19 Amendments of Nikola BARTŮŠEK related to 2024/2019(DEC)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its dissatisfaction that the Court of Auditors has declared that the budget expenditure in the consolidated accounts of the Union for the year 2023 present fairly, in all material respects, the Union’s financial position at this dateillegal and/or irregular and/or not in line with the principles of sound financial management, with a special incidence in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) expenditure heading 2 'Cohesion, resilience and values', including energy efficiency in buildings;
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomNotes the progress in the implementation of Member States' national programmes in 2023; notes with concern that, despite the requirement to spend all funds for the programming period 2014- 2020 by June 2024, 18% of AMIF funds and 25% of ISF funds allocated to Member States for that period remain undeclared; is concerned about the improper use of some funds, and calls on the Commission to account for them;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Observes that the level of error in MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ is 9.3% out of a total expenditure of €67 billion, that is, €6.2 billion, more than four times the materiality threshold, where the Court of Auditors has found 49 errors out of 238 transactions, numerous weaknesses and irregularities declared by beneficiaries;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Emphasises that a 2% materiality threshold can represent a significant financial amount, given the size of the General budget and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including in headings related to employment and social matters; therefore, requests an analysis of the feasibility of applying a lower materiality threshold; warns that maintaining the 2% threshold without significant reduction undermines accountability and transparency; recommends that the report be signed by a physical person, in accordance with sound auditing practices, to ensure personal accountability and to enable European Parliament committees, including the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, to properly hold individuals accountable for the findings presented;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Observes that the total outstanding commitments reached a record high of EUR 543 billion by the end of 2023, mainly due to an increased commitment of shared management funds, as well as NextGenerationEU (NGEU), but notwarns that the European Commission has not addressed research and development (R&D) policies that the total outstanding commitments are expected to decrease in the 2024-2026 periodin the European Semester, despite the NGEU opportunity to boost investments in research and development to 3% of GDP in each Member State;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Warns that the European Commission has not provided assurance that Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) expenditure complies with EU and national rules; observes that seven out of the 23 RRF payments to member states are affected by quantitative findings, as well as payments for which no essential documentation was provided in MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’, to a level which is more than double than in 2022; warns that the European Commission has not provided assurance that Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) expenditure complies with EU and national rules; observes that seven out of the 23 RRF payments to member states are affected by quantitative findings, as well as payments for which no essential documentation was provided in MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’, to a level which is more than double than in 2022;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. WelcomStrongly opposes the Commission’s timely proposal to increase the ceilings of Headings 4 and 6 as part of the Multiannual Financial Framework mid- term revision with a view to ensuring sufficient funding for the implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum; stresses the need to ensure adequate and timely Union funding for Member States and Union agencies to facilitate the smooth implementation of Union law in the areas of asylum and migration; calls on the Commission to monitor and assist in the timely progress of the administrative, operational and legal steps required by Member States and Union agencies for the full implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum by Summer 2026; reiterates that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum will only exacerbate migration flows into Europe; calls instead for a redirection of resources toward stricter border controls, effective returns, and measures to address root causes of migration in cooperation with third countries;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Warns that the European Commission’s estimate of error for expenditure is significantly outside the range of the Court of Auditors’ confidence interval, particularly in MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses concerns that the Commission forecast decommitments forabout the limitations of the Commission's and Member States' ex post cohesion policy funds, includcks withing the European Social Fund Plus, at EUR 2,2 billion for the 2024-2027 period, five times higher its 2022 forecast, mainly due to persistent low absorption;Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), particularly under Heading 2, 'Cohesion, Resilience and Values.'
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Warns that competition in public procurement has decreased, due to the fact that procurement procedures have not been simplified and shortened;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes with concern that the number of migrants arriving irregularly in the Union increased again in 2023 as compared to previous years; further notes the Commisshighlights that Search and Rescue (SAR) operation’s ongoing efforts to assist Member States in addressing irregular arrivals and in successfully integin the Mediterranean, while vital for saving lives, may act as a pull factor encouratging legally residing third-country nationals; recalls that, while the Commission should continue to take action on migration andfurther dangerous crossings; stresses that the current framework, which combines the right to asylum within the framework of external action, the functioning of the ‘Team Europe’ approach must be clarified while safeguarding the role of Parliament; calls on the Commission to increase the transparency and accountability of the programming and implementation of the Union home affairs funds right to residence in Europe, incentivizes perilous journeys, leading to increased deaths at sea; warns that the New Migration Pact, by facilitating pathways to Europe, risks exacerbating third countries; renews its call on the Commission to support the Union agencies and the Member States in coordinating effective search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean,ese trends, resulting in more dangerous crossings, higher mortality rates, and a rise in illegal migration; calls for a thorough reassessment of the Pact to ensuringe that such actions are carried out in accordance with international and Union lawit does not unintentionally encourage irregular migration or undermine Member States’ control over their borders;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that high inflation (6,4 %) continued to affect the Union budget; warns that, based on the Commission’s inflation forecast, the Union budget could lose about 13 % of its purchasing power by end of 2025; warns that EU debt from borrowing increased in 2023, particularly for funding for NGEU, while the bulk of repayment is deferred to future MFFs;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes the limitation in the European Commission’s annual activity report, which lacks conclusions on the effectiveness of Member State controls over RRF funds; calls for a comprehensive reliability statement from the Commission, based on a thorough assessment of control mechanisms at both EU and national levels, to provide European taxpayers with full assurance that RRF expenditures including in social affairs are in compliance with EU rules; demands enhanced transparency from the Commission and improvements in control systems to safeguard the financial integrity of EU recovery funds;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Warns that EU debt repayment from higher borrowing in 2023 relies on higher taxes on company profits;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges the Commission’s continuous monitoring of rule of law benchmarks through the rule of law toolbox, including the annual rule of law report, while remaining concerned that, by adopting an overly diplomatic approach and failing to distinguish between individual and systemic issues, the annual rule of law report risks trivialising some of the most serious breaches of the rule of law; repolitical and arbiterates its regret and serious concern with respect to the lawfulness of the Commission’s decision concluding that, in Hungary, the horizontal enabling condition of the Charter had been fulfilled in relation to judicial independence which decision enabled the Hungarian authorities to start claiming reimbursements of up to approximately EUR 10,2 billion from Union funds; calls on the Commission to take steps towards the full implementation of Parliament’s recommendations on the establishment of an EU mechanism for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, contained in its resolution of 25 October 20161 , and to ensure that assessments of rule of law benchmarks are more precise and qualitative than is presently the case, relying not only on legislative changes, but also on real and independent evidence of their implementation in practice; _________________ 1 European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2015/2254(INL)) (OJ C 215, 19.6.2018, p. 162).ry monitoring of rule of law benchmarks through the rule of law toolbox;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Recalls that the estimate of error in MFF expenditure has increased from 2022 to 2023 by 33%, mainly due to the increase in MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Concludes that the European Commission merely correlates spending in MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ to a reduction of unemployment in Central and Eastern Europe, but fails to do it in the rest of the Union; warns that the European Commission completely fails to justify how the expenditure on the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) contributes effectively to a reduction of employment in the youth;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Emphasizes the importance of a rigorous planning and control cycle for EU agencies, whereby the outcomes and evaluations of expenditures are carefully considered in the budgeting process; aims to ensure a realistic and accountable budget based on demonstrated results and performance; therefore urges the European Commission to use the annual report of the European Court of Auditors as input for establishing the budget of the EU agencies, and requests that the available budget not be increased until identified shortcomings are fully addressed;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its great concern over the persistent delays in the Commission’s procedures for granting access to documents; urges the Commission to address these deficiencies promptly, in line with Parliament’s recommendations, and to apply first and foremost the rules of transparency it imposes on others entities;