Activities of Vlad GHEORGHE related to 2023/2176(DEC)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022
Amendments (9)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Commends the responsibility role of EU-Rail for the coordination of the Back Office Arrangement (BOA)- Accounting Services, according to Article 13 of the Single Basic Act;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Notes that the implementation of the 2022 budget payments for Horizon 2020 activities experienced challenges, with beneficiaries encountering increased costs and delivery issues; stresses that the JU’s implementation rate for operational payment appropriations, including operational unused and reallocated appropriations, declined to 47% (compared to 61% in 2021); acknowledge that the duration of most Horizon 2020 projects had to be extended, and final payments were postponed to 2023 to address the difficulties faced by beneficiaries;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Acknowledge that for Horizon 2020 expenditure (clearings and final payments), the JU reported a representative error rate of 2.2 % and a residual error rate of 1.3%;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends the pivotal milestones achieved by the S2R Programme by the end of 2022, with full commitment of resources and about 86% of the Programme realized (and 91% in term of financial Programme execution for 2023), in view of reaching the TRL6/7 operational demonstrations planned for conclusion during 2023;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes the JU’s final annual budget for 2022 was EUR 171.4 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 180.8 million in payment appropriations; notes that the implementation rate was 100 % for the former and 79.1 % for the latter; acknowledges that in 2022, a significant portion of payment appropriations was allocated towards the pre-financing of grants resulting from the first 2022 call for proposal;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the JU’s commitment to facilitate research and innovation activities for an integratedthe establishment of the Single European rRailway networkArea (SERA), ensuring interoperability sustainability, and resilience in the railway sector;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Commends EU-Rail for aligning its employer's pension contributions with the Commission's calculation; welcomes the cooperative approach to solve discrepancies and the commitment to adhere to clarified legal provisions and acknowledges EU-Rail's prompt payment of contributions in 2023 and ongoing commitment to future payments, contributing to the stability of the Union pension scheme; encourages continued collaboration for effective resolution of any outstanding issues;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Commends the maintenance of close collaboration with key stakeholders, namely ERRAC, ERA, and other programs/partnerships, signifies a proactive effort to foster synergies and explore opportunities for joint projects within the European rail sector; welcomes EU-Rail's engagement with associations and third-country programs, aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the industry;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8 c. In the 2022 annual accounts of the Undertaking, the amounts of contributions recognized per member category (EU and private members) exhibit a significant disparity, attributable to the fact that EU cash contributions are validated and recognized at the beginning of project implementation, while members' in-kind contributions are acknowledged only after validation of the costs incurred and declared for project implementation; calls for improved transparency in the JU's contribution recording, specifically distinguishing between cash and in-kind contributions for accurate representation;