Activities of Inés AYALA SENDER related to 2017/2136(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016, Section III – Commission and executive agencies PDF (1 MB) DOC (228 KB)
Amendments (206)
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. Whereas the spending of the Union budget aims on improving the living conditions and qualities of life of its citizens and therefore needs to close the gaps in its social policies;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
B. Whereas the Union budget has to take into account the implementation of a social pillar;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. Whereas cohesion policy is a source for public investment in order to bring a clear added value and improve the quality of life of the Union citizens.
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to align policy objectives, financialTaking into account the multi- annual nature of the EU budget and the difficulties inherent in the political mandate and budgetary implementation, calls on the Commission and the Council to align the budgetary cycles, with the legislative period of the Parliament and the mandate of the Commission, with a view to achieving a better understanding of European citizenship;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds that the Commission should take into account in its proposals for a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) that some policy areas, like cohesion or research, rural development, infrastructure, ITER, Galileo, migration, defence, etc. often rely on longer- term programming and need more timea longer budgetary cycle than that of the MFF to achieve political objectives than other policy areas;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Insists that the Union budget, as a consequence of the “budget focused on results initiative”, be presented according to the political objectives of the MFF or of other EU programme documents like the European Pillar of Social Rights, which was signed on 17 November 2017;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Insists that the Union budget, as a consequence of the “budget focused on results initiative”, be presented according to the political objectives of the Treaties, the Europe 2020 Strategy and the MFF;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to commit itself to fundamentally reviewing the, in its next revision of the CAP, to commit itself to taking into account the criticisms and recommendations made by the Court concerning young farmers’ and greening schemes in light of the findings of the Court of Auditor; welcomes the fact that, in its communication The Future of Food and Farming, the Commission makes an effort to incorporate the ECA’s recommendations in its general reflection on the future of the CAP; also welcomes (the “Court”) before the next financing perfact that, by means of a delegated act, the Commission has already improved greening payments to guarantee more effective results, one year after implementatiodn;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to speed up the delivery of cohesion policy programmes and related payments with a view to reducing the length of the implementation period, initially, to year n+2, provided that it does not impair the degree of uptake and implementation of EU policies; in this regard, strongly urges the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the post-2020 MFF as much as possible and undertakes that the European Parliament will cooperate in order to achieve this goal;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Insists that the Commission finally instruct all its directorates-general to publish their proposals for the country specific recommendations in their respective annual activity reports (AARs), as called for by Parliament; , provided that the corresponding European policy allows it and that said recommendations are demonstrably useful for the Member States;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to improve the transparency of migration policy financing as recommended by the Court in its annual report for 2016;, in order to make sure the needs and necessities of migrants and refugees as well as NGOs and public administration hosting them in Europe, are met adequately and that the financing of those needs is ensured.
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to improve the transparency of migration policy financing as recommended by the Court in its annual report for 2016; in this context, welcomes the Commission’s commitment to, in 2018, provide the Parliament with specific reports regarding spending on this policy;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Also calls on the Commission to improve transparency of research and rural development policies with the aim of identifying and correcting the causes of particularly high and persistent error rates, as indicated in the ECA’s annual reports;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to arrange a reduction in the fees charged by the European Investment Bank for creating and administering financial instruments and to regularly present information about the beneficiaries and the results achieved by means of these instruments;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to arrange a reduction in the fees charged by the European Investment Bank for creating and administering financial instruments and that these funds flow back into the EU budget;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to speed up the preparation of the Union accounts, to ensure that information from Member States on shared management spending is obtained in a more timely manner and to present the management´s view on Union spending earlier and together with the accounts, with the view to adopting a discharge decision in year n+1without under any circumstances damaging the data quality and the guarantee of good management and verification;
Amendment 53 #
11a. Welcomes the fact that, for the first time since 1994, the Court of Auditors has given a favourable opinion on the regularity of the EU accounts, in this case referring to 2016, which, in the Court’s view, reflects a major improvement in EU finances;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the Court has given a clean opinion on the reliability of the accounts for 2016, as it had done since 2007, and that the Court concluded that revenue was free from material error infor the third year in a row since 20164; Notes with satisfaction that commitments underlying the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2016 are legal and regular in all material respects;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that, due to the different methodology required for its calculation, the estimated level of error for cohesion does not include a quantification of 2016 disbursements to financial instruments amounting to EUR 2.5 billion that the Court considers to be outside the eligibility period defined in Article 56(1) of Council Regulation EC 1083/2006; notes that those disbursements would represent an estimated level of error of 2.0 % of overall expenditure; points outrecognising that if the Court had quantified this flagrant irregularity, the most likely error rate would have been estimated at 5.1 % (nearly the same level as for 2008);specific methodology for financial instruments prevents the simple addition of error rates, calls on the Court to take on board all the irregularities having a financial impact when determining the most likely error rate and the Commission to table the necessary legislative proposal to put an end to this irregularity;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Regrets that the increased use of financial instruments, in order to decrease the amount of the Union budget, poses higher risks for accountability and the coordination of Union policies and operations;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Points out that there is not enough information available for an appropriate evaluation of financial instruments and in particular with regard to their social and environmental impact; emphasises that financial instruments can supplement grants but should not replace them;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with satisfaction that for the first time in 23 years, the Court has issued a qualified (rather than an adverse) opinion on the legality and regularity of the payments underlying the accounts which means that in the Court’s view, this reflects an important improvement in the management of EU finances, as well as that material error was confined mainly to reimbursement-based expenditure, representing around half of the audited population;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Regrets that for the 23st year in a row, payments are materially affected by error because of the fact that the management and control systems are only partially effective at ensuring sound financial management and timely payment;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes with concern that ifthat the payments audited by the Court, thanks to the corrective measures taken by the Member States and the Commission had not been applied to the payments audited by the Court, the, resulted in an overall estimated level of error would have beenof 4.3 % rather than 3.1 % (i.e. the same level as in 2015; see paragraph 1.34 of the 2016 ECA annual report);
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that the type of management has a limited impact on level of error, as opposed to the long- standing belief that shared management generates more errors than direct management, as the Court finds the same estimated level of error under shared management with the Member States and for all other forms of operational expenditure managed directly by the Commission, namely 3.3 %;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Points out that the Court found the highest estimated levels of error in spending for economic, social and territorial cohesion (4.8. % or 6.8 % with the quantified irregularity concerning the financial instrumentsrural development, environment, climate action and fisheries (4.9 %), for economic, social and territorial cohesion (4.8 %) and for competitiveness for growth and jobs (4.1 %), whilst administrative expenditure had the lowest estimated level of error (0.2 %);
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. NotWelcomes in particular that the Court states “that the EAGF is at 1.7 % “free from material error”, which is a real improvement by comparison with 2015, when it was 2.2 %, and estimates the level of error for entitlement-based expenditure at 1.3 %, while observing that the biggest part of first pillar CAP is included in this kind of expenditure;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. StressNotes that the Commission finds in its 2016 AMPR that spending is affected by a material level of error has decreased, given that the Commission's overall average error rate is estimated to be between 2.1 % and 2.6 % (having been in 2015 between 2.3 % and 3.1 %) of total relevant expenditure, and the related estimated overall amount at risk at payment is between EUR 2.9 and 3.6 billion (while in 2015 it was between EUR 3.3 and 4.5 billion);
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. HighlightsPoints out that this low rate of implementation can be explained by the fact that, in annex 4 of its 2016 AMPR, the Commission points out that in cohesion, no expenditure was certified in the annual accounts submitted to the Commission in 2016, nor were any financial corrections imposed by the Commission following its audit activity”(AMPR 2016, annex 4 page 20);
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Points out that since, due to the specificity of multi-annual programming and the fact that errors can be corrected more than 10 years after they have occurred, it is artiinsufficialent to base the estimated impact of future corrections upon recorded corrections over the last six years;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Recalls that the distinction made by the Commissione opinion expressed by the Court in its Special Report 27/2016 that the distinction introduced by the Kinnock-Prodi reform between the ‘political responsibility of Commissioners’ and the operational responsibility of directors- general means that it has not always been made clear whether ‘political responsibility’ encompasses assuming responsibility for budget implementation for the directorates-general, or is distinct from it;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Endorses the reservations issued by the directors general of DG REGIO, EMPL, MARE, HOME, DEVCO and AGRI, in their annual activity report; is of the opinion that those reservations demonstrate that the control procedures put in place in the Commission and the Member States cannot in all cases give the necessary guarantees concerning the legality and regularity of all the underlying transactions in the corresponding policy areas;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. EndorsesTakes note of the reservations issued by the directors general of DG REGIO, MARE, HOME, DEVCO and AGRI, in their annual activity report; is of the opinion that those reservations demonstrate that the control procedures put in place in the Commission and the Member States cannot yet give the necessary guarantees concerning the legality and regularity of all the underlying transactions in the corresponding policy areas;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Points out that the delays in the implementation of programmes in the first three years of the current MFF, due to the late adoption of the 2014-2020 MFF and considerable novelties introduced for the 2014-2020 period causing administrative difficulties despite efforts for simplification, led to the transfer of commitment appropriations from 2014, mainly to 2015 and 2016, and to low payments in 2016;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Points out that the delays in the implementation of programmes in the first three years of the current MFF led to the transfer of commitment appropriations from 2014, mainly to 2015 and 2016, and to low payments in 2016; emphasises, nevertheless, that this abnormal backlog significantly decreased in 2015 and was completely eliminated in 2016;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Notes with concern that a record level of outstanding commitments has been created, reaching by the end of 2016 an all- time high of EUR 238 billion, 72 % higher than in 2007 and equivalent to 2.9 years of payments compared to 2.2 years in 2007; considers that this has increased the amounts owed by the EU and thus the financial exposure of the Union budget, clearly demonstrating just how insufficient the current EU budget is;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Recalls that the Union is making increasing use of financial instruments and that the establishment of EFSI creates new governance arrangements with limited public scrutiny, thus requiring more careful surveillance by Parliament;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Recalls that the Union is making increasing use of financial instruments and that the establishment of EFSI creates new governance arrangements with limiteda level of public scrutiny that remains unsatisfactory;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48a. Recalls that the revision of the Financial Regulation represents a big step forward in this regard, as it proposes a more efficient presentation of financial instruments and, for the first time, provides budgetary guarantees and financial assistance within that framework;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Emphasises that the EFSI funds are a good example of how the EU budget can be used efficiently: with limited budgetary resources, the EFSI has mobilised EUR 164 million of investment in Europe’s economy for SMEs and infrastructure; Points out that EU funds form a significant share of some Member States’ expenditure, and in particular that in nine Member States (Lithuania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia,) outstanding commitments on ESI funds represent more than 15 % of general government spending;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Points out that, in line with the principles of cohesion policy, EU funds form a significant share of some Member States’ expenditure, and in particular that in nine Member States (Lithuania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia,) outstanding commitments on ESI funds represent financial support of more than 15 % of general government spending;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. FearsIs concerned that Member States where European Structural Investment (ESI) funds represent a significant percentage of general government expenditure may find it challenging to identify sufficiently high quality projects on which to spend the available Union funds or to provide co- financing;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Is disappointed that three years after the start of the 2014-2020 period, the Member States have designated only 77 % of the programme authorities responsible for implementing the ESI funds, therefore, questioning the need of modifying procedures at the beginning of each programming period;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Is disappointed thatconcerned about the reasons why, three years after the start of the 2014- 2020 period, the Member States haved designated only 77 % of the programme authorities responsible for implementing the ESI funds; is satisfied with the fact that, at present, this figure stands at 99 %;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a (new)
Paragraph 52 a (new)
52a. Stresses that public investment is necessary in order to close the investment gap and to boost jobs and growth and to ensure social standards within the Union;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 57 – point c a (new)
(c a) to provide the Parliament in the context of discharge with a comprehensive report about the indirect managed and implemented EU budget resources by the EIB Group (EIB and EIF) apart from its external mandate starting with 2017 financial year;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 – point d
Paragraph 57 – point d
(d) in the context of the debate on the future of Europe, to consider how the Union budgetary system could be reformed to provide an adequate budget to guarantee funding for the planned policies, a better balance between predictability and responsiveness as well as how best to ensure overall funding arrangements are no more complex than necessary to meet Union policy objectives and guarantee accountability;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 57 – point d a (new)
(d a) to consider as well the possibility to enable authorities designated or accredited to fulfil management, certification and audit functions during the period 2014-2020, which have proven their capacity, to continue implementing such functions in the next programming period without interruption or delay;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 57 – point e a (new)
(e a) to proactively assist Member States which encounter difficulties with timely and smooth absorption of available Union funding by using the available resources for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Recalls that, in 2016, the OECD carried out a performance budgeting survey in OECD countries and at the Commission; in this regard, welcomes the OECD’s acknowledgement of the quality of the data and of the implementation of the EU’s budget; recalls that the OECD considered the Commission’s performance framework to be the most extensive, which may partly be explained by the number of legal requirements in the EU;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)
Paragraph 62 a (new)
62a. Stresses the need for a transparent and democratic process of establishing performance indicators involving all the EU institutions, partners and stakeholders concerned in order to make the indicators adequate for measuring the implementation of the EU budget, as well as to meet the expectations of EU citizens;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)
Paragraph 62 a (new)
62a. Calls on the Commission to consult academic expertise in order to define the proper performance indicators needed for the BFOR measurements and to be able to prioritize investment in public goods to reply to citizens’ concerns;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 – introductory part
Paragraph 64 – introductory part
64. Regrets that the AMPRs for 2015 and 2016 did not provide comprehensive coverage of performance and were overly positive, the only shortfalls to which they refer being implementation delays; regrets that the reports also:
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)
Paragraph 66 a (new)
66a. as explained in the annual report of the Court in chapter 3, conclusion 4, takes note that follow up evaluations is an intrinsic part of the better regulation system inn the Commission whereby evaluations results feed into impact assessments, which are publicly available documents, as well as into the process of annual programming and planning of Commission activities; the Commission systematically reviews evaluation results which are set-out in the REFIT scoreboard which is updated annually and in the Court's reports to the legislator;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Stresses that AARs do not include a declaration on the quality of the reported performance data, and that consequently in adopting the AMPR, the College of Commissioners takes overall political responsibi; welcomes the Commission’s commitment to integrate information on the sources and quality ofor the management of the EU budget but not for the information on performance and resultdata, where possible, including an in- depth analysis of the performance data provided by the Member States;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71 a (new)
Paragraph 71 a (new)
71a. Shares the opinion of the Court that the performance reporting framework applied by the Commission could benefit from adopting international good practices;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 – point d
Paragraph 72 – point d
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 a (new)
Paragraph 77 a (new)
77a. Calls on the Commission to develop an action plan to ensure the full and on time implementation of the VAT regulations in all and every Member State in order to secure this source of Union own resources;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Recalls that the new decision on the Union’s own resources system (2014 ORD), which entered into force on 1 October 2016, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2014, stipulated that when compilnsidering GNI for own resources purposes, the European system of national and regional accounts (ESA 2010) accounting framework should be used, and that this foresees that research and developments spending be considered as an investment (instead as of current expenditure under the preceding ESA 95 scheme); notes that in the case of other programmes with high added value for the EU such as the CEF, this same consideration should be applied;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 – point d
Paragraph 85 – point d
(d) confirm, during the GNI verification cycle, that R&D assets have been correctly captured in Member States’ national accounts, paying particular attention to the valuation of R&D assets and to residency criteria in cases where multinational activities have relocated;Does not affect English version.)
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 85 – point d a (new)
(d a) shall bring forward proposals for new own resources in order to ensure stability of the EU budget
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89
Paragraph 89
89. Observes that if the Commission or independent auditors had made proper use of all the information at their disposal, the estimated level of error for this chapter would have been 1,22.9 % lower;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90
Paragraph 90
90. Appreciates that the Commission has invested considerable efforts in reducing administrative complexity, by introducing a new definition of additional remuneration for researchers, streamlining the Horizon 2020 work programme for 2018-2020, providing targeted support for start-ups and innovators and making wider use of lump-sum funding for projects; notes, however, that the Court sees both opportunities and risks in further simplifying the legal framework;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92
Paragraph 92
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92 – point a
Paragraph 92 – point a
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92 – point b
Paragraph 92 – point b
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92 – point c
Paragraph 92 – point c
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92 – point d
Paragraph 92 – point d
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94 – introductory part
Paragraph 94 – introductory part
94. Notes that in order to measure progress towards these fixed objectives the DG R&I used five key performance indicators (KPI):
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96
Paragraph 96
96. Recalls that given the low implementation rate of H2020 in 2015, the evaluation of FP 7 was dealt with in the previous discharge report78; _________________ 78 P8_TA(2017)0143, points 120 and 121.
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 98
Paragraph 98
98. PinpointsNotes with concern that the territorial distribution of H2020 is conspicuously limited given that 73% (almost EUR 12 billion) of Horizon 2020 funding goes to Germany (EUR 3 464 million), the United Kingdom (EUR 3 083), France (EUR 1 813), Spain (EUR 1 813) and Italy (EUR 1 664);
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 99
Paragraph 99
99. Acknowledges the success ofIn this regard, reminds the common support centre of the need to expand its contribution to delivering simplification and legal and technical advice; asks DG R&I whichto increase the simplification measures it intends to proposand the measures to restore territorial balance for the period post- 2020;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103
Paragraph 103
103. Was interested to learn that DG R&I has established a supervision strategy for financial instruments and would therefore like to know how DG R&I establishes wheAsks DG R&I for a supervision strategy for financial instruments that involves evaluating the fulfilment of ther financial and research- related objectives have been achieved;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104
Paragraph 104
104. Notes that DG R&I estimated the overall detected error rIs concerned that the overall error rate detected by DG R&I was estimated at 4,.42 %, with a residual error rate of 3,.03 %;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 106
Paragraph 106
106. WelcomNotes DG R&I’s examination of the cost-effectiveness of direct and indirect grant management;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 114
Paragraph 114
114. Learnt from the “Seventh Report on Economic and Social Cohesion”79 that, on the one hand, convergence is a fragile process which can easily be halted and reversed by economic crises, but that, on the other hand,, depending on how it is created and consolidated, entails weaknesses which can be halted and reversed by poorly handled economic crises like that of 2008, but that stable and adequate public investments may be essential to reduce the impact of these crises; _________________ 79 The report can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/infor mation/cohesion-report/.
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 115
Paragraph 115
115. Is pleased that the employment levelrate in 2016 reached again the 2008 pre- crisis level of 71%, notes however that the employment level developed very unevenly andbut the situation varies markedly across the Union and this rate is well below the Europe 2020 target of 75%; notes with concern that unemployment rates still remains too high, in particular among young people and long-term unemployed;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 115
Paragraph 115
115. Is pleasedNotes that the employment level in 2016 reached again the 2008 pre- crisis level of 71 %, notes howevwith concern that the employment level developed very unevenly and unemployment still remains too high, in particular among young people , and inequalities have increased considerably;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116
Paragraph 116
116. Remains convinced that better and more numerous links are needed between economic governance mechanisms and cohesion policy provided that they lead to its improvement and progress;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117
Paragraph 117
117. Welcomes that DG REGIO, in reply to Parliament’s questions, detailed its country specific recommendations; notes with interest, however, that the annual activity reports are not intended to provide detailed reports on the implementation of the country-specific recommendations according to Commissioner Oettinger’s response to the rapporteur’s letter;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 118
Paragraph 118
118. Is aware that some provisions of the revised Financial Regulation concerning cohesion policy are supposed to enter into force retroactively; welcomes the agreement reached in December 2017 through which this retroactive application guarantees the legal certainty of all stakeholders and is closely monitored by Parliament, the Commission and the Council;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 119
Paragraph 119
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 119 a (new)
Paragraph 119 a (new)
119a. Welcomes the fact, that the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), is the best fund in terms of implementation;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 120
Paragraph 120
120. Notes with satisfaction that the Court issued, for the first time, a qualified, and not an adverse, opinion on the legality and regularity of payments underlying the accounts; stresses that reimbursement schemes remain more error prone than entitlement schemes; points out, however,welcomes that the data recorded, under the heading “Economic, social and territorial cohesion” did not fundamentally changeimproved compared to the previous year (from 5.2% in 2015 to 4.8% in 2016);
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 122
Paragraph 122
122. Notes that the Court estimated the level of error in this policy area at 4,8 %; furthermore that the Court observed that the estimated level of error for cohesion did not include a quantification of 2016 disbursements to financial instruments, amounting to EUR 2,5 billion, that the Court considered to be outside the eligibility period defined in Article 56(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 25) (paragraphs 6.20 to 6.21); observes that these disbursements would represent an estimated level of error of 2,0 % to overall Union expenditure80; the Court, however, notes that if the available information had been used correctly, the overall error level would have been 1.1 %; _________________ 80 OJ C 322, 28.9.2017, p. 19. Box 1.2, footnote 1.
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127
Paragraph 127
127. Is concerned that the sample comprised also three “major projects”, which required the approval of the Commission, and for which Member State authorities had not submitted the necessary application by the 31 March 2017 closure deadline; notes that the Commission should therefore recover the expenditures; nevertheless recalls that the ECA is not questioning the 2016 expenditure which is considered eligible in accordance with the rules, and if the Commission confirms further problems, it will launch a final revision procedure;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 129
Paragraph 129
129. Is worried that years after the start of the 2014-2020 period,by how long it is taking Member States haveto designated only 77 % of the programme authorities responsible for cohesion policy funds; as of 1 March 2017 the Commission received final accounts with expenditure covering just 0,7 % of the budget allocated for the entire programming period; due to the delay in adopting the MFF, notes that as of mid- 2017, the delays in budget implementation were greater than they were at the same point in the 2007-2013 period; notes that consequently, the outstanding commitments at the end of the current financing period could be even higher than in the previous one;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 131
Paragraph 131
131. Recalls that the summary of data on the progress made in financing and implementing financial engineering instruments in 2016 was only published on 20 September 20187, and that therefore the Court could not comment on the document;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 134
Paragraph 134
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138
Paragraph 138
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 – point a
Paragraph 138 – point a
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 – point b
Paragraph 138 – point b
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 – point c
Paragraph 138 – point c
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 – point d
Paragraph 138 – point d
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 – point e
Paragraph 138 – point e
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 a (new)
Paragraph 138 a (new)
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 144
Paragraph 144
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 144
Paragraph 144
144. AttacRecalls thes great importance attributed to the ex-ante conditionalities, which set for setting out sector-specific and horizontal conditions to ensure effective spending; believes that once the ex-ante conditionalities are fulfilled, together with the 10% retention from payments foreseen by the revised regulation, implementation of projects will be easier and less error-prone of ESIF, however, stresses the Court's opinion in its Special Report 15/2017 questioning to what extent this has effectively led to changes on the ground;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 148
Paragraph 148
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 149
Paragraph 149
149. Notes that, consequently, for most of the operational programmes (247 out of 295) no amounts were certified in the accounts ("zero accounts") since no expenditure was declared until 31/07/2016;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151
Paragraph 151
151. Is concerned however that 7 of 9 Commission audits into high risk operational programmes or areas revealed significant deficiencies (in Hungary, the transport, electronic administration and implementation operational programmes; in Italy, the Reti e mobilità, istruzione priority 3 and technical assistance operational programmes; in Romania, the competitiveness and environment operational programmes);
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156
Paragraph 156
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 158 – introductory part
Paragraph 158 – introductory part
158. Regrets on the other hand that owing to a large extent to the brutal impact of the economic crisis:
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 160
Paragraph 160
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159
Paragraph 159
159. Calls on DG REGIO to keep the European parliament informed about future progress in the Czech Republic;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 165
Paragraph 165
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 167
Paragraph 167
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 164
Paragraph 164
164. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the projects selected in Poland by managing authorities are sustainable, i.e. they will be operational and suitably maintained, through earmarked resources secured by the beneficiaries;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171
Paragraph 171
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171
Paragraph 171
Volkswagen Group to be moved under paragraph 283
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 167
Paragraph 167
167. Notes that OLAF has also completed an administrative investigation into a loan granted to the Volkswagen Group by the European Investment Bank (EIB); - to be moved as new paragraph 283a
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 167
Paragraph 167
167. Notes that OLAF has also completed an administrative investigation into a loan granted to the German undertaking Volkswagen Group by the European Investment Bank (EIB);
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168
Paragraph 168
168. Takes note of a statement made by the EIB President, Werner Hoyer, stating that: “We still cannot exclude that one of our loans, the 400m EUR loan ‘Volkswagen Antrieb RDI’, was linked to emission control technologies developed at the time the defeat software was designed and used. We will now review OLAF’s conclusions and consider all available and appropriate action. [...]We are very disappointed at what is asserted by the OLAF investigation, namely that the EIB was misled, by VW about the use of the defeat device.”; to be moved as new paragraph 283b
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168
Paragraph 168
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 169 – point c
Paragraph 169 – point c
(c) the economic recovery that started in 2013 has also been accompanied by a continuous reduction in poverty, measured by the rate of people at risk of poverty dropping from 24.7% in 2012 to 23.7% in 2015, however, the recovery is still not reaching all parts of society and there are 118 million people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2016 (1.7 million people above the 2008 level), which is far off-track in reaching the Europe 2020 poverty and social exclusion target;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 169 – point c
Paragraph 169 – point c
(c) the economic recovery that started in 2013 has also been accompanied by a continuous, albeit insufficient, reduction in poverty, measured by the rate of people at risk of poverty dropping from 24.7% in 2012 to 23.7% in 2015;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 170
Paragraph 170
170. Regrets however, that the disparity in income distribution increased between 2013 and 2014 and has remained stable since then; is concerned that the richest 20% of the population possessed disposable income that was around five times higher than that of the poorest 20% in 2016, with large disparities across countries (and an increase in inequality in some);
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 173
Paragraph 173
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 175
Paragraph 175
Amendment 305 #
184. Point outRegrets nevertheless that barely 30% of the available funds have been used, which reflect initial pre-financing and interim payments;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point b
Paragraph 187 – point b
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point b
Paragraph 187 – point b
(b) building a stronger linkcoordination between cohesion, economic governance and the European semester in order to strengthen achievement of cohesion policy objectives as spelled out in the Treaties for overcoming disparities and inequalities within its three dimensions - economic, social and territorial;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point f
Paragraph 187 – point f
(f) timely adoption and faster implementation of programmes and projects, with a view to respecting the seven year financial period (no n+3);
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 187 – point f a (new)
(fa) considering whether maintaining ex-ante conditionalities for the post-2020 period would materially improve efficiency and effectiveness of Cohesion policy;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point g
Paragraph 187 – point g
(g) bringing financial engineering instruments under the EU budgetensure necessary provisions allowing national audit authorities to cover financial instruments under the EU budget, as well as envisaging more stringent rules for reporting by funds managers, including by the EIB Group and other international financial institutions regarding performance and results achieved, thereby enhancing transparency and accountability;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 187 – point g a (new)
(ga) taking into account lessons drawn from the current period and the need for more simplification in order to establish a balanced system ensuring achievement of results and sound financial management without excessive administrative burden that would discourage potential beneficiaries and lead to more errors;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 187 – point g a (new)
(ga) the geographic and social balance to ensure that investments are made where they are most needed;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 187 – point g b (new)
(gb) increased social investment;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188
Paragraph 188
188. Insists that the DG REGIO and on DG EMPL publish its proposals for the country specific recommendations in their respective AAR, as repeatedly requested by the European Parliament;Takes note of the detailed reply by Commissioner Oettinger to the rapporteur and of his conclusion that the annual activity reports are not intended to promote country specific recommendations.
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 191
Paragraph 191
191. Calls on DG EMPLthe Commission to encourage the use of the simplified cost options introduced by the "Omnibus" Regulation;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 197
Paragraph 197
197. Notes that if 20% of the CAP beneficiaries receive 80 % of the funds it is because “the distribution of direct payment largely reflects the concentration of land, 20% of farmers also owning 80% of the land; (reply to written question 17 at the CONT hearing with Mr Hogan on 28 November 2018); is concerned about the high concentration of beneficiaries and stresses that a better balance of large and small beneficiaries needs to be found;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 197
Paragraph 197
197. NotesEmphasises, with concern, that if 20% of the CAP beneficiaries receive 80 % of the funds it is because “the distribution of direct payment largely reflects the concentration of land, 20% of farmers also owning 80% of the land; (reply to written question 17 at the CONT hearing with Mr Hogan on 28 November 2018);
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 200
Paragraph 200
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 202
Paragraph 202
202. Points out that the Court has estimated that the level of error for the natural resource chapter as a whole is 2.5 % (2.9% in 2015 and 3.6% in 2014); welcomes the positive evolution of the error rate whilst noting that the 2016 figure is above the materiality threshold;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 211
Paragraph 211
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 218
Paragraph 218
218. Is however particularly concerned byTakes note of the first conclusions drawn by the Commission in its staff working document on “Review of greening after one year” SWD (2016)218 second part page 14 that: “ Overall farmers would have to change crops on less than 1% of the total arable land in the EU in order to comply with the crop diversification requirement, and since the vast majority of arable land in the EU is subject to the crop diversification obligation this limited impact appears to reflect current practices by farmers who already are compliant”;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 220
Paragraph 220
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 221
Paragraph 221
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 232 – point b
Paragraph 232 – point b
(b) the Member States to make further efforts to include more reliable and up-to date information in their LPIS database;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 232 – point e
Paragraph 232 – point e
(e) the Commission to provide guidance and disseminate best practices among national authorities, and among the beneficiaries and their associations, to ensure that their checks identify links between applicants and other stakeholders involved in supported projects of rural development;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 232 – point g
Paragraph 232 – point g
(g) the Member States as well as the beneficiaries and their associations to fully exploit the possibilities offered by the system of simplified cost options in rural development;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 233 – point a
Paragraph 233 – point a
(a) Farmers should only have access to greening CAP payments if they meet a single set of basic environmental norms including GAECs and greening requirements which are both meant to go beyond the requirements of environmental legislation;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 233 – point b
Paragraph 233 – point b
(b) Specific, local environmental and climate-related needs can be appropriately addressed through strongermore effective programmed action regarding agriculture;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 233 – point c
Paragraph 233 – point c
(c) When Member States are given options to choose from in their implementation of the CAP, they should be required to demonstrate, prior to implementation, that the options they select are effective and efficient in terms of achieving policy objectives, and in particular those of greeningfood safety, food quality and their impact on health, greening, land and countryside management and the fight against depopulation in the EU;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 234 – point a
Paragraph 234 – point a
(a) to perform a comprehensive evaluation of all the existing CAP policies and tools which can be combined to help young farmers and to identify the obstacles to providing access to existing farms and/or establishing new farms for young farmers which can be addressed in the future revision of the CAP;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 234 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 234 – point a a (new)
(aa) to make sure that, as a component of agricultural reform, further improvements are made to the rural- development framework as set forth inter alia in the Cork 2.0 Declaration, with a view to ensuring that the support programmes for young farmers are a success;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 234 – point b – indent 3
Paragraph 234 – point b – indent 3
– awareness-raising measures of, targeted at authorities, beneficiaries and their associations, concerning possible types of assistance for earlier transfer of a farm to a successor with accompanying advisory services or measures like a satisfactory retirement scheme based on national or regional income or revenues in the agricultural, food and forestry sector;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 235
Paragraph 235
235. Points out that, according to the findings of the Court, spending on "Global Europe" is affected by a material level of error with an estimated level of error of 2.1%, (2.8% in 2015, and 2.7% in 2014)at 2.1%; welcomes the positive trend in the error rate in this policy area (from 2.8% in 2015 to 2.1% in 2016);
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 238
Paragraph 238
238. Notes that if all the information held by the Commission -– and auditors appointed by the Commission -– had been used to correct errors, the estimated error rate for the Global Europe chapter would have been 0.9 % point lower, i.e. 1.4%, and therefore below the materiality threshold;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 240
Paragraph 240
240. Is deeply concerned by the fact that according to the Court, DG NEAR auditors have detected weaknesses in the indirect management of the second instrument of pre accession assistance (IPA II), more specifically, at the audit authorities of three IPA II beneficiary countries - Albania, Turkey and Serbia; points out that whileand this despite the fact that the Albanian and Serbian audit authorities have made changes aiming to solve the problems detected; in the case of Turkey, there are some “significant areas of the Turkish audit authority’s systems which might still limit the assurance it can provide to the Commission” (ECA annual report 2016 paragraph 9.24);
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 244 a (new)
Paragraph 244 a (new)
244a. Welcomes the fact that in Commissioner Oettinger's response to the rapporteur's letter he indicated that the Commission is exploring a new format for reports enabling transmission to Parliament without the need for confidentiality procedures but in a way that is not detrimental to EU diplomatic policy.
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 246 – point b
Paragraph 246 – point b
(b) to provide for a fasn acceleraterd decision- making process in the selection of the measures to be implemented, which is crucial in emergency and post-emergency actions;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 247 – point b
Paragraph 247 – point b
(b) the visibility of the external action of the Union has not improved, despite the existence of different arrangements with the stakeholders, the visibility of the external action of the Union has not improved and that a better coordination of the action of all the stakeholders is not necessarily ensured;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 247 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 247 – point b a (new)
(ba) the a priori preference for Member state agencies in some of the Trust Funds constitutive agreements leads to a conflict of interests rather than an incentive for Member states to provide more financial resources;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 248
Paragraph 248
248. Recalls in particular that the Trust Fund for Africa is worth over €3.2 billion, with over €2.9 billion coming from the European Development Fund (EDF) and EUR 228.667 million from other donors); criticizes that the involvement of the EDF in Trust Funds further limits the possibility for the Parliament to scrutinize EU spending;
Amendment 382 #
250. Highlights that the increasing use of other financial mechanisms such as trust funds to deliver Union policies alongside the EU budget risks undermining the level of accountability and transparency as reporting, audit and public scrutiny arrangements are not aligned (ECA annual report 2016, paragraph 2.31); therefore stresses the importance of the Commission's commitment to keep the budgetary authority periodically informed of the funding of the trust funds and their scheduled and ongoing operations, including contributions made by Member States;
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 252
Paragraph 252
252. Calls on DG DEVCO and DG NEAR to consider defining in cooperation with DG HOME a key performance indicator related to the elimination of the underlying and root causes of irregular migration;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 253
Paragraph 253
253. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary measures in order to redress the deficiencies detected by its own Internal Audit Service regarding DG DEVCO performance reporting and to transform the EAMR into a reliable and fully public document properly substantiating the declaration of assurance made by the heads of delegation and by the director general of DG DEVCO; asks DG DEVCO to define KPs in such a way that make it possible to measure the performance of the development cooperation policy; and to do so without compromising EU diplomatic policy via its delegations.
Amendment 390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 254
Paragraph 254
254. Calls on the Commission to develop a standardized impact assessment to identify whether the establishment of a trust fund is the most suitable option; calls on the Commission to consider putting an end to trust funds that are unable to attract a significant contribution from other donors; or that do not provide an added value as compared to ‘traditional’ EU external instruments;
Amendment 391 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 254
Paragraph 254
254. Calls on the Commission to consider putting an end to trust funds that are unableproceed with the measures and/or negotiations needed to attract relevant contributions for those trust funds that have not so far managed to attract a significant contribution from other donors;
Amendment 393 #
254a. Deeply regrets the acknowledged cases of violence, sexual abuse and totally improper behaviour on the part of workers providing humanitarian aid to civilians in conflict and post-conflict situations; notes that the Commission has stated its commitment to review and, where necessary, suspend funding to those partners that do not comply with the required high ethical standards; urges the Commission, in order to eradicate this scourge and avoid any repetition, to strengthen prevention mechanisms in staff selection procedures, and moreover to provide initial and continuous training in this regard; and calls for a policy to protect whistle-blowers in these cases;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 256
Paragraph 256
256. Notes with concern the Court finding according to which “two years into the seven year programming period progress in making shared-management Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)84) and Internal Security Fund (ISF) payments are slow” (ECA annual report 2016, Box 8.2°); is nevertheless aware of the complexity and considerable difficulty the Commission has in ensuring that Member States comply the Council agreements, with the consequent impact on the implementation of these policies. _________________ 84 AMIF replaces the Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows programme (SOLID).
Amendment 399 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 261 – point c
Paragraph 261 – point c
(c) the hotspot approach further requires that migrants be channelled into appropriate follow-up procedures, i.e. either a national asylum application, or relocation to another Member State or return to the country of origin and the implementation of these follow-up procedures is often slow and subject to various bottlenecks, which can have repercussions on the functioning of the hotspots;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 262
Paragraph 262
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 263
Paragraph 263
263. Shares the Court's assessment regarding a lack of transparency about the split of funding between public resources and the revenue from migrantmigrants' resources in the issue of emergency assistance to transport non- Union migrants from Greek islands to the Greek mainland, referred to by the Court in its annual report (box 8.4 of the 2016 ECA annual report); recalls that Union legislation does not allow beneficiaries of Union grants to obtain profits from the implementation of a project; considers that this case raises some reputational issues for the Commission and questions its handling from an ethical point of view;
Amendment 403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 264 – point a
Paragraph 264 – point a
(a) DG HOME to consider defining, in cooperation with DG DEVCO and DG NEAR, a key performance indicator related to the elimination of the underlying and root causes of irregular migration;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 264 – point d
Paragraph 264 – point d
(d) the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary measures to provide adequate reception facilities in Greece and Italy; and to provide the necessary resources to any other Member State bordering on third countries that may become an arrival point in future migratory crises.
Amendment 407 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 44
Subheading 44
Code of conduct of the Commissioners and Procedures for the appointment of senior officials
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 265
Paragraph 265
265. Appreciates that its calls on the Commission to review the code of conduct for Commissioners by the end of 2017, including by defining what constitutes a conflict of interest as well as introducing criteria for assessing the compatibility of post-office employment and extending the cooling off period to three years for the President of the Commission, have received the required response; notes that the new code already entered into force on 1 February of this year;
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 265 a (new)
Paragraph 265 a (new)
265a. Recalls that the absence of a conflict of interests must also be a prerequisite for the holding of Commissioner hearings and that therefore the declaration of financial interest forms must be completed and made available before the Commissioner is heard by the competent EP Committee and must be updated at least once a year and each time the information changes.
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 265 b (new)
Paragraph 265 b (new)
265b. Calls, in this connection, for Commissioners to declare all their interests (as shareholders, company board members, advisors and consultants, members of associated foundations, etc.) as regards all the companies in which they have been involved, including close family interests, as well as the changes that took place at the time their candidacy was made known;
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 267
Paragraph 267
Amendment 418 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 267 a (new)
Paragraph 267 a (new)
267a. In the interests of ensuring an excellent European public administration, calls on the Commission to present before the end of 2018 a proposal for a procedure for the appointment of senior officials, including the SG of the Commission, which ensures that the best candidates are selected in a framework of maximum transparency and equal opportunity, and which is sufficiently broad for it to be applicable to the other institutions such as the Parliament and the Council;
Amendment 419 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 268 – introductory part
Paragraph 268 – introductory part
268. AWith a view to the future, asks the Commission to envisage introducing the following improvements:
Amendment 420 #
(b) the participation of Commissioners in national politics during their term of office should be suspended or limited to passive party membership with no media role;
Amendment 421 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 268 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 268 – point d a (new)
(da) Is concerned by the fact that at least one member of the current College of Commissioners is simultaneously drawing both a Commissioner's salary and a private pension;
Amendment 425 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 270 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 270 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Notes with concern the continuing discrimination against EU staff based in Luxembourg, in spite of the judgment of the Court of Justice of October 2000 in the Ferlini case (C-411/98) and Directive 2011/24/EU which both condemn the practice. Also stresses that over-charging continues, use being made of 2 conventions with Luxembourg's Hospitals Federation (FH) and the Doctors' and Dentists' Association (AMD), which set a limit of 15% for overcharging but allow for 500% for treatment carried out in hospitals. So the 2000 Court of Justice ruling and Directive 2011/24/EU are violated not only by the conventions but also by a number of national healthcare operators. Calls on the Commission to: 1. calculate the annual additional cost of the overcharging to the EU budget (JSIS) and justify it; 2. determine an infringement procedure or similar legal action against the Grand Duchy; 3. inform the EP of the outcome of Public petition No 765 submitted to the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg and of the public debate held there on 19 October 2017; 4. protest about the two conventions with the FH and the AMD.
Amendment 426 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 270 a (new)
Paragraph 270 a (new)
270a. Welcomes the statements made by Commissioner Oettinger on the end of staffing policy restrictions with the aim of avoiding serious prejudice to the proper functioning of the European institutions and the quality of the public service the EU provides to European citizens; stresses the importance of having a strong European civil service, at the service of the citizen and able to respond to the challenges faced by the EU and to implement its policies with the highest possible standards of excellence and professionalism, and of providing this service with all the necessary legal and budgetary resources; stresses the importance of once more making the European civil service an attractive proposition for young EU professionals; calls on the Commission to draft a report on the consequences of the restrictions for the attractiveness of the EU civil service and on its current under-resourced state, and that proposes solutions to help bring the service closer to European citizens and increase their interest in joining it;
Amendment 428 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 270 b (new)
Paragraph 270 b (new)
270b. Stresses the importance of finding a solution to the problem of the excessive, and in many cases abusive, billing of the medical expenses of the staff and members of the European Parliament in some Member States; calls on the Commission to seek solutions to this problem which, in countries such as Luxembourg, costs some EUR 2 million a year (negotiations with Member State social security systems, public or private, the creation of a card similar to the European Health Insurance Card for foreign travel, etc.);
Amendment 429 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 272
Paragraph 272
272. Fails to understand whyRegrets the fact that it took the Commission and the Luxembourg authorities 15 years (1994 - 2009) to agree on the future arrangements for housing Commission departments in Luxembourg;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 274
Paragraph 274
274. Notes that the Commission vacated the JMO I building in 2014 due to the presence of asbestos; has learRegrets the fact that even though a complete inventory of materials containing asbestos in JMO I was drawn up in 1997, the Commission did not leave the building until January 2014 and that it took AIB-Vinçotte Luxembourg until 2013 to revise its findings and note that the sheets of asbestos in JMO I were of a lower density than had been previously thought and that they were therefore more sensitive to mechanical impact (basic friction being sufficient to release fibres into that in December 2015 the Commission and the Luxembourg aue air from where they could be inhaled); considers that the Commission, in view of the severe healtho rities agreed on sharsks resulting from the inhalation of asbestos, should have considered the expert's report and the qualified opinions of other experts in the field, especially after what happened ing the costs associated to the early move out of the JMO I; notes howevBerlaymont building in Brussels; calls on the Commission to inform Parliament whether all workers were duly informed of the situation and of the serious health risks incurred, whether any illness was detected that might have resulted from the inhalation of asbestos particles and what measures wer,e that the JMO II was originally supposed to become available on 31 December 2014aken in such cases, and whether preventive measures were taken (screening and early detection tests, etc.); also calls on the Commission to report on whether it has initiated any proceedings against AIB- Vinçotte Luxembourg in this regard;
Amendment 431 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 274 a (new)
Paragraph 274 a (new)
274a. Notes that in December 2015 the Commission and the Luxembourg authorities agreed on sharing the costs associated with the early move out of JMO I; notes that JMO II was originally supposed to have become available on 31 December 2014;
Amendment 432 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 275
Paragraph 275
275. Would like to know how much the Commission spent on renting auxiliary office space in Luxembourg until December 2017Calls on the Commission to report in detail on the cost of renting the six buildings occupied by the Commission in the meantime (ARIA, LACC, HITEC, DRB, BECH and T2), arising from the delay in delivering JMO II, and the consequences of extending the lease agreements; calls on the Commission to ensure that working conditions are improved in these six buildings, in close cooperation with the Committee on Health and Safety at Work (CHSW), and to conclude speedy negotiations with the Luxembourg authorities on improving the conditions for mobility and access to them; and reminds it that medical offices should be established in each building in accordance with Luxembourg legislation;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 276 – introductory part
Paragraph 276 – introductory part
276. Has recently learnt that the first construction phase of JMO II is only due to be completed in 2020 and the second phase in 2024; notes that the Commission advances the following explanations for the delays:will probably be handed over in early 2020 and the second phase in early 2024; takes note of the explanations given by the Commission on the causes of the delays and asks it to provide documents in support of these explanations and a detailed breakdown of the costs arising from the delay in the handover of the building;
Amendment 434 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 276 – point a
Paragraph 276 – point a
Amendment 435 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 276 – point b
Paragraph 276 – point b
Amendment 436 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 276 – point c
Paragraph 276 – point c
Amendment 437 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 277
Paragraph 277
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 280 – subparagraph 1
Paragraph 280 – subparagraph 1
Points in this context to the Court’s report on the annual accounts for the European Schools for the financial year 2016, which revealed the following weaknessesand in particular the weaknesses noted in paragraphs 11, 12 and 2787: _________________ 87 Report on the annual accounts of the European Schools for the financial year 2016 together with the Schools’ replies, November 2017, 11 and 12.
Amendment 440 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 280 – subparagraph 2
Paragraph 280 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 441 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 281
Paragraph 281
281. Acknowledges that the director general acted therefore only congruously when limiting her assurance declaration: “The Director- General, in her capacity as Authorising Officer by Delegation has signed the Declaration of Assurance albeit qualified by a reputational reservation concerning the effective management of some of the Commission funds assigned to the European Schools.”88; _________________ 88 https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file _import/aar-hr-2016_en_0.pdf , p.10.
Amendment 444 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 282
Paragraph 282