63 Amendments of Inés AYALA SENDER related to 2016/2151(DEC)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the EU institutions and Member States should improve their communication policy in terms to properly inform the citizens about results achieved by the EU budget and their added value;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the European Parliament must have a strong engagement towards EU citizens concerns about where the EU budget is spent and how the EU protects their interests;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the EU institutions should work towards a robust and resilient EU budgetary system that performs not only with flexibility, but also with agility in both stable and turbulent times;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas, cohesion policy brings a clear value added by improving the quality of life of citizens through Europe by being a key policy of solidarity and a vital source of public investment;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas the EU institutions need to build a clear understanding and agree on which European policy priorities and public goods should be financed first to answer our citizens concerns and close the gaps in our policies.
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the seven year duration of the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is not synchronised with the five years mandates of the Parliament and the Commission, and that this naturally also causes disparities in both the budget for the financial year and its discharge, in particular, which lead to carryovers; furthermore, points out that the 10 year strategic planning cycle is not aligned either with the seven year cycle for managing the EU budget; is of the opinion that this is the cause of a major deficiency of the Union political governance since the Parliament and the Commission are bound by previous agreements on political objectives and finances which may create the impression that the European elections are useless;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point b
Paragraph 2 – point b
(b) the 10 political priorities set out by President Juncker on the other side, while also responding to a number of crisis situations: refugees, insecurity in Europe and its neighbourhood, financial instability in Greece and the economic impact of the Russian ban exports, as well as the prolonged impact of the financial crisis and its structural consequences of unemployment, poverty and inequality;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to put on the agenda of the next experts’' meeting on Budget Focused Results (BFOR) the suggestions made by the Court in its “"briefing paper on mid-term review”" of 28. 10.2016 (points 39 and 40) and the recommendations of the High-level group on own resources in order to prepare the next Conference on EU Budget focused on Results initiative that could debate on the policy areas in which the Union budget should be spent before deciding upon the financial framework;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to orient its priorities towards the successful achievement of the Europe 2020 Strategy by using the instruments of the European Semester;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to present a proposal for the EU budget post 2020 priorities.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Regrets that the Commission did not performed full-scale review of the Europe 2020 Strategy in order to ensure its implementation under the Strategic Agenda for the Union in Times of Change, adopted by the European Council in June 2014, as this Agenda envisages;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Regrets that the increasing use of such financial instruments, as also the financial instruments in shared management (the financial engineering instruments), poses higher risks not just for the EU budget remaining credible and sufficient for both current and future objectives, for accountability and the coordination of Union policies and operations;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls onUrges the Commission to propose measures to make Union Funding arrangements - which include, in particular, structuralfor implementation of the EU budget - which currently include different tools and combinations between them as for example programmes, structural and investment funds, trust funds, strategic investment funds, guarantee funds, facilities, financial instruments and, macro-financial assistance instruments, etc. - clearer, simpler, more coherent and better equipped to ensure sufficient transparency, accountability, performance and public understanding of how Union policies are funded and thewhat benefits they bring (see points 50 and 56 of the Court’s “briefing paper on mid- term review” of 28. 10.2016); regrets that the proposal for a new financial regulation from September 2016 does not address these problems in an adequate manner;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Asks the Commission to re- evaluate the ex-ante assessment for the Connecting Europe Facility debt instrument in the light of the creation of the EFSI and considerto present to Parliament an assessment of the impact of EFSI on other Union programmes and financial instruments;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes Commissioner Oettinger’s intention to bring the various shadow budgets, in the long run, back under the Union budget; Ccalls on the Commission to prepare a communication on this issue which can be included in the debate on the new multiannual financial framework starting in 2020;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes Commissioner Oettinger’s intention to bring the various shadow budgets, in the long run, back under the Union budget; Calls on the Commission to prepare a communication on this issuesent to co-legislators relevant proposals on this issue without delay;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that five Member States (Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Poland and Romania) account for more than half of the unused commitments of Structural Funds that have not led to payment, the reasons for this delay being various (lack of capacity and administrative assistance, lack of national resources to co-finance EU operations, delays in submitting regional programmes for the 2014-2020 MFF, etc.);
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that five Member States (Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Poland and Romania) account for more than half of the unused commitments of Structural Funds that have not led to payment for the programming period 2007-2013;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Points out that a new feature in this MFF is that unused amounts under the payment ceiling and under the commitments ceiling automatically increase the MFF ceilings for subsequent years;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Finds inadmissible that by the end of 2015 fewer than 20% of the national authorities responsible for European structural and Investment funds with the exception of the European Agricultural Fund for Regional Development (EAFRD) had been designated by the Member States which is a necessary step for Member States authorities to submit statements of expenditure to the Commission; is of the opinion that the considerable novelties introduced for the 2014-2020 period lead to administrative difficulties despite efforts for simplification;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Points out that difficulties with completing the compliance assessment procedures concerning the new management and control system, that generally fall at the beginning of the programming period are a serious cause for absorption delays.
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Notes that the global economic recession, which has a direct effect in the form of the budgetary restraint measures applied to public budgets and difficulties in obtaining internal financing is also a main factor for delaying absorption.
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Deeply regrets that, as a consequence, there is a risk that delays in budget execution for the 2014-2020 programming period will be greater than those experienced for the 2007-2013; expects the Commission to have learnt from this with a view to preventing similar delays in the future;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes that the Commission adopted in March 2015 a payment plan presenting short term measures to reduce the level of unpaid bill but points out that while those measures seek to improve shorter term cash flow management, dealing with the high level of outstanding commitments requires a longer term perspective and a thorough evaluation of the root causes (administrative and operational difficulties, macro-economic restrictions, etc.) in order to devise an effective strategy so they do not occur in the future;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Requests that the Commission takes measures to reducestrictly observe the rules and timetables regarding outstanding commitments including, faster closure and earlier decommitment of the 2007-2013 programmes, widproper use of net correction in cohesion, a reduction of cash held by fiduciaries and the compilation of payment plans and forecasts where outstanding commitments are significant;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Requests that the Commission considers in its budgetary and financial management the capacity constraints of certain Member States and to use all available instruments through technical assistance and the new Structural Reform Support Programme to support these Member States in order to avoid the underutilisation of funds and to increase the absorption rates especially in the area of the ESI funds;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Reiterates the need for simplification and clarity of rules and procedures at both EU and national level in order to facilitate access to EU funds for beneficiaries and to ensure sound management of those funds by the administrative services; believes that simplification will contribute to the speedy allocation of funds, higher absorption rates, increased efficiency and transparency, fewer implementation errors and reduced payment periods; considers that a balance needs to be struck between simplification and the stability of rules, procedures and controls; notes that, in any case, providing potential applicants and beneficiaries with sufficient information and guidelines is a necessary precondition for successful implementation;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Calls on the Commission to refrain from new cuts of the technical assistance at its disposal and to come up with an action plan for effective and timely absorption with particular emphasis on those Member States and regions lagging behind and having low absorption rates;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Points out that owing to the specificity of multiannual programming and the complexity and accumulation of regional, national and EU rules applying to the budget procedure, and since errors can be corrected more than 10 years after they have occurred, it is artificial to base the estimated impact of future corrections upon recorded corrections over the last six years;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Points out that the Commission reports78 a total implemented financial corrections and recoveries amounting to EUR 3,9 billion; that aroundnotes that the ECA classified them in three categories: EUR1,2 billion of the corrections and recoveries were at source (applied before the Commission accepted expenditure) and that of the remainder: EUR 2,7 billion, around (Agriculture, Cohesion, Direct/indirect management); EUR 1,1 billion represents withdrawals by Member States applied after accepting expenditure by replacing ineligible amounts with new cohesion projects; EUR 1,6 billion net corrections (Agriculture, Direct/indirect management); _________________ 78 see paragraph 1.39 of the 2015 ECA annual report
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Stresses that where there is a high risk of irregularity it is best practice to discuss the risk and to quantify the level and likely impact; regrets that Commission reporting on this subject pays significant attention to “corrective capacity” rather than to quantifying and analysing the nature of the errors it identifies, and undertaking relevant preventive measures for avoiding such errors; points out in particular that the Commission communications on “Protection of the Union budget” provides no estimate of the level of irregularity present in initial or in approved claims for reimbursement;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 a (new)
Paragraph 59 a (new)
59a. Draws attention to the need that the process of establishing performance indicators should be transparent and democratic involving all the EU institutions, partners and stakeholders concerned in order to make the indicators adequate for measurement of the implementation of the EU budget, as well as to answer the EU citizens expectations;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Regrets that the payment policy for researchers is applied with minor adjustments in the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme and thus it allows different payment for the same work within the same project based only on the nationality of the researcher, which stimulates the brain-drain of scientists from Central and Eastern Europe;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 a (new)
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 a (new)
– take measures ensuring the same pay for researchers doing the same work within the same project;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 b (new)
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 b (new)
– provide a list, by nationality, of all the enterprises quoted on the stock- exchange and/or which show a profit in their annual statement of accounts and which receive funds from Horizon 2020;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 – introductory part
Paragraph 90 – introductory part
90. Welcomes the fact thatNotes that despite the repeated error rate, and delays in its implementation and closure, the ex-post evaluation of FP7, undertaken by a high- level expert group86, considered FP7 to have been a success; the high-level group underlined in particular that FP7: _________________ 86 Commitment and Coherence, ex-post evaluation of the 7th EU Framework Programme, November 2015 https://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/p df/fp7_final_evaluation_expert_group_rep ort.pdf
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – introductory part
Paragraph 91 – introductory part
91. NoteRegrets that the public stakeholder consultation in the context of the FP7 evaluation, held between February and May 2015, pointed to the following weaknesses:
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95
Paragraph 95
95. RegretsConsiders it unacceptable that the DG R&I failed tohas not complyied with its wishrequest that the Commission’s directorate generals should publish all their country specific recommendations in their annual activity reports; notes with concern that only a limited number of territories are represented in the 20 most important Horizon 2020 projects;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103
Paragraph 103
103. Regrets that most of the quantified errors which the Court found (33 out of 38) concerned the reimbursement of ineligible personnel and indirect costs declared by beneficiaries; and that almost all of the errors we found by the Court in cost statements were due to beneficiaries misinterpreting the complex eligibility rules or incorrectly calculating their eligible costs;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 113
Paragraph 113
113. Calls on the Member States to make an extra effort with the view to meeting the target of 3 % GDP being invested in research; this would boost excellence and innovation; calls on the Commission therefore to examine the possibility of proposing a Science Covenant at local, regional and national level, building on the dynamic already created by the Covenant of Mayors;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 120
Paragraph 120
120. Welcomes that ERDF/CF were able, to a certain extent, to counter balance the effects of the 2007-2008 financial crises, indicating that without structural funds’ intervention the economic and social divergence among European regions would have grown even more;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 120 a (new)
Paragraph 120 a (new)
120a. Welcomes the achievements of the cohesion policy shown by the ex-post evaluations of the 2007-2013 programming period in relation to the EU 2020 targets: – by ERDF and Cohesion Fund: Headlines 1 "Employment" and 2 "R&D and innovations" - 41 600 research jobs were created and 400 000 SMEs were supported; Headline 3 "Climate change and Energy" - 3900 MW additional capacity of renewable energy production were created; – by the European Social Fund: Headlines 1 "Employment" - at least 9.4 million people gained employment (of which more than 300.000 people supported became self-employed); Headline 4 "Education" - at least 8.7 million people gained a qualification/certificate;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 121
Paragraph 121
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 121
Paragraph 121
121. Notes, however, that in 2015 very few programmes had jet a focus on results or measured impact; therefore urges the Commission to set and agree at Interinstitutional level the necessary set of indicators to implement the budget based on result little to nothing is known about the sustainability of the investments;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 121
Paragraph 121
121. Notes, however, that very few programmes had a focus on results or measured impact; therefore little to nothing is known about the sustainability of the investments;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 122
Paragraph 122
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 122
Paragraph 122
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 122
Paragraph 122
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 a (new)
Paragraph 127 a (new)
127a. Takes note of the preliminary results of the implementation of the ESF and YIE in 2014-2015 and that 2.7 million participants took part in ESF and YEI activities, including 1.6 million unemployed and 700,000 inactive people;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 137
Paragraph 137
137. Regrets also that DG EMPL issues 23 reservations (down from 36) due to unreliable MCS in 11 Member States; takes note that the estimated financial impact of these reservations decreased from EUR 169,4 million in 2014 to EUR 50,3 million in 2015 for the ESF;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 142
Paragraph 142
142. Points out that Poland, Hungary, Italy and France are the prime countries with beneficiaries of the FEIs;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 30 a (new)
Subheading 30 a (new)
European Investment Bank
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 144 a (new)
Paragraph 144 a (new)
144a. Is deeply concerned about the generally higher costs and fees for EIB/EIF-managed funds implementing financial instruments under shared management which have been revealed by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) findings in its Special report 19/2016 on 'Implementing the EU budget through financial instruments – lessons to be learnt from the 2007-2013 programme period' and encourages the ECA to conduct similar audit for the current period;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 144 b (new)
Paragraph 144 b (new)
144b. Calls on the Commission to present annually by June every year starting from 2018 a report on implementation from the beginning of the current MFF and state of play, including results achieved, of all financial instruments managed and implemented by the EIB Group, which operate with resources from the EU budget, in order to use it in the discharge procedure;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 147
Paragraph 147
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 147 a (new)
Paragraph 147 a (new)
147a. Welcomes the Commission's 2014, 2015 and 2016 CVM reports highlighting a positive trend and a track record pointing to strong progress and growing irreversibility of reform; this trend is confirmed in the 2017 Report, with a continued track record for the judicial institutions in Bulgaria and Romania and a strong impetus by successive governments to strengthen corruption prevention.
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 150 – indent 4
Paragraph 150 – indent 4
– in line with the Court’s recommendation, to fundamentally reconsiderpropose necessary updates of the design and delivery mechanism for the ESI funds, including political and financial frameworks, when making its legislative proposal for the next programming period taking also into account the suggestions of the high level simplification group in order to strengthen the cohesion policy contribution to tackle disparities in inequalities between EU regions and Member States; calls on the Commission to prepare a communication on this issue at an early stage;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 a (new)
Paragraph 153 a (new)
153a. Calls on the Commission, therefore, with a view to improving accountability and reporting at senior management levels, to examine a more flexible and efficient application of the rule on internal mobility of managers in cases where a long time in post is combined with high error rates constantly being noted by the Court of Auditors and sustained reservations about the results of management in the services concerned;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 200 a (new)
Paragraph 200 a (new)
200a. Calls on the Commission to define performance indicators, in order to be able to track, monitor and control the implementation of different instruments merged;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 214 a (new)
Paragraph 214 a (new)
214a. Calls on the Commission to examine the viability of members of the EU institutions’ Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme being given a special EU social security card, or some similar system, which Member States’ social security systems will recognise automatically, with the aim of improving patient care, doing away with excessive red-tape and adapting to the new technologies now being used in a good many Member States;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 214 b (new)
Paragraph 214 b (new)
214b. Notes with concern the excessively high prices charged for medical services in Luxembourg and the difficulties in ensuring that members of the EU institutions’ Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme receive treatment on an equal footing with Luxembourg’s citizens; calls on the institutions, and the Commission in particular, to demand and guarantee that Article 4 of Directive 2011/24/EU, under which Member States are required to ensure that healthcare providers on their territory apply the same fees for patients from other Member States as for domestic patients, be enforced in all Member States, and in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg especially; calls too for it to impose the appropriate sanctions where this Directive is not complied with;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 220
Paragraph 220