Activities of Chris MACMANUS related to 2020/2221(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the impact of organised crime on own resources of the EU and on the misuse of EU funds with a particular focus on shared management from an auditing and control perspective
Amendments (11)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that the common agricultural policy (CAP) is the largest item in the EU budget, representing 31 % of the total budgetary expenditure for the 2021-2027 period; stresses the key role of a properly functioning CAP in protecting the financial interests of the EU and its citizens against any misuse of EU funds that can be detrimental to the public image of such a strategic policy, and deprives genuine farmers of a greater delivery of financial support;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that the concentration of agricultural income support is mainly driven by area-based direct payments; underlines the need for more targeted support and a better balance between large and small beneficiaries at Member State level, in particular by increasing convergence to 100% and going above the 10% minimum for the redistributive payment;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the Member States are responsible for the EU agricultural funds under shared management with the Commission; considers the new delivery model and the new National Strategic Plans to be a great opportunity to reinforce Member States’ and the Commission’s controls pertaining to the distribution and management of funds, paying particular attention to Member States where Oligarch structures have been detected;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that at least 5.5 million euros in farm subsidies was obtained by Italian organised crime, for land they did not own, between 2010 and 2017;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Highlights that fraud is often facilitated by individuals within the public administration, making it more difficult to uncover;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Underlines that farmers must be protected from intimidation by criminal gangs, who seek to claim subsidies for their land;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Notes the work of operation Grande Carro, which discovered a fraud scheme targeting the EAFRD vehicle purchase facility, resulting in fraudulent payments over 9.5 million;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Stresses that Oligarchs structures are as or more financially detrimental to the CAP than organised crime gangs, the identification of these structures is essential to protect genuine farmers;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights that Eurojust and OLAF must develop new strategies to target organised crime, receiving agricultural subsidies;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists on greater resources for investigation, as well as on stronger coordination between the Member States and EU bodies, to ensure that the fight against fraud in agricultural funds is effective; emphasises the need for a comprehensive fraud strategy with a robust fraud risk analysis, while ensuring new checks and documentation requirements do not place an increasing burden on genuine farmers.
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Suggests that more field inspections, by inspectors not from the area, should be carried out in regions where a risk has been identified;