections have been implemented correctly;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Takes note that for ERDF and CF, the Commission implemented financial corrections and withdrawals amounting to EUR 11 billion over the programming period, including EUR 2,4 billion for the accounting year 2021-2022; notes further that the Commission continues the implementation of its targeted ‘action plan on public procurement and State aid’ in cooperation with Member States; acknowledges that national authorities are primarily responsible for making the financial corrections decided by the Commission but believes that additional checks shall be implemented in order to confirm that all corrections have been implemented correctly;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Notes that the Court considers that the Commission’s desk reviews and compliance audits have inherent limitations in confirming the validity of the residual total error rates reported by audit authorities; takes note of the Commission’s reply that its assessment, based on a combination of desk and on-the- spot audit work covering the different individual programmes and assurance packages, enables it to establish a reasonable and fair estimate of the error rates for each programme, every year, and cumulatively for cohesion policy funds;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Notes that the Court considers that the Commission’s desk reviews and compliance audits have inherent limitations in confirming the validity of the residual total error rates reported by audit authorities; takes note of the Commission’s reply that its assessment, based on a combination of desk and on-the- spot audit work covering the different individual programmes and assurance packages, enables it to establish a reasonable and fair estimate of the error rates for each programme, every year, and cumulatively for cohesion policy funds;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Is concerned about the persistent shortcomings observed by the Court in the national audits, which can be due to inadequate scope, unclear documentation of audits and sample filtering performed by national audit authorities, as well as resource issues, including inadequate funding and a lack of a skilled workforce within national audit authorities; notes that the Commission considers the work of the majority of the audit authorities to be reliable and that only 710 out of 8116 of Cohesion audit authorities need serious improvements;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Is concerned about the persistent shortcomings observed by the Court in the national audits, which can be due to inadequate scope, unclear documentation of audits and sample filtering performed by national audit authorities, as well as resource issues, including inadequate funding and a lack of a skilled workforce within national audit authorities; notes that the Commission considers the work of the majority of the audit authorities to be reliable and that only 710 out of 8116 of Cohesion audit authorities need serious improvements;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. Notes from the Annual Report on the Protection of the EU Financial Interests for the year 2022 (PIF Report)7[1] that from 2021 to 2022, the number of fraudulent irregularities relating to the Cohesion Policy indecreased by 4,2 %11,6 % (233 reported in 2021 compared to 206 reported in 2022), while non- fraudulent irregularities increased by 10,29,3 %; notes that the Commission requested audit authorities to pay particular attention to new risks related to the multiplication of Funds and additional funding under NGEU, in particular, ‘double funding’, conflicts of interest, fraud or corruption; notes the efforts made by the Commission to promote the use of the ARACHNE risk scoring tool to the reluctant Member States, and to introduce improvements in the tool; notes that the audit authorities explicitly addressed the risk of fraud for 65 % of the audited operations in the 2014- 2020 period, which is an improvement on the 38 % found in 2021 by the Court; _________________ 7 COM(2023) 464 final
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 a (new)
Paragraph 88 a (new)
88 a. Stresses that the Court, OLAF and the EPPO should have access to a single integrated IT system for data-mining and risk-scoring provided by the Commission, in a proportionate manner, within the exercise of their respective competences, as is envisaged in the recast of the Financial Regulation;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 89 – point i a (new)
(i a) continue its close work with the audit authorities in order to strengthen their capacity to prevent and correct recurring errors, to better document their audit work and therefore to contribute to the assurance process;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point i b (new)
Paragraph 89 – point i b (new)
(i b) ensure that audit authorities have appropriate methods in place to check self-declarations by means of identifying good practices and issuing a guidance to Member States;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point i c (new)
Paragraph 89 – point i c (new)
(i c) carry out specific targeted checks as part of the closure audits to ensure that Member States have applied the necessary financial corrections for errors detected;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point i d (new)
Paragraph 89 – point i d (new)
(i d) grant the Court, OLAF and the EPPO access to a single integrated IT system for data-mining and risk-scoring provided by the Commission, in the terms agreed in the recast of the Financial Regulation;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90
Paragraph 90
90. Notes that the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 3 ‘Natural resources’ was EUR 58,13 billion (29,7 % of the Union budget) distributed as follows: 65,9 % for direct payments under the European Agricultural Guarantee fund (EAGF), 26,2 % for the Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARDF), 4,7 % for market-related expenditure under the EAGF, 1,8 % for Maritime and Fisheries, 0,9 % for Environment and Climate (LIFE), and 0,5 % for other areas; notes that as of 31 December 2022, under MFF heading 3 ‘Natural Resources and Environment’ the final adopted budget commitments appropriations were EUR 56 681,11 million and 98,92 % of them were implemented (EUR 56 069,86 million); notes further that the final adopted budget payment appropriations amounted to EUR 55 781826,717 million and 98,895 % of them were implemented (EUR 55 197,56205,48 million);
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91
Paragraph 91
91. Notes that 2022 was the second and last year of the transitional period during which funds from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2021-2027 budget allocation and an additional EUR 8 billion of externally assigned revenue from the NextGenerationEU funds for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development Fund (EAFRD) could be uscommitted by Member States for continued payments to farmers and other CAP beneficiaries in anticipation of the entry into force of the new CAP on 1 January 2023 and that the related payments by Member States to farmers and other CAP beneficiaries can be made until 31 December 20235;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
94. Notes that the Court has examined a sample of 218 transactions covering the full range of spending under this MFF heading; notes that the Court also examined the regularity information given in the annual activity reports of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), as well as selected systems in 17 Member States and the United Kingdom; notes that the Court estimates the level of error for ‘Natural Resources’ to be 2,2 % (1,8 % in 20221) and that the majority of the errors found affected rural development transactions; notes that DG AGRI estimates a risk at payment of 1,76 %;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96
Paragraph 96
96. Notes that the majority of errors found by the Court were related to the provision of inaccurate information on areas or animals (42 %) and ineligible beneficiary, activity, and project, expenditure; notes with concern, as in 20221, that the Court found in several cases that the Member State authorities and the Commission had sufficient information to prevent, or to detect and correct the error before accepting the expenditure and that this would have resulted in a lower error rate estimated at, had the Member States' authorities and the Commission made proper use of all the information at their disposal, the estimated level of error for this chapter would have been 1,.3 %percentage points lower;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 102
Paragraph 102
102. Notes that, in 2022, the Commission reported an implementation rate of 99,69 %, for commitments under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), a marked improvement from the 15,98 % implementation rate of its predecessor, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)EMFAF in 2021; notes, however, that 94,76 % from the EUR 1 135,74 million committed appropriations in 2022 and 97,06 % from EUR 148,12 million in 2021 remained unpaid at the end of the corresponding year; notes further that the implementation rate of the authorised payment appropriations for EMFAF in 2022 was 99,99 % and for EMFF in 2021 was 86,55 %;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104 – point ii
Paragraph 104 – point ii
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104 – point v
Paragraph 104 – point v
(v) promote, provide incentives and support the Member States’ paying agencies in using IT tools like checks by monitoringCopernicus Satellite imagery and other imaging technologies in the field of agri- monitoring;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 109
Paragraph 109
109. Welcomes the progress identified by the Court in its review of the work done by six Member States’ audit authorities in preparation for the 2021-2027 AMIF, the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) and ISF annual accounts; notes the Court’s observation that, at the time of its visits (between September 2022 and February 2023), the six Member States’ audit strategies had not yet been adopted, which is a prerequisite for submitting an ‘assurance package’; notes that, at the time of the Court’s visit, the IT systems to store information and documentation needed for audits of the six Member States’ managing authorities were either under development or yet to be developed;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112
Paragraph 112
112. Notes that more than 16 million people from Ukraine and Moldova have been recorded as having entered the Union since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and over 4 million persons fleeing the war obtained protection in the Union; notes that the Commission provided financial support to the International Organisation for Migration to support the process, as part of a EUR 15 million project facilitating transfers from Moldova of vulnerable persons from Moldovaople fleeing Ukraine; notes further that on 30 November 2022, the Commission announced the decision to award financial support of EUR 5,5 million to a project to be carried out by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support hosts and all those involved in providing private accommodation to displaced people, putting together good practices for future needs; takes note that, in 2022, in the context of financing Ukraine, the Commission adopted decisions authorising the use of the funding not linked to costs amounting to EUR 248 million (May 2022) and EUR 137 million (August 2022), as well as for smaller grants, safe homes and psychosocial support amounting to EUR 15 million;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point -i (new)
Paragraph 117 – point -i (new)
(-i) develop a longer-term strategy for the EDF building on the experience with PADR and the Court’s recommendations;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 123
Paragraph 123
123. Notes with concern that the AARs of DG NEAR and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) reported difficulties in the implementation of the new operational information system OPSYS, which was at times unstable, failing to meet expectations, and requiring frequent intervention from DG DIGIT support teams, leading to it being identified as a critical risk in DG NEAR’s risk assessment exercise; notes the actions implemented by the Commission’s services to improve the situation and its opinion that these difficulties did not result in unreliable data or incomplete management information;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 a (new)
Paragraph 124 a (new)
124 a. Recognises the importance of NGOs in ensuring that the EU, as the largest donor of development aid in the world, continues to contribute to promoting stability and peace, overcoming poverty and advancing sustainable development; commends in particular the activity of NGOs in areas of conflict in ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the civilian population in a rapid and effective manner; takes note of the control and audit, transparency and accountability requirements applicable to all EU funding and different stakeholders, but considers that there is always room for improvement, particularly by making the most of digitalisation;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 126
Paragraph 126
126. Notes with concern that the Court, in its Special Report 14/2023 “Programming the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe” found that, although the Commission and the EEAS had merged funding into a single instrument, the NDICI-Global Europe Instrument, which covers more than 70 % of the Union funding allocated for external action in the 2021-2027 financing period, they followed two different fund allocation methodologies for Neighbourhood and non-Neighbourhood countries, and that the multiannual indicative programmes did not ensure that the selected sectors of intervention were those in which Union funding could achieve an high impact;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127
Paragraph 127
127. Notes that, following the despicable terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023, the Commission announced on 9 October 2023 its decision to review the Union’s assistance for Palestine; welcomes that the review, finalised on 21 November 2023, has shown that the Commission hasapplies adequate ex- ante and ex-post controls, and a system ofthat safeguards in placethat work well are effective and that no evidence has been found to date that money has been diverted for unintended purposes; highlights, furthermore, that according to the Commission’s reply, the current rules in tender procedures and calls for proposals “make the participation of entities, individuals or groups affiliated with terrorist organisations categorically incompatible with any Union funding”;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 a (new)
Paragraph 127 a (new)
127 a. Is concerned by the serious allegations made by Israel that 12 employees of UNRWA might have participated in the despicable terrorist attacks in October 2023; notes that the Agency immediately terminated their contracts and welcomes the launch of an UN investigation; notes that the allegations involve 12 out of 13 000 local staff members of UNRWA in Gaza alone, who are themselves victims of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy while playing a critical role in distributing food, water, and medicine; notes that UNRWA has developed a specific framework to ensure the neutrality and independence of its operations in line with the UN standards, which includes vetting and due diligence measures, and shares the list of all its staff with the host countries, including Israel, on an annual basis;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 b (new)
Paragraph 127 b (new)
127 b. Highlights that UNRWA is the backbone of the UN humanitarian response in Gaza and is the primary organization providing life-saving assistance to over 2.2 million people; is worried that UNRWA’s defunding would not only threaten the humanitarian response in Gaza, but would also jeopardize the regional stability as the Agency provides essential services such as education and healthcare to some 5,9 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon; recalls that the Union is one of the largest donors of humanitarian and development aid to Palestinians in Gaza and welcomes the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs confirmation that EU funding to UNRWA has not been suspended, and supports his stance that “defunding UNRWA would be both disproportionate and dangerous”;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 d (new)
Paragraph 127 d (new)
127 d. Recalls that the findings of the study commissioned by the Commission to Georg Eckert Institut on the Palestinian Textbooks revealed a complex picture where the textbooks (i) adhere to UNESCO standards and adopt criteria that are prominent in international education discourse, including a strong focus on human rights, (ii) express a narrative of resistance within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and (iii) display an antagonism towards Israel; notes that the Union does not fund the Palestinian Textbooks and that neither are they the responsibility of UNRWA, which works to delivers quality education with an emphasis on fostering a human rights culture, even in challenging times;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 c (new)
Paragraph 127 c (new)
127 c. Is concerned about the destruction and confiscation of Union-funded projects in the West Bank and notes that in 2022, 101 structures funded by the EU or EU Member States were demolished or seized by Israel with a value at EUR 337 019, representing the third highest financial injury since 2016; recalls that representatives of EU institutions, concerned Member States and other donors have requested on several occasions the return or compensation for EU-funded assets demolished, dismantled or confiscated; recalls the position of the Council expressing its commitment to ensure that all agreements between Israel and the Union must unequivocally and explicitly indicate the inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, as well as to continue the effective implementation of existing Union law and bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 a (new)
Paragraph 128 a (new)
128 a. Welcomes that the Ukraine Facility lays out provisions to ensure effective controls; recalls that on 7 April 2022, the Parliament called for the confiscation of Russian assets owned by Russian individuals and entities, frozen as a result of EU restrictive measures, in order to finance Ukraine’s reconstruction;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 b (new)
Paragraph 128 b (new)
128 b. Welcomes the Global Gateway strategy as a concerted EU response to global challenges bringing together public and private investment; notes that 2022 was the first full year of the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy; stresses the need for more transparency, accountability and regular assessments of the Global Gateway implementation as well as for enhanced Parliament’s involvement in respect of its democratic scrutiny role;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 130 – point ii
Paragraph 130 – point ii
(ii) continue ensuring that all contracts involving Union funding fully respect applicable Union legislation, including accountability, transparency and protection of Union funds; make the participation of entities, individuals or groups affiliated with terrorist organisations categorically incompatible with any Union funding; and ensure that strict monitoring and control mechanisms make sure that all individuals involved in Union funded actions exclusively pursue the objectives and activities approved for Union funding, where necessary, request the restitution, or compensation for EU-funded assets that have been demolished, dismantled or confiscated;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 136 a (new)
Paragraph 136 a (new)
136 a. Notes the adoption and implementation of an action plan to increase attractiveness of careers in Luxembourg; takes note of the Commission’s considerations against introducing a correction coefficient for Luxembourg at this stage in its report assessing the evolution of purchasing power of remuneration and pensions of Union officials (COM(2022) 180 final); recalls its reiterated requests to the Commission to find ways to mitigate the growing problem of the purchase power disparity suffered by the staff members posted to Luxembourg, which is mainly due to the cost of living;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 137 a (new)
Paragraph 137 a (new)
137 a. Recalls the Court’s conclusion in its Special report 13/2019 that “any unethical behaviour by staff and Members of EU institutions and bodies is unacceptable and, even if it is only alleged, attracts high levels of public interest and reduces trust in the EU”; regrets the two cases of potential conflicts of interests involving high-ranked officials in DG MOVE for missions and DG NEAR for ownership reported by the press in 2022; takes note that the Commission implements effective internal control system in matters of ethics management according to the Court in its 2019 report and the European Ombudsman in its decision on the revolving doors inquiry; points out that unethical behaviour also has a budgetary cost for the institution concerned and reiterates its position and expectations of the EU's Ethics Body;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 a (new)
Paragraph 138 a (new)
138 a. Notes the adoption on 5 April 2022 of the ‘Communication on greening the Commission’, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, including an action plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions; notes the Commission intends to achieve these objectives by acquiring more energy efficient and greener buildings, shifting to dynamic collaborative workspaces and reducing the number of offices, and reiterates its warning that staff wellbeing and satisfaction should be taken into account in all future decisions in this regard;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 144 – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 144 – point iv a (new)
(iv a) address without further delay and in an efficient way the challenges faced by staff members who are assigned to and reside in Luxembourg;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 145 – introductory part
Paragraph 145 – introductory part
145. Furthermore, calls on the Commission andto continue to support the European Schools to:
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 145 – point iii
Paragraph 145 – point iii
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 152 a (new)
Paragraph 152 a (new)
152 a. Notes that the Court has identified what it considers to be cases of continuation of a pre-existing project started before the eligibility period and targets that were a substitution of recurring national budgetary expenditure, although this conclusion does not agree with the Court’s own consideration that recurring actions refers to types of expenditure like staff and operating costs of government entities;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159
Paragraph 159
159. Notes that the Commission verified the adequacy of the control systems of Member States as a precondition for the positive assessment of the RRPs and, in some cases, specific M&Ts on audit and control were added in the RRPs to ensure the full adequacy of the systems to protect the financial interests of the Union; notes that the satisfactory fulfilment of audit and control M&Ts was, in turn, a precondition for the first payments and welcomes that the Court did not raise any issues related to their satisfactory fulfilment assessed during 2022; notes that afterwards, the Commission performed 16 system audits in 2022 and 114 in 2023, soincluding whether they check compliance with EU and national rules, so that all Member States’ control systems will have been audited at least once by the end of 2023; understands that the RRF Regulation places the principal responsibility to ensure respect for national and EU law on the Member States but is concerned about the Court’s observation on a potential assurance gap regarding compliance;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 160 a (new)
Paragraph 160 a (new)
160 a. Recalls that on 15 December 2022, the Council adopted Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the RRP for Hungary; recalls that 27 ‘super milestones’ were added to the national RRP with remedial and audit and control measures; notes that on 7 December 2023, the Council adopted Implementing Decision approving Hungary’s amended RRP, including a REPowerEU chapter, which allows Hungary to receive EUR 0,9 billion in pre-financing of the REPowerEU funds;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161
Paragraph 161
161. Notes that the Commission reports that the achievement of M&Ts is broadly on track, after the first year of the RRF's functioning was more focused on the necessary reforms to build the framework for subsequent investment projects to have a higher impact; notes that the Commission reports delays compared to the indicative calendar of payments, due to the process of revising the RRPs in the context of the REPowerEU Plan and implementation challenges Member States are facing, such as administrative capacity issues, investment bottlenecks, and consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, including the energy crisis, unexpected price shocks, shortages of certain materials and high inflation; notes that the Commission is supporting all Member States in accelerating the implementation and revision of their plans, including through the Technical Support Instrument; is concerned that according to the Commission’s RRF 2023 implementation reportScoreboard, 83 Member States have not yet submitted any payment request to the Commission by end December 2023;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161 a (new)
Paragraph 161 a (new)
161 a. Recalls that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed structural weaknesses in health systems across the EU and welcomes that health resilience is among the six pillars of the RRF decided by the co-legislators that make possible reforms and investments to strengthen their capacity, quality and resilience; notes that 531 M&Ts and 223 measures, as well as 48 % of the estimated contribution to this pillar is related to healthcare, including reforms to improve access to healthcare, developing e-health services and incentives for R&D investments by pharmaceutical companies; notes that an estimate 45 million people can use or be served by new or modernised health care facilities thanks to the RRF;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 166 a (new)
Paragraph 166 a (new)
166 a. Notes that the RRF Scoreboard provides real-time information on the disbursements and progress made by Member States, as well as additional data, indicators and thematic analysis and welcomes the launch of the EU-wide interactive map showing RRF projects by geographical location and providing information on the state of play; notes that the RRF Scoreboard also links to the national websites and commends those Member States that have set up specific websites where all information and documentation relevant to their national RRPs are published;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168
Paragraph 168
168. Notes that, following an explicit demand of the Parliament, the amended RRF Regulation requires Member States to publish information on the 100 final recipients receiving the highest amount of funding under the RRF; notes that all Member States but one have published the required list on the RRF Scoreboard by December 2023 and observes a large variety of the size of the payments both across the Member States and within each country, which is explained by the heterogeneous nature of RRPs;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 171 – point i a (new)
(i a) continue to undertake Member States’ system audits in order to obtain reasonable assurance on the compliance with EU and national rules, particularly public procurement, and work closely with the Court to find ways to remove its concerns about the assurance gap;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 – point ii
Paragraph 171 – point ii
(ii) keep improving the clarity of the measures and the related M&Ts, as well as ensure that they fully respect the horizontal principles of the Regulation, when the Member State submits a revision of the national plan;