38 Amendments of Michal WIEZIK related to 2021/2158(DEC)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas it is crucial to ensure that development aid is used in accordance with its original purpose, namely to reduce and ultimately to eradicate poverty,, in the context of a changing global environment, to ensure a strategic balance between addressing social, economic, demographic, migration nand environmental challenges, while retaining poverty reduction as the primary objective of Union aid as provided for in Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), with due consideration for aid and development effectiveness principles;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas European development aid and public investments should promote joint priorities and policy objectives that include the eradication of poverty, climate and environmental action and economic and trade policies and should be fully aligned with the principles of fundamental human rights, democracy and good governanceare defended in the UN’s 17 sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s);
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the alignment of Union development cooperation with partner countries’ own development priorities should always be fully respected and should also be in line with the Union policies is a key element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (‘2030 Agenda’);
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas the OCTs face similar global challenges but, unlikeas ACP countries, and are part of the European family and should therefore receive increasedsimilar attention in the delivery of funds; whereas the very small size of the OCTs and the constitutional link between the OCTs and the Union are specex ante and ex post verificiaties that should be taken into accounton of use of funds;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital T
Recital T
T. whereas Union governance support is a key component of development aid and should be more focused in generating effective governance reforms in the partner countries such as rule of law, independence of the judiciary system, freedom of the press and the conditions for establishing a market economy;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not possible for the Court to carry out on-the-spot visits to EU delegations, thus preventing it from carrying out certain audit procedures, in particular verifying contract implementation for the transactions selected, and therefore the Court’s audit work was mainly limited to desk reviews of transactions and projects by means of remotely connecting with auditees; regrets the lack of on-the-spot missions in the partner countries; highlights the importance of using new technologies and digitalisation to increase ex ante and ex post controls;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets that, apart from generally very demanding conditions in 2020, the Court’s mission of planning and executing its audit work was hindered by some international organisations refusing or limiting necessary access to relevant audit documents, which caused excessive delays and thus prevented the Court from fulfilling its fundamental prerogatives ensured by the TFEU, as previously mentioned in related observations in the Court’s 2018 annual report; calls on the Commission to take measures to avoid such situation enhancing better cooperation with international organisations to ease the audit;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that the Court found that the Commission and its implementing partners in 2020 committed more errors in transactions relating to grants and to contribution and delegation agreements with international organisations and delegation agreements with Member States’ cooperation agencies than they did with other forms of support, such as those covering works, supply and service contracts (as had happened in 2019); notes that of the 67 (65 in 2019) transactions of that type examined by the Court, 27 (38 transactions (40,3 %) compared to 25 transactions (38 %) in 2019) contained quantifiable errors, which accounted for 94,2 % of the estimated level of error (71,7 % in 2019); calls on the Commission to publish comprehensive, updated and detailed information regarding funded projects and recipients, to enhance its risk- based approach and to invest control capacity in areas that are more error prone; reiterates that more attention should be paid to ex-ante checks and that appropriate measures should be taken to increase the expenditure verifications;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Regrets that no follow-up was given by the Commission in the replies to the Court’s annual report in relation to the specific comment on the repetitive weakness and considers that cost-effective considerations used by the Commission in ex-post checks might not be effective and might lead exactly to the weaknesses that the Court and Parliament have been pointing out for a long time; invites the Commission to revise that approach so that the shortcomings are fully addressed and to inform regularly the discharge authority of any progress made;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that the vast amount of resources allocated to respond to the urgent needs presented by the COVID-19 crisis, combined with relaxed oversight and accountability measures, also creates ample opportunities for fraud and corruption to grow and thrive; recalls that not only is corruption detrimental to crisis response and recovery, but it undermines the achievement of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, in particular SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions, and has a negative impact on peace, security, the rule of law, gender equality, human rights and the environment; notes, moreover, that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, fraud and corruption risks demonstrated that efforts to combat and prevent corruption and fraud were proving insufficient; underlines the important role of the European Anti- Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor's Office in fighting corruption and fraud, within the limits of their mandate;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Notes the actions undertaken by DG INTPA to mitigate the risks stemming from the use of exceptional financial or procurement procedures in the response to the COVID-19 crisis, in particular by means of budget support; notes, however, that the risk of corruption and fraud remained the highest perceived risk in all regions, even if a small decrease can be observed over time; acknowledges that, in certain situations, high risks can be accepted, as long as there are opportunities for engagement with authorities and concrete prospects for improvement, to the extent that risks can be mitigated and, in a fragile context, as long as the risks associated with non- intervention outweigh the risks of providing budget support; calls on DG INTPA to keep on monitoring the situation and pay particular attention to the most fragile countries; expects to be updated on further developments;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes that there is still a need for a more systematic approach to the communication of the Union’s grant- funded activities to enhance the Union’s visibility and to strengthen transparency, accountability and human rights due diligence along the chain of funding; calls on the Commission to introduce in framework agreements the obligation for the leading agency to ensure the visibility of the Union in multi-donor projects; calls on the Commission to carry out sample- based on-the-spot controls years after the completion of the co-financed projects to check the continued impact and the performance of the EDF interventions and to take the necessary steps to ensure the long-term impact of its operations;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Recalls that budget support aims to strengthen the partnership with the Union partner countries, promote sustainable development, eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and consolidate peace and democracy, ultimately aiming to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs; notes that Union budget support is to be guided by the internationally agreed Busan effectiveness principles, such as ownership by partner countries, results focus, inclusiveness and accountability; highlights the fact that, because it fosters transparency and good governance, budget support also contributes to the fight against corruption and fraud; recalls that budget support musts correspond to the needs of partner countries as well as the EU key policies; recalls that it is also necessary to measure the performance of programmes and their impact in partner countries and civilian populations;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Stresses that entrepreneurship and private sector plays an essential role in the fight against poverty by creating jobs, sustainable economy and growth; highlights the fact that providing business training can help small-scale entrepreneurs set up businesses and improve business practices in partner countries; notes that, in order to improve the effectiveness of such programmes, such training should be complemented with customised support and follow-up services; recalls, in addition, that men and women entrepreneurs face inherently different constraints, including psychological and cultural factors, and that to truly empower women, policies need to address those constraints;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Considers that needs assessments in connection with NDICI programming should take into account countries’ debt situations and how those situations influence the possibility of pursuing the SDGs; stresses the need for donors to prioritise grant-based financing as the default option, especially to the least developed countries, and not favour blending, guarantees or any loans that could increase the burden of debt over grants; urges the Union and the Member States to develop, as a first step, and in addition to its pledges on a debt moratorium, a new debt relief initiative regarding heavily indebted poor countries; calls, more broadly, for the creation of a multilateral debt workout mechanism to address both the impact of the crisis and the financing requirements of the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Notes that Union support is implemented in the context of the 2030 Agenda, requiring a holistic approach to social and economic, economic and environmental development, based on the SDGs, not just income inequality;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Recognises that, in 2020, Europe as well as the rest of the world was strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and welcomes the Commission-coordinated response to the health crisis as well as to the impact on Europe’s economy and society; notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has also posed challenges as regards performance, control, audit and assurance in relation to the 2020 Union budget; notes, in addition, the efforts by all Commission services to promote the consistent and rigorous protection of the Union budget, ensuring that appropriate mitigating measures were put in place; notes that the “Team Europe” approach was launched as a joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic by all European development actors to support the promotion of European policy priorities and standards; welcomes and encourages the enhancement of the COVID 19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX);
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Notes the particular importance of DG INTPA as regards education, given its critical role in human development and as key enabler for all Union priorities; welcomes, to that end, the increased spending on education in 2020, going from 7 to 10% of DG INTPA’s total portfolio; notes, with satisfaction, that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DG INTPA has supported the most vulnerable populations in partner countries, including through global education initiatives, in order to avoid a lost generation; recalls the importance of ensuring in all partner countries that girls must have equal access to education and school as boys; equal opportunities are a priority in development; the accessibility of young women to European projects and funds must be encouraged in partner countries;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Calls for close monitoring and thorough policy dialogue with partner countries and NGOs regarding objectives, progress towards agreed results and performance indicators; calls once more on the Commission to better define and measure expected development impact and, especially, to improve the control mechanism with regard to the conduct of beneficiary countries in the areas of corruption, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and democracy; remains deeply concerned about the use that could be made of Union budget support in recipient countries where there is no or only limited democratic control;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Reiterates its call on the Commission to carry out an performance evaluation on a country-by-country basis of the long-term on-going EDF-financed projects in order to demonstrate the true impact on the relevant country of decades- long Union investment and how it has effectively helped beneficiary countries’ economic, social and sustainable development; calls on the Commission to limit or terminate the funding of ineffective projects in the future;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Notes that the Union’s development policy will be implemented via the NDICI, of which the EIB is a key implementer; expresses concern about the use of Union development funds for de-risking private investment given the lack of evidence as to its capacity to fulfil development objectives and provide additional development objectives, as recently reported in the final review of European Fund for Sustainable Development and in opinion No 7/2020 of the Court of 11 September 2020; stresses the need for donors to prioritise grant-based financing as the default option, especially to least- developed countries, in order to avoid increasing the debt burden;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. Recalls that 2 EUTFs were created under the EDF, namely the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (the ‘EUTF for Africa’) and the European Union Trust Fund Bêkou for the Central African Republic (the ‘EUTF Bêkou’); recalls Parliament’s regular stance that the Commission should ensure that any trust fund established as a new development tool must always be in line with the Union’s overall strategy and development policy objectives, i.e. the reduction and eradication of poverty, and must, in particular, ensure that the security interests of European countries do not override the needs of the recipient populations; encourages the Commission to reconsider financial aid to EUTF projects deflecting from that centreline as for instance by promoting resilience, economic opportunities, equal opportunities, safety of populations and human and social development;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Notes that EDF contributions to the EUTFs increased from EUR 600 million in 2019 to EUR 800 million in 2020, with additional EDF funds to the EUTF for Africa used to address specific areas of concerns in the Sahel and Lake Chad and Horn of Africa regions, including security challenges, essential stabilisation efforts and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic; recalls the fact that EUTF for Africa’s funding lines must not be used for security measures, which would jeopardise migrants’ rights; calls on the Commission to put in place tangible guarantees that migration-related EUTF projects are not used by the implementing authorities to violate migrants’ basic human rights;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Expresses concerns about the financial contribution of the EDF to the EUTF Bêkou to support the Central African Republic’s exit from the COVID- 19 crisis and its reconstruction and development, due to the control exercised by mercenaries from the Wagner Group over the Central African Armed Forces; rechoealls the concerns that mercenaries from the Wagner Group wereparliament resolution Human rights violations by private military and security commpanding units that the Union had trained and notes the Commission decision to temporarily suspend its military training mission; is worried by reports of systematic and seriousies, particularly the Wagner Group (2021/2982(RSP)) adopted 25.11.2021; reiterates its call on the Commission to ensure that EU funds cannot under any circumstances be used by recipient countries to fund private military companies with such human rights violations by the Wagner Group andrecords; calls on the Commission to check that no funds were paid out directly or indirectly to the Wagner Groupraise this topic in its bilateral dialogue with all relevant countries and encourages states to be fully transparent with regard to contracting military support services, especially as regards the number, tasks and chains of command of PMSCs present on their territories, as well as the equipment used to fulfil their contracts;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Is alsoNotes that the mid-term evaluation of the EUTF for Africa was concluded in 2020; is worried that the EUTF for Africa has managed to make modest contributions to increased economic opportunities and employment; supports the recommendation, set out in the evaluation report, to request that Union support to economic opportunities and employment creation be integrated with local labour market dynamics and actors;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Supports strongly the request for an ex-post evaluation (including on the performance) to be conducted at least one year after all EUTF for Africa activities have been completed;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Recalls, once more, that good governance, the rule of law and the respect for human rights are unavoidable preconditions for aid effectiveness; calls on the Commission to closely monitor the situation of the rule of law, compliance with international treaties and bilateral agreements and the respect for human rights in recipient countries when approving financial aid; invites the Commission to make more stringent use of the clause included in the financial agreements with partner countries that enables the Commission to suspend or to terminate the agreement in the event of the breach of an obligation relating to respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Acknowledges that the EDFs mainly focus on continental African countries and considers that insular countries, some of the ACP countries and, in particular, small island developing states should not be side-lined in terms of political objectives and projects; calls on the Commission to implement more synergies and greater coherence with the Union’s internal and horizontalclimate specific policiesy related to small island developing states, the outermost countries and territories of the Union and the outermost regions of the Union;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Notes that with the new funding mechanism for development cooperation, the NDICI, all earlier funding options are consolidated in one instrument and part of the Union’s annual budget and the 2021-2027 MFF period; recalls that the integration of the EDFs into the Union budget was a longstanding demand of Parliament and that the budgetary principles, in particular those of the unity and annuality of the budget, have been reinforced; notes that the NDICI is currently the main financial instrument for the Union’s external action, with an overall allocation of EUR 79,5 billion (in current prices) for the 2021-2027 period; notes that the NDICI simplifies the Union’s external funding and covers cooperation with all third countries, with the exception of countries linked to Union pre-accession (in the Western Balkans) and Turkey; notes, moreover, that development spending will therefore also be fully covered by the democratic scrutiny of Parliament; also welcomes the fact that under the NDICI, OCTs will benefit from increased funds within the Union budget;
Amendment 96 #
78. Notes that the Commission is committed to enhancing the policy coherence between internal and external action; highlights the need for stronger coherence of Union action in the ACP region, making sure that priority is given to the development objectives and that policies towards the OCTs are linked to the development of their border regions and are aligned with EU priorities;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Notes with concerns that 73,3 % of the contracts with Member States were signed with only 2 national development agencies (the French AFD and the German GIZ); while recognising the expertise of those 2 agencies, considers that Union development policy cannot be reduced to the vision of only 2ould be extended to several Member States; welcomes the efforts of the Commission in that regard, including the preparation of a study to understand the strength of each partner in the Members States in order to evaluate how they could better contribute in the future; asks the Commission to provide the discharge authority with that report as soon as it is available;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80
Paragraph 80