1556 Amendments of Ryszard CZARNECKI
Amendment 4 #
2023/2181(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Notes, additionally, the involvement of the SESAR to respond to the illegal and unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine since some traffic flows were affected, requiring the reworking of ATC operations of the JU;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. UnderlinesNotes with regret that the Court considered that there are weaknesses in the implementation of the F4E’s administrative budget, due to the fact that this budget is set up as non-dissociated appropriations; notes that, as a result, administrative commitments based on administrative contracts and obligations for which payments that have not been made at the year end, may be carried over for payment to the following year;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. UnderlineRegrets that the Court considered that the F4E’s senior management situation has remained unstable and in a significant state of transition at the end of 2022 with the departure of the director in June 2022, and the appointment of the head of the Broader Approach Department as ITER-IO Director-General in September 2022, resulting in personnel changes for four of the JU’s seven senior management positions;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes the EU-Rail's Master Plan and its adjustment to the Plan with the "Rail Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda" of the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC);
Amendment 1 #
2023/2164(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2152(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 95 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Recalls the decision of the Secretary-General of November 2022 on the new rules for teleworking in Parliament applicable to the Parliament Secretariat; recalls that Members and political groups may also decide to apply the teleworking rules as set out in this decision; remarks that a balanced use of a hybrid working environment could be beneficial and productive; recalls that physical presence is always of crucial importance for the efficient and effective interaction of all actors in every parliamentary process;
Amendment 137 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85
Paragraph 85
85. Welcomes the fact that, in 2022, DG LINC was able to consolidate its provision of interpretation services while adapting to the challenging regulatory environment; notes with satisfaction that DG LINC serviced a total of 5 278 parliamentary meetings with interpretation and delivered an average of 5 266 interpretation hours per working week, up from 4 172 meetings and 4 039 weekly hours of interpretation in 2021; notes with regret that this is still below the 2017 and 2018 pre- COVID averages;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Acting Director of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Acting Director of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Condemns the lack of transparency from the Commission and pharmaceutical companies in the development, purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines;
Amendment 24 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Notes with concern that, to date, the Commission has not make available, not only to the public, but not even to the Members of the European Parliament, the non-redacted versions of the contracts signed with the producers of the COVID- 19 vaccine;
Amendment 47 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reminds the Commission that all legislative proposals that have a significant economic, social and environmental impact have to be accompanied by solid and thorough impact assessments, including their impact on gender-related issues, which will ensure that gender- mainstreaming in the Union Budget is successful;
Amendment 130 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 – point i
Paragraph 49 – point i
Amendment 358 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 – point i d (new)
Paragraph 171 – point i d (new)
(i d) immediately publish the non- redacted versions of the Purhase Agreements for the COVID-19 vaccines;
Amendment 364 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 a (new)
Paragraph 171 a (new)
171 a. be more proactive in publishing documents and statistics regarding how they handle document access requests, as such information would help with assessing the institutions’ proactive approach to document access; calls that an application for access to a document must be handled promptly;
Amendment 32 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the vital role played by NGOs in linking civil society with political decision-making in all EU policy areas, in particular by keeping decision-makers informed about the interests and aspirations emerging in society and by promoting and supporting active and responsible citizenship; highlights, in particular, their role in implementing the EU budget and representing civil society;
Amendment 38 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that areas of social policy, environmental policy and development assistance may require public support beyond private donations;
Amendment 51 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the important role that NGOs play as a cornerstonevital element of society in Europe in providing much needed support to communities in various areas, including in social support, education, charity work, integration work, in providing health support for elderly and disabled people, in cultural fields, in cleaning, protecting and restoring the environment, in research and innovation and in many others;
Amendment 59 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the crucialimportant role ofthat NGOs in the EU and elsewhere in defending the rule of law and promotingplay in third countries in promoting democratic values and respect for human rights and democracy; reiterates that in countries with authoritarian or non- democratic regimes, NGOs oftenmay represent the last line of defence of democracy; insists on the importance of access to adequate EU funding for NGOs active in these fields;
Amendment 77 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is of the opinion that the alleged corruption case referred to as Qatargate and the role certain NGOs played in it, which aroused clear public discontent with the activities of NGOs, could have been prevented through the consistent enforcement of existing transparency requirements and an obligation for NGOs to disclose their sources of funding and their internal structures; notes with concern that the relevant NGOs have profited from EU funding since 2015; considers it unacceptable that the use of funds and transfers to other organisations are not entirely traceable; warns of the danger that EU taxpayers’ money could ultimately be used within corrupt circles; emphasises the importance of ‘final beneficiary transparency’ for EU NGO funds;
Amendment 101 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reiterates the call for a common definition of an NGO made in the recommendations from the 2021 Commission discharge resolution13; calls for a commonsuitable definition of an NGO at EU level, in particular for NGOs receiving EU funding based on clear, measurable and transparent criteria, in particular for NGOs receiving EU funding, which will enable NGOs to be easily and unequivocally identified and better regulated and the rules on their funding and use to be enforced; is of the opinion that this definition should provide minimum common conditions for defining an NGO; considers that such minimum conditions must include the form of an organisation, the objectives it pursues, its level of formal or institutional existence, the accountability of its structures to its members or donors, its level of independence from government, other public authorities, political parties or commercial organisations, and the commercial or professional objectives it pursues on behalf of its members; indicates that, in view of the suggested differentiation and simplification of control, reporting and procedural requirements for small NGOs, it may be necessary to draw a distinction and adopt a separate definition that would encompass the criteria that must be met for an organisation to be classified as small; _________________ 13 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0137.
Amendment 125 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is concerned about cases of fraud and irregularities, notably in situations where NGOs that are members of different international networks or platforms that receive EU funding are at risk of conflicts of interest, double funding, corruption or money laundering, and in particular where they are involved in such violations; stresses that, in order to prevent fraud, intensify the fight against violations such as corruption, fraud and embezzlement, and better safeguard EU funds, the requirements for transparency and public accountability applicable to NGOs must be strengthened; is concerned about the lack of publicly available data on the fraud cases involving NGOs; calls on the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to compile and provide such data to Parliament and the ECA and to draw up a list of NGOs that have broken the law;
Amendment 132 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is concerned that public transparency requirements can be circumvented, especially when money is passed along a chain, under indirect management by intermediary institutions, and used to fulfil the purposes of other donors; highlights that the FTS does not provide any information about how EU funding sub-granted under indirect and shared management is distributed among NGOs, on what basis or for what purpose; considers this highly problematic, as large amounts of funding are committed through indirect and shared management; calls on the Commission to verify the re-allocation of funds and their use by the final beneficiary by imposing appropriate reporting and publ, publication and final beneficiary indication and identification requirements in line with annual reporting by the Member States and the Commission on the implementation of the European structural and investment funds;
Amendment 148 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Regrets that a lack of transparency makes it possible for powerful actors to establish, fund and/or co-opt EU-funded NGOs in multiple Member States to promote false narratives, including through disinformation, apparently in order to influence EU policy through different actors, as happened in Qatargate; notes with concern that countries outside the EU are illegally trying to influence or are influencing Europe through their funding of NGOs and calls for solutions to prevent this; underlines that the EU budget must not be used to lobby against the EU’s democratic principles and values; calls for foreign interference in EU policies through the funding of NGOs to be combated; reiterates that foreign influence on EU policymaking may be possible through NGOs; points out that both state and civil society actors have repeatedly called attention to attempts by third countries to influence EU decision- makers, policies and institutions, which must be countered; calls on the Commission to require NGOs in receipt of EU grants to publish details of any funding received from other sources in relation to projects co-financed by the EU over a five- year period14; _________________ 14 See: transparency and accountability study, recommendation 2.
Amendment 160 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that certain organisations that engage in illegal activities and act against the EU’s values have been registered and are operating in Member States; believes that national administrations, which are closer to the ground, must assume responsibility for beingstrengthen their efforts to detect, eliminate and prevent such practices, as they are the first effective layer that could stop organisations that are acting illegally and against EU rules;
Amendment 167 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on national authorities to take legal and administrative measures thatreview their national systems and, if they find that they can be improved and made more robust, to take steps to facilitate action at EU level and make it easier and quicker for the Commission to include such organisations in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) and exclude them from EU funding; calls for such a requirement for Member States to be included in the proposal for an NGO regulation;
Amendment 277 #
2023/2122(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Reiterates its call made in the 2021 Commission discharge resolution23 to adopt an NGO regulation by 1 June 2024 that includes harmonised minimum requirements for NGOs across all EU entities and a clear definition and categorisation of the fields of activity and size of NGOs and that provides for the necessary conditions for NGOs to receive EU funds; insists that there should be a clear distinction between regular NGOs and ‘public utility NGOs’; calls on the Commission to establish simplified procedures for suitably defined small NGOs; _________________ 23 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0137, paragraph 20.
Amendment 3 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas in 2022, the greater partvast majority of the inquiries concerned the Commission (197 inquiries or 57.1 %), while the next largest numbers concerned the European Personnel Selection Office (22 inquiries or 6.3 %), Parliament (19 inquiries or 5.5 %), and the European External Action Service (16 inquiries or 4.6 %); whereas the remaining inquiries were distributed as follows: the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) (14 inquiries or 4.3 %), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (7 inquiries or 2 %), other EU institutions or bodies (46 inquiries or 13.5 %), and other EU agencies (23 inquiries or 6.7 %);
Amendment 12 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas the Ombudsman found maladministration in how the Commission handled the issue of text messages between the Commission President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas in 2022 the Ombudsman processed almost 1500 complaints that did not fall within her mandate such as those related to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion;
Amendment 18 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K c (new)
Recital K c (new)
Kc. whereas the Ombudsman has strongly criticised the EU’s response to the Qatargate corruption scandal in the European Parliament;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Welcomes the continuous efforts of the Ombudsman to improve lobbying transparency and ethics, in particular strengthening the Code of Conduct for Commissioners, public record of meetings between Commissioners with lobbyists and proactive publication of Commissioners’ travel expenses;
Amendment 36 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Underlines that Qatargate shed a new light on the lobbying and policymaking in the EU; welcomes Ombudsman’s critical assessment of the scandal and poor EU’s response to it;
Amendment 40 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the publication by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, in collaboration with the European Ombudsman’s Office, of the policy paper entitled ‘Towards good practice principles for government transparency in the use of recovery funds’, which provides guidance to governments on ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of COVID-19 recovery funds; welcomes in this regard the Ombudsman’s efforts to improve the transparency standards in terms of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF);
Amendment 48 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. NotAcknowledges the Ombudsman’s work in issuing practical recommendations for the EU administration on the recording of work-related text and inquiry on the text messages between the Commission President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company; welcomes the Ombudsman’s recommendations to combat similar cases of maladministant messagesration and stresses the importance for the EU institutions of following these recommendations in order to bring the practices of the EU administration into line with modern communication methods; welcomes the Commission’s response that it will issue further guidance on modern communication tools such as text messagesunderlines the particular importance of recognising that work-related text and instant messages are ‘documents’ within the meaning of Regulation 1049/2001 on public access to documents and respecting this principle;
Amendment 57 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Encourages the Ombudsman to continue the exchanges on experiences and best practices with national ombudsmen through the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO); appreciates that the 2022 ENO annual conference focused on best practices for helping refugees, in particular in the context of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and addressed the effects of the digitalisation of public services on citizens’ rights; commends the addition of the Ukrainian and Moldovan ombudsman’s offices to the ENO;
Amendment 58 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes continuous efforts of the Ombudsman to further improve visibility of its activities, including via online tools, including the multilingual website offering assistance in all 24 official languages of the EU;
Amendment 60 #
2023/2120(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Encourages the fruitful dialogue between the Ombudsman and the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament; underlines that the intensive collaboration between these two bodies helps to increase the democratic accountability of the EU institutions and bringing them closer to the citizens;
Amendment 32 #
2023/2075(INI)
Aa. whereas developing countries face serious constraints in the financing of healthcare, particularly with regard to non-communicable diseases;
Amendment 34 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Amendment 69 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for developing countries to be supported in their efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases via the modernisation of their public health systems and the provision of universal access to healthcare;
Amendment 75 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Emphasises the need for technological and organisational innovation, as well as lasting, coordinated multilateral cooperation;
Amendment 80 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Emphasises that innovative business models provide the opportunity to create incentives for patients and service providers to complete prevention programmes; calls for cooperation with developing countries in this area;
Amendment 83 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Draws attention to the need for knowledge-sharing and data collection, screening and early detection of diseases, and management of diagnosis and treatment;
Amendment 86 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Emphasises the important role of and the need for interdisciplinary points of care;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that since the application of the agreement, trade between the EU and SADC countries has increased significantly, and that 2022 was a record year in which the total value of trade was EUR 63.2 billion, with a 20% share of exports and a 21% share of imports;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points out that, despite increasing trade and investment flows, political issues and trade irritants are disrupting multilateral trade negotiations; stresses that some SADC countries oppose liberalisation, minimise the role of the private sector or have strong diplomatic ties with Russia;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights the importance of broadly, systematically and meaningfully involving local and regional civil society, academia, trade unions and private sector representatives in the EPA’s implementation and the ex post evaluations thereof.;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the Committee on Petitions is best suited to show citizens what the European Union does the only body which is in direct contact with EU citizens and thus able to inform them and what solutions can be providedbout action taken at European, national or local level;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the activities of the Committee on Petitions are based on the input provided by petitioners; whereas the information submitted by petitioners in their petitions and at committee meetings, along with the Commission’s assessment and the replies of the Member States and other bodies, are crucial for the work of the committee; whereas admissible petitions also provide valuable contributions to the work of the other parliamentary committees, given that they are forwarded by the Committee on Petitions to other committees for an opinion or for information; whereas, therefore, petitions may play a role in the legislative process, as the by provideing other parliamentary committees with valuable input for their legislative work in their respective fields of competence;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas when adopting its meeting agenda, the Committee on Petitions shouldall pay attention to petitions and topics with significant relevance for discussion at EU level and to the need to maintain an equitable geographical coverage of topics according to the petitions received;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital U
Recital U
U. whereas, in 2022, the Committee on Petitions held seven fact-finding visits; whereas this represents a large increase compared to the single fact-finding visit organised in 2021; whereas this can be explained by the need in 2021is due to the postponement of two minimise health risks for Parliament’s Members and staff in the context of the spread ofvisits from previous years when COVID-19 pand therefore by the consecutive postponement of two fact- finding visits in 2022emic restrictions were in place;
Amendment 18 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the Union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; reiterates its call, in this regard, for broader awareness raising campaigns, through the active involvement of communications services, to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope of the Union’s responsibilities and the competences of the Committee on Petitions, with a view to raising citizens' awareness of the possibility of submitting petitions to the European Parliament, reducing the number of inadmissible petitions and better responding to citizens’ concerns;
Amendment 20 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 26 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls the European dimension of the Committee on Petitions, which can be addressed by citizens from all 27 Member States on issues that fall within the scope of the EU Treaties and EU law; believes that the Committee has a special responsibility to uphold this European dimension and to demonstrate the added value of European unity and integration to citizens; is of the opinion thatconsiders the treatment of petitions shouldto be geographically balanced and proportionate to the size of each Member State; believes, in this respect, that the European Parliament should increase its efforts to promote the role and work of its Committee on Petitions and raise awareness among all EU citizens of the possibility to address a petition to the European Parliament; urges the political groups represented in the Committee on Petitions to seek consensus and balance with regard to selecting and treating petitions;
Amendment 30 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties by providing citizens with an additional tool to notify alleged breaches of EU law; stresses that cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission through timely and detailed answers from the Commission, which are based on thorough examinations of the issues raised in petitions, are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; calls, therefore, on the Commission to be more involved in the work of the Committee on Petitions and, in particular, to provide timely answers to the issues raised in petitions;
Amendment 32 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. CallsStresses that the Commission's answers are not always phrased in a manner that petitioners can understand; calls, therefore, on the Commission to raise awareness among its staff about the need to use plain, simple and empathetic language, in order to convey clearly understandable responses to the petitioners; encourages the Commission to delegate the role of presenting the Commission’s positions in the meetings of the Committee on Petitions to more senior and high- ranking staff;
Amendment 46 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Takes note that health, which was one of the main areas of concern for petitioners in 2021, mainly due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, appeared to become less importantfrequently raised in 2022 owing to the fact that the number of petitions on COVID-19 that the Committee on Petitions examined and replied to in 2022 decreased compared to 2021;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 66 #
2023/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Draws attention to the particular role of the Committee on Petitions in safeguarding the rights of children and their parents; notes that in 2022, the Committee on Petitions devoted a great deal of attention to issues relating to child welfare, including a fact-finding visit to Palma in the Balearic Islands on the maltreatment of minors and a fact-finding visit to Germany on the activities of the German Jugendamt; Stresses that, although the majority of issues fall within national competence, the Committee on Petitions receives many dramatic petitions on children's rights which deserve special attention;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas sound public spending and the protection of the EU’s financial interests should be keyare important elements of EU policy in order to increase citizens’ confidence by ensuring that taxpayers’ money is used properly and effectively;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 26 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the fact that in manysome Member States national authorities do not always follow up on the Commission’s recommendations, report exhaustively or adopt acknowledged good practices in a timely manner; points out that in many Member States, the percentage of irregularities that are still classified as suspected fraud many years after they were initially reported is extremely high, even in relation to cases indicated as closed; believes that such situations might suggest a lack of adequate follow-up, insufficient or inadequately trained resources, communication gaps or inefficient reporting channels, weak cooperation and coordination, or even the unjustified postponement of reclassifying irregularities as fraudulent in order to adjust the statistical reporting;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 3 May 2023 on the fight against corruption (JOIN(2023)0012), acknowledging the seriousness of corruption, as it undermines the efficiency of public spending, the effectiveness of the single market and the sustainability of economic growth; points out that the fight against corruption is one of the commitments of the Union, on a par with transparency and integrity, which leads to transparency and integrity, is one of the commitments of the Union;
Amendment 34 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is concerned about the fact that it is difficult to estimate the extent to which organised crime is benefiting illegally from the EU’s finances with any great precision; maintains that a common approach to assess the impact of organised crime on EU funds and to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures taken to tackle the problem is needed across the Member States; calls on the Commission to swiftly launch all necessary actions to pursue this harmonisation;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the Commission’s second report, published on 16 September 2022, on the implementation of the PIF Directive (COM(2022)0466), but regret and notes the fact that the Commission refrained from intervening on the revision of the threshold of EUR 10 million, which has a major impact on the EPPO’s activities in VAT fraud cases; stresses that the recurrent and still pending questions on the different interpretations of the methods applied to calculate the threshold (whether the damage occurring in several Member States should be aggregated, whether the countries included in the calculation should be confined to those participating in the EPPO) make the situation unclear; strongly believes that the current threshold limits dissuasiveness, allows perpetrators to seek out the weakest jurisdiction to evade the EPPO and has a detrimental effect on investigations, as the national authorities often do not have a full picture of the magnitude of the criminal activities at the initial stage of the investigation; calls on the Commission to reconsider its position in the next PIF Directive transposition report and remove the threshold, or substantially lower it, while in the meantime providing adequate guidance on the calculation method;
Amendment 76 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Reiterates that the effective prevention, detection and investigation of illegal activities threatening the implementation of the NGEU depend on the effective collection and sharing of data, including the rapid handling of access requests from investigative services within a Member State, as well as from other countries or at EU level, by OLAF and the EPPO to whom access is to be granted;
Amendment 80 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Welcomes the joint analysis by Europol and OLAF assessing the risks of fraud and irregularities in relation to the NGEU; welcomes the recommendations made by Europol and OLAF and calls on the Commission, the specialised EU agencies and bodies, as well as Member States, to actively cooperate and interact to ensure the protection of the EU’s financial interests when implementing the NGEU;
Amendment 82 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s strategic initiative, launched in February 2022, conducted to examine the transparency of the national recovery and resilience plans, public information and communication strategies on the RRF, and on how the funds are supervised; welcomes Ombudsman’s efforts to improve transparency standards in terms of Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF);
Amendment 88 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Maintains that digitalisation has boosted the prevention and detection of fraud, simplified administrative procedures and that it needs to be at the heart of every anti-fraud strategy, including the National Anti-Fraud Strategies (NAFS); calls on the Commission to reiterate and follow up on its recommendations to the Member States which have not yet adopted NAFS to do so, and to keep the NAFS updated, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies;
Amendment 105 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Remarks that, in 2022, 22 Member States already participated in the EPPO, with the same five countries as in 2021 abstaining; insists that Member States which have not yet participated, must do so without delay;
Amendment 110 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Calls on the Commission to engage in a constructive dialogue with the EPPO, with a view to strengthening the Office’s capacity to tackle the constantly increasing challenges in the anti-fraud landscape;
Amendment 113 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
Amendment 114 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
Amendment 119 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Notes that, by the end of 2022, only three Member States (Finland, Ireland and Poland) indicated that they had not adopted any strategy for protecting the EU’s financial interests and five (Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Romania) indicated that they were in the process of establishing one, while the other Member States have alternative strategies at national, regional or sectoral level or, in some cases, combine them;
Amendment 121 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Believes that Member States would benefit from a periodicn evaluation of their anti- fraud frameworks, with EU guidance as appropriate, oriented towards establishing their effectiveness, identifying best practices and reviewing their anti- fraud strategies to address any emerging risks; calls on the Commission to encourage Member States to run independent or peer reviews of the anti- fraud frameworks to enhance consistency and high standards;
Amendment 122 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
Amendment 123 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Takes note of the Council decision of 16 December 2022 to suspend the disbursement of EUR 6.3 billion of EU funds to Hungary; expects the Commission and the Council to lift the adopted measures only where evidence is collected that the remedial measures adopted by the Hungarian Government have proven effective in practice and, in particular, that no regression has been detected on already adopted measures; reiterates, however, its opinion that the 17 measures alone, as negotiated by the Commission and the Hungarian Government, are not sufficient to address the existing systemic risk to the EU’s financial interests and regrets that the Commission did not request sufficient substantial changes and safeguards to restore the independence of the judiciary and reduce the level of corruption;
Amendment 127 #
2023/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
Amendment 22 #
2023/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the energy crisis have had negative effects on the world economy, including the extractive industries;
Amendment 36 #
2023/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas forced labour and child labour are often a problem in the extractive industries in developing countries;
Amendment 51 #
2023/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the main challenge is to reduce our current dependence on critical raw materials;
Amendment 107 #
2023/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Condemns forced labour and child labour; calls for more effective action to protect and support victims of forced labour and child labour and for a systemic solution that takes account of all factors: poverty, inequality, a lack of access to education, and social acceptance of child labour;
Amendment 112 #
2023/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. CEmphasises that the current context of growing global demand for critical raw materials and increasing geopolitical instability means there is a need to step up efforts to ensure security of supply of critical raw materials for the EU economy; notes, furthermore, that in the light of the need to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and speed up progress towards neutrality, it is necessary to ensure a stable supply of critical raw materials; calls for the EU to promote multi- stakeholder partnerships at regional and international level;
Amendment 118 #
2023/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Supports some of the measures proposed by the Commission to ensure an adequate and diversified supply of raw materials, such as raw-materials partnerships with other countries; emphasises the need to prevent and respond effectively to any future crises; calls for a lasting level playing-field throughout the single market;
Amendment 68 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas, in public policy responses to crises, the principles of sustainable development are applied with varying degrees of intensity at different levels of public life;
Amendment 143 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, especially in light of the new geopolitical landscape and the ongoing climate, biodiversity and health crises; warns against further polarisation in the distribution of wealth and income, which would lead to increased inequality and poverty; highlights, against this backdrop, the importance of the SDGs, which provide a universal compass for people’s prosperity and to protect the planet; recalls that a pledge to leave no one behind lies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and that the achievement of the SDGs should benefit all countries, people and segments of society; stresses that, in responding to crises, it is crucial to take into account the broad needs of different actors (leaving no one behind) and to help the most vulnerable;
Amendment 293 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Stresses, in the context of the implementation of the SDGs, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach and openness to the changes the modern world is undergoing, building awareness through education from an early age, promoting attitudes that take account of environmental and climate challenges, encouraging participation in development processes and active citizenship;
Amendment 441 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Points out that the effective use of funds provides an opportunity to build sustainable competitive advantages and capacity in the social and economic spheres to better respond to future crises;
Amendment 75 #
2023/2000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights the burden of administrative obstacles to humanitarian organisations in raising funds, which affects the speed and effectiveness of their response to crises;
Amendment 79 #
2023/2000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the triple nexus is key to addressing context-specific needs in complex and protracted crises, in line with humanitarian principles, and plays a crucial role in stabilising the situation in crisis countries and in building international security; stresses that poverty, conflict, fragility and forced displacement are deeply interlinked and must be addressed in a coherent and comprehensive way; insists on more visibility and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders when applying the triple nexus approach, including through better involvement of local actors;
Amendment 134 #
2023/2000(INI)
14a. Deplores the problem of so-called ‘lost generations’, especially in cases of forgotten crises; stresses the need to increase humanitarian and development aid to support young people by providing educational opportunities, access to basic healthcare services and productive employment prospects in small and weak economies;
Amendment 150 #
2023/2000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Strongly condemns war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law; calls for all perpetrators to be held accountable and for victims to receive reparations; draws attention to the need to make appropriate use of existing documentation in order to effectively bring perpetrators to justice, as well as to provide compensation, even if only symbolic, for victims and a real improvement in their conditions; deplores the rise in attacks on humanitarian personnel worldwide and insists on the need to increase protection measures for humanitarian workers; condemns discriminatory policies, such as the ban on female humanitarian workers in Afghanistan;
Amendment 163 #
2023/2000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2664 (2016) introducing a humanitarian exemption in UN sanction regimes; calls for the EU to further align with the global standard set by UN Security Council Resolution 2664 (2016) and to adopt standingStresses that sanctions help to achieve key objectives such as maintaining peace, strengthening international security and supporting democracy, international law and human rights; supports a case-by-case approach to humanitarian exemptions in itsfrom autonomous sanction regimes in order to facilitate humanitarian activities in contexts affected by armed conflict, as required by internationals aimed at identifying the needs of humanitarian organisations in the country concerned and the risk of circumvention of sanctions through fake humanitarian lawaction;
Amendment 177 #
2023/2000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Draws attention to the need for cooperation between the Commission, the EU financial institutions and the Member States, whereby the EU institutions should seek to make use of the potential of all Member States, including those with less experience in the field of humanitarian aid and development cooperation, in line with the principles of openness to new humanitarian initiatives, taking into account smaller organisations, especially those with representations in conflict countries;
Amendment 180 #
2023/2000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Stresses that EU humanitarian action needs greater ‘recognisability’, especially in terms of EU/European funds committed in the final beneficiaries of aid; calls for initiatives and projects that will raise public awareness of forgotten crises and mobilise donors to channel more aid to these areas;
Amendment 22 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Addressing labour shortages requires a comprehensive approach at Union and national level which includes, as a priority, better realising the full potential of groups with lower labour market participation, reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce, facilitating intra-EU labour mobility, as well as improving working conditions and the attractiveness of certain occupations. Due to the current scale of the labour market shortages and the demographic trends, measures targeting the domestic and Union workforce alone are likely to be insufficient to address existing and future labour and skills shortages. Therefore, legal migration, which ensures a balance between the EU’s internal policy in this area and the external dimension, encompassing close cooperation with third countries and measures to control clandestine migratory flows and tackle the root causes of migration, is key to complement those actions and must be part of the solution to fully support the twin transition.
Amendment 87 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the EU Talent Pool Steering Group, including representatives of the cross- industry social partners organisations;
Amendment 88 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) ensuring the overall management of the EU Talent Pool, including the planning and coordination of the activities of the EU Talent Pool, which will ensure a high standard of fair recruitment and prevent unfair practices, recruitment fees and other costs;
Amendment 100 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4
Article 9 – paragraph 4
4. Representatives of the cross- industry social partners organisations at Union level shall have the right to participate as observersparticipate in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Representation of two participants from trade union and two participants from employer organisations shall be ensured by the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Those representatives shall sign a written statement declaring that they are not in a situation of conflict of interest.
Amendment 16 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) Corruption can occur within the public sector and the private sector, and at the interface between public administration and economic activities. Corrupt relations occur between the representatives of various types of stakeholders that may be active in almost all areas of social life. Within the public sector, corruption occurs mainly in those areas where economic and administrative decisions are made. The large number of concessions, licences and permits being issued and the large number of institutions controlling economic activities create opportunities for corruption.
Amendment 20 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) To combat corruption effectively, efficient exchange of information, both at national and Union level, as well as between competent authorities responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of corruption offences is crucial, particularly in view of the links between corruption and international serious and organised crime. Member States should ensure that information is exchanged in an effective and timely manner in accordance with national and Union law. This Directive, which aims to lay down common definitions of corruption offences, should serve as a benchmark for information exchange and cooperation between the competent national authorities under Directives (EU) XX/202352, (EU) 2019/115353, (EU) 2016/68154 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulations (EU) 2018/124055, (EU) 2018/186256 and (EU) 603/201357 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Decision 2008/633/JHA58. _________________ 52 See Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on information exchange between law enforcement authorities of Member States, repealing Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA, COM/2021/782 final. 53 Directive (EU) 2019/1153 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 laying down rules facilitating the use of financial and other information for the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of certain criminal offences, and repealing Council Decision 2000/642/JHA OJ L 186, 11.7.2019, p. 122. 54 Directive (EU) 2016/681 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the use of passenger name record (PNR) data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 132), Annex II, point 6. 55 Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 September 2018 establishing a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and amending Regulations (EU) No 1077/2011, (EU) No 515/2014, (EU) 2016/399, (EU) 2016/1624 and (EU) 2017/2226 (OJ L 236, 19.9.2018, p. 1), Annex, point 7. 56 Regulation (EU) 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, amending and repealing Council Decision 2007/533/JHA, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1986/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Decision 2010/261/EU, (OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, p. 56). Reference to corruption is made indirectly in the SIS II Council Decision by delimiting its scope with a reference to the European Arrest Warrant, for instance in Article 8. 57 Regulation (EU) No 603/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes, and amending Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011 establishing a European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 1). 58 Council Decision 2008/633/JHA of 23 June 2008 concerning access for consultation of the Visa Information System (VIS) by designated authorities of Member States and by Europol for the purposes of the prevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offences and of other serious criminal offences (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 129). Reference to corruption is made indirectly in the VIS Council Decision for law enforcement by delimiting its scope with a reference to the European Arrest Warrant in recital 6.
Amendment 25 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
8. ‘high level officials’ are heads of state, heads of central and regional government, members of central and regional government, as well as other political appointees who hold a high level public office such as deputy ministers, state secretaries, heads and members of a minister’s private office, and senior political officials, as well as members of parliamentary chambers, members of highest Courts, such as Constitutional and Supreme Courts, and members of Supreme Audit Institutions.
Amendment 28 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take appropriate action, such as information and awareness-raising campaigns and research and education programmes, including those which aim to have a positive social impact, in particular by increasing public awareness and socially acceptable responses to the prosecution of perpetrators of acts of corruption, to raise public awareness on the harmfulness of corruption and reduce the overall commission of corruption offences as well as the risk of corruption.
Amendment 49 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the promise, offer or giving, directly or through an intermediary, of an advantage of any kind to a public official for that official or for a third party in order for the public official to act or refrain from acting in accordance with his duty or in the exercise of that official’s functions, or to act in excess of his powers (active bribery);
Amendment 50 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the request or receipt by a public official, directly or through an intermediary, of an advantage of any kind or the promise of such an advantage for that official or for a third party, in order for the public official to act or to refrain from acting in accordance with his duty or in the exercise of that official’s functions, or to act in excess of his powers (passive bribery).
Amendment 53 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Without prejudice to the rules on cross- border cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, Member States’ authorities, Europol, Eurojust, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Commission shall, within their respective competences and with due regard for each other’s mandates, cooperate with each other in the fight against the criminal offences referred to in this Directive. To that end, where appropriate, Europol, Eurojust, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), and the Commission shall provide technical and operational assistance in accordance with their respective mandates to facilitate the coordination of investigations and prosecutions by the competent authorities. These bodies shall ensure that the actions taken are properly harmonised and that duplication is avoided.
Amendment 40 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) When introducing certification schemes and environmental footprint requirements, a balanced approach is necessary to allow industry to comply with these obligations while guaranteeing a level playing field between EU and non- EU companies. Any regulation applying burdens to strategic and critical raw materials should be subject to a “check” on economic viability.
Amendment 44 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to ensure clarity about the permitting status of Strategic Projects and to limit the effectiveness of potential abusive litigation, while not undermining effective judicial review, Member States should ensure that any dispute concerning the permit granting process for Strategic Projects is resolved in a timely manner. To that end, national competent authorities should ensure that applicants and project promoters have access to simple dispute settlement procedure and that Strategic Projects are granted urgent treatment in all judicial and dispute resolution procedures relating to the projects. In addition, this regulation should facilitate the exchange of best practices to resolve disputes, such as ad-hoc working groups under neutral arbiters to solve open issues.
Amendment 58 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) Private investment by companies, financial investors and off takers is essential. Where private investment alone is not sufficient, the effective roll-out of projects along the critical raw material value chain may require public support, for example in the form of guarantees, loans or equity and quasi-equity investments. This public support may constitute State aid. Such aid must have an incentive effect and be necessary, appropriate and proportionate. The existing State aid guidelines, which have recently undergone an in-depth revision in line with twin transition objectives, provide ample possibilities to support investments along the critical raw materials value chain subject to certain conditions. The Commission and the Member States should provide greater clarity as to how State Aid rules would be used and introduce grant, loan and tax credit mechanisms to support the EU existing industrial capacities and the creation of new facilities in the EU and third countries. These should be focused on both operational and capital expenditure.
Amendment 90 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the project would make a meaningful contribution to the security of the Union's supply of strategic and critical raw materials;
Amendment 106 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 6
Article 8 – paragraph 6
6. The national competent authority referred to in paragraph 1 shall ensure that applicants have easy access to information on and simple procedures for the settlement of disputes concerning the permit granting process and the issuance of permits for critical raw materials projects, including, where applicable, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The Board shall share and discuss best practices including those from other relevant mining regions ensuring structured and predictable formats.
Amendment 111 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 a (new)
Article 19 a (new)
Article19a The Commission shall protect European critical and strategic raw materials’ production from unfair trade practices by maintaining and strengthening trade defence measures, in order to ensure a level playing field. The EU should prioritise establishing WTO-compliant incentives to ensure a level playing field globally. These could take the form of consumer incentives for sustainable European raw materials or support to manufacture more advanced facilities.
Amendment 171 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 35 – paragraph 1
Article 35 – paragraph 1
1. The Board shall be composed of Member States, representatives of the raw materials industry and the Commission. It shall be chaired by the Commission.
Amendment 39 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses the need to intensify the search for innovative solutions (machines, equipment, digital platforms) for the sorting, reuse and management of collected textile waste up to the recycling stage;
Amendment 41 #
2022/2171(INI)
4 b. Stresses the need for all parties involved in the implementation of the transition from a linear to a circular model to work together: governments, local authorities, industry and researchers; stresses the importance of sharing knowledge and experience, identifying problems together, finding solutions and implementing them;
Amendment 68 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Stresses that all waste should be seen as a source of resources that can be recovered and reused or recycled; encourages the Commission to adopt national and regional programmes, both in the EU and in developing countries, that promote the management of waste from raw materials as secondary raw materials for further use;
Amendment 72 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Recalls that the Strategy for Sustainable Textiles creates space for research, new projects, and tools to build concepts for doing business in the sector that are different to those previously known; encourages research on and the production of new materials (taking the product's life cycle into consideration), which can be achieved by linking different production and recycling sectors;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Maintains that all of the EIB’s financial flows should be fully consistent with net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest and with the EU’s increased climate objective for 2030; iInsists that the climate transition must be inclusive and fair and that green investments must be viable; recalls that the EIB is expected to leverage its lending, financial instruments, technical assistance and advisory services in order to support citizens and businesses facing socio- economic challenges arising from the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 53 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Observes that, in ESIF matters, infringements of public procurement rules were the most frequently reported non- fraudulent irregularities, but only in 4 % of these cases was fraud detected; believes that enhanced transparency in public procurement would ensure sounder management of resources; takes the view that reducing single bids (although not possible in some areas of the economy on account of their specificities), encouraging the adoption of electronic public procurement systems, and providing training on public procurement for micro, small and medium- sized enterprises would help boost participation and facilitate public scrutiny and controls, increase competition in public contracts and allow more efficient use of EU funds in public procurement, while reducing the risk of fraud and irregularities;
Amendment 62 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. WelcomNotes the Commission’s proposals on the compulsory use of a single integrated IT system for data-mining and risk-scoring, on the increased scope and effectiveness of the early detection and exclusion system (EDES) and on the enhanced use of digitalisation and technology to increase the efficiency and quality of controls and audits; believes that these measures would strengthen the response to the increased risks of serious irregularities that followed the urgent delivery of funding under pressure in emergency situations Commission’s conclusions are flawed and that the existing dispersed system works well at detecting fraud;
Amendment 77 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. AcknowledgStrongly welcomes, on customs- related matters, the extremely close operational coordination between OLAF, EUIPO, Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO);
Amendment 95 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
Amendment 106 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Is concerned by the overall lack of action by many Member States, which is preventing the creation of a more uniform playing field in the anti- fraud landscape;
Amendment 107 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Recalls that anti-fraud coordination services (AFCOS) are a requirement in every Member State and that they should facilitate effective cooperation and information sharing with OLAF; regretcalls, however, that not all Member States effectively entrust theirentrusting additional activities to AFCOS with coordinating the fight against fraud and corruption affecting the EU’s financial interests; maintains that effective coordination at national and EU level can be achieved is optional and remains within the adopdiscretion of a national anti-fraud strategy (NAFS) that allocates tasks and defines processes and responsibilities clearlythe Member States, in accordance with Article 12a of Regulation 883/2013;
Amendment 109 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Observes that not all Member States have yet adopted a NAF; believes that even in the Member States where such strategies have been already adopted, the new anti-fraud landscape has created the need for a revision as the European Prosecutor’s Office has been operational since June 2021 and the RRF Regulation was adopted in February 2021, and there is the opportunity to reflect significant new risks, such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the recovery and resilience plans;
Amendment 111 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Appreciates that the Commission’s encouragement to Member States to adopt an NAFS has resulted in a steady increase in the number of strategies adopted; notes that by the end of 2021, 17 Member States had adopted or updated a NAFS (up from 10 in 2019 and 14 in 2020); observes that of the 10 Member States yet to adopt an NAFS, four reported that they were in the process of drafting, or close to adopting a strategy;
Amendment 113 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Remarks that in the PIF Report 2021 the Commission recommended that Member States adopt or revise an NAFS in order to take into account RRF-related risks; is aware that, however, theat adoption of NAFSs by the Member States is also to be encouraged by the Commission’s services under point 37 of the CAFS Action Plan14; calls on the Commission and OLAF to consider providing support and advice to the Member States in a more structured way taking a cross-cutting apng an NAFS is not an obligation of a Member State and does not stem from any legislation – it is only the implementation of the recommendations and good proach; _________________ 14 Commission Staff Working Document “Commission Anti-Fraud Strategy (CAFS) Action Plan - State of Play June 2021” SWD(2021) 262 final - dated 20.9.2021tice recommended by OLAF and the Commission;
Amendment 114 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Is aware that in its 2020 PIF Report the Commission made targeted recommendations to Member States aiming at enhancing cooperation and strengthening internal control frameworks; notes that attention was drawn to risk assessment and risk management, collection and analysis of data on irregularities and fraud and use of integrated and interoperable information and monitoring systems for the implementation of RRF and EU budget financed activities; regrets that not all the Member States have implemented such recommendations, and that some of them have systematically refused to do so; asks the Commission to enhance its monitoring actions for those Member States that have not provided acceptable justification for declining the follow up to the PIF recommendations;
Amendment 116 #
2022/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Recallminds thate Member States’ ineffective or untimely cooperation with the EPPO and OLAF constitutes grounds for action under the Conditionality Regul of their obligation, therefore calls on the EPPO and OLAF to report each case of lack of compliance with the Member States’ obligations to inform, to assist, to take appropriate ao cooperate in an effectionve and precautionary measures and to ensure appropriate and timely follow up of reports and recommendationstimely manner with the EPPO and OLAF;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2135(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Draws attention to the steadily worsening context in which the Union’s development and humanitarian aid policies are conducted, characterised in particular by the COVID pandemic, the relentless aggravation of the impacts of climate change and the mounting repercussions of Russia’s war in Ukraine; notes the ever- growing gap between the funds needed and those available to respond to the deepening hunger, debt and other crises and to halt the ongoing movement further away from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) instead of towards them; emphasises that, despite the numerous challenges that the EU is facing linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian aggression in Ukraine and its geopolitical and economic effects, spending on development assistance needs to be scaled up;
Amendment 15 #
2022/2135(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Takes the view that the challenges in the area of development cooperation should reflect a coordinated and coherent set of internal and external EU policies and commitments;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2105(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2098(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 148 #
2022/2082(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Notes that, in 2021, the overall cost of technical solutions to allow remote voting sessions amounted to EUR 1 275 500, including an extension of the plenary applications (EUR 120 000), the development of the EPvote application (EUR 233 500), IT support to Members (EUR 529 200), to deploy the eVoting system (EUR 250 000) and ad-hoc services to allow Members’ participation from EPLOs (EUR 142 800); points outtakes note of the importance of all of the IT systems that ensure proper remote functioning of the Parliament, points out, however, that all innovations implemented will require an investment for their maintenance in view of future uses;
Amendment 180 #
2022/2082(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 102
Paragraph 102
102. Notes with satisfaction that emissions in 2021 are lower than in 2019, with 2 501 tonnes of CO2; welcomes the fact that several practices developed or expanded in 2020 and 2021 to ensure business continuity and proved beneficial for Parliament’s environmental performance are likely to be maintained in the future, in particular measures related to digitalisation and teleworking, that helped to reduce the paper consumption (11.8 Kg/FTE in 2021 compared to 28.1 kg/FTE in 2019), the transport of documentation between the three places of work (49 tonnes of CO2 compared to 72 tonnes in 2019) and the CO2 emissions caused by commuting and travelling; further encourages the installation of solar panels on all buildings in order to increase the institution's carbon efficiency;
Amendment 196 #
2022/2082(DEC)
111a. Calls for an end to the use of external companies that are, according to Yale University's ranking1a, continuing to operate in Russia; _________________ 1a https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over- 1000-companies-have-curtailed- operations-russia-some-remain
Amendment 1 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Interim Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Interim Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 3 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 4 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Acting Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Acting Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 7 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2021;
Amendment 13 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates its deep concerns regarding the situation concerning the rule of law in a number of Member States, which is deeply worrying in its own right and leads to serious losses for the Union budget; underlines that Union funds must not be used for anti-democratic activities or for strengthening authoritarianism; welcomes the first application of the conditionality mechanism in the case of Hungary, procedure launched in November 2021 and concluded in December 2022 with the freezing of 55% of three cohesion policy programmes (around EUR 6,35 billion); reiterates its strong conviction that Member States must respect democracy and the rule of law in order to receive Union funds and draws attention to the Commission that the rule of law situation has also been deteriorating in other Member States, calls therefore on the Commission to trigger without delay the application of the conditionality mechanism whenever breaches of the principles of the rule of law are identified to be affecting or are in serious risk of affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the Union in a sufficiently direct way; moreover stresses that Parliament, Council and the Commission need to closely co-operate together as allies; uUnderlines its strong and repeated requests to the Commission and executive agencies to ensure the protection of the Union budget by making global and systematic use of digital and automated systems for reporting, monitoring and audit;
Amendment 23 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Supports the efforts the EU has made to support Ukraine via the EU’s external policy instruments, including forms of macro-financial assistance; emphasises that a broader structural instrument for financial support to Ukraine is required for all of 2023, as well as further ongoing EU support for Ukraine, including an action plan and funding for the reconstruction of the country;
Amendment 26 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls for action to boost the ‘visibility’ of efforts, and ultimately of the EU/European funding involved, among the final beneficiaries of the assistance;
Amendment 248 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 132
Paragraph 132
Amendment 31 #
2022/2047(INI)
3a. Calls for the development of new models of cooperation between the EU and developing countries, in particular with their national cultural institutions;
Amendment 48 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that the EU should develop deeper and more effective international relations in the area of culture based on partnership, long-term engagement and mutual interest and understanding;
Amendment 13 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. SUnderlines that there are approximately 87 million persons with disabilities in Europe1a; stresses that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the CRPD Committee’s 2015 recommendations1 oblige the EU as a signatory of the CRPD to end discrimination for all persons with disabilities (PwD) and to become a role model in its implementation to ensure their equal enjoyment of all human rights and full participation in all areas of society2 ; _________________ 1 https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/812354? ln=en 1a https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscor ner/detail/en/speech_21_1015 2 Petitions Nos 1077/2017 and 0226/2021.
Amendment 16 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Underlines that 37 % of the EU population aged 15 and over reported (moderate or severe) physical or sensory limitations1b; recalls that the range and level of services provided to persons with disabilities is insufficient and thus underlines that support should be tailored to individual needs; calls on the Member States to step up their efforts in providing support for persons with disabilities in the following priority areas: health, education, accessibility, employment and working conditions, independent living, coordination, living conditions, social protection and raising awareness; _________________ 1b https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php/Functional_and_acti vity_limitations_statistics#Functional_an d_activity_limitations
Amendment 47 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the Member States to ensure equal opportunities to access adequate support for persons with disabilities living in different regions, both in urban as well as in rural and remote areas;
Amendment 60 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Recalls that accessibility should go hand in hand with adequate infrastructure; encourages the Member States to increase spending from the ESF+, the ERDF and the Just Transition Fund for adapting public infrastructure, including transport, and public spaces for all;
Amendment 66 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that petitioners have repeatedly highlighted the limitations regarding the employment opportunities of persons with disabilities1c; recalls that 50.8% of persons with disabilities are in employment compared to 75% without disabilities1d; underlines, in this respect, that the COVID-19 crisis has fostered remote work, which could provide for wider access to employment for PwD, and urges the Member States to take serious measures to tackle unemployment and the payment gap11 ; _________________ 1c Petition no 1139/2020 1d Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 11 Petitions Nos 0608/2020, 1139/2021, 0226/21 and 0070/2022.
Amendment 70 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 74 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Recalls that the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 proposes creating a European Disability Card by end of 2023 with a view to be recognised in all Member States; underlines the importance of swift action in terms of implementation of the European Disability Card1g; is convinced that the European Disability Card will be a key instrument to help persons with disabilities to exercise their right to free movement in a barrier-free Europe, therefore it should be mandatory in all Member States; _________________ 1g Petition no 1249/2014
Amendment 86 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RUnderlines that persons with disabilities may also face difficulties in accessing health care, sports, culture and physical rehabilitation centres and have to contend with financial constraints or the lack or inadequacy of activities adapted to their individual conditions; reiterates that PwD, including those with mental disabilities, should have the right to the highest attainable state of health and access to healthcare, free from discrimination, of the same scope and quality as other EU citizens13 ; _________________ 13 Petitions Nos 0687/2020 and 0470/2020.
Amendment 90 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 101 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses that the Member States should take measures to strengthen the protection of persons with disabilities against discrimination;
Amendment 111 #
2022/2026(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Stresses that in the context of projected demographic changes, in particular an ageing population, the Member States should take measures to develop care services for persons with disabilities; underlines that the negative demographic trend requires an increase in the range of services and the introduction of new standards, including standards on training of staff, standards for personal assistance services, care personal assistance and care services; notes that in order to increase the level of services provided it is necessary to create standards for their provision, as well as standards of education of persons responsible for their implementation1h. _________________ 1h Petitions Nos 0544/2005, 0434/2008, 1162/2020, 1255/2020
Amendment 15 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, however, the overall number of petitions remains modest in relation to the total population of the EU, revealing that efforts still need to be stepped up to increase citizens’ awareness about their right to petition; whereas, in exercising the right to petition, citizens expect that the EU institutions will reply timely and will provide added value in finding a solution to their problems;
Amendment 39 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the main subjects of concern raised in petitions submitted in 2021 related to fundamental rights (in particular the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on the rule of law and democracy, as well on the freedom of movement and the right to work), health (notably questions on the public health crisis resulting from the persistence of the pandemic, ranging from the protection of citizens’ health, including vaccination policy, to the use, implementation and application of the EU Digital COVID Certificate in the Member States and the alleged discrimination between vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons), the environment (mostly concerning mining activities and their impact on the environment, nuclear safety, air pollution, wind farms, defective mica blocks and the deterioration of natural ecosystems), minority rights and discrimination (including the rights of national or linguistic minorities), education (in particular questions related to discriminatory access to education or contested national reforms of the law on education), the situation of EU students in the UK after the UK’s withdrawal from Erasmus+, and employment (in particular questions relating to national treatment of work contracts), in addition to many other areas of activity;
Amendment 63 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission through timely and detailed answers from the Commission, which are based on thorough examination of the issues raised in petitions, are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions:the Commission should be more actively involved in the work of the Committee on Petitions in order to ensure that petitioners receive a timely and precise response to their requests and complaints regarding the implementation of the EU law; reiterates its call on the Commission for regular updates on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant Commission documents on infringements and EU Pilot procedures which have been closed;
Amendment 95 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of delivering on EU citizens’ expectations regarding the protection of the environment, and in particular of taking action in the field of water policy to reduce pollution and hazardous residues of chemical substances; points, in this regard, to the resolution of 23 March 2021 on chemical residues in the Baltic Sea, based on Petitions Nos 1328/2019 and 0406/2020 (2021/2567(RSP))8 ; calls on the Commission to ensure that the issue of munitions dumped in European seas is included in the horizontal programmes in order to enable the submission of projects covering regions affected by the same problem and facilitate the exchange of experience and best practices; _________________ 8 Adopted by Parliament as a resolution on 27 April 2021. OJ C 506, 15.12.2021, p. 9.
Amendment 98 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Draws attention to the joint hearing of the Committee on Petitions and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of 16 June 2021 on fair and equal treatment of farmers across the European Union which focused on the CAP reform, new EU rules for direct payments and rural development after 2022;
Amendment 102 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Underlines the work of the Committee on Petitions in connection with petitions relating to alleged poor safety conditions in parking facilities for trucks and commercial vehicles on the European road network, in relation to attacks on carriers in truck parking areas; points, in this regard, to the motion for a resolution adopted by the Committee on Petitions on 6 October 2021 on the safety of truck parking lots in the EU (2021/2918(RSP))9 ; urges the Commission and the Council to take the necessary measures to establish and develop police cooperation involving the competent authorities of all Member States to prevent, detect and investigate criminal offences on roads and in parking areas; _________________ 9 Adopted by Parliament as a resolution on 25 November 2021. OJ C 224, 8.6.2022, p. 95.
Amendment 104 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Underlines the work of the Committee on Petitions in connection with petitions relating to alleged poor safety conditions in parking facilities for trucks and commercial vehicles on the European road network, in relation to attacks on carriers in truck parking areas; points, in this regard, to the motion for a resolution adopted by the Committee on Petitions on 6 October 2021 on the safety of truck parking lots in the EU (2021/2918(RSP))9 ; _________________ 9 Adopted by Parliament as a resolution on 25 November 2021. OJ C 224, 8.6.2022, p. 95.
Amendment 105 #
2022/2024(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the specific protection role played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability decreased in 2021 in comparison with the previous year; stresses that discriminataccessibility and mobility in public spaces, discrimination, inclusion and access to education and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities;
Amendment 49 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas there will be no climate justice without environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development; whereas achieving the SDGs is therefore an essential prerequisite to achieving a just transition under the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal;
Amendment 163 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the complexity of the sustainable development goals requires the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders from various environments in the process of achieving the goals; calls for an increased social and institutional partnership, cooperation and joint responsibility of public entities, business and citizens, and a greater involvement and wide-ranging interaction between public and private sectors, NGOs, the science sector and civil society at the various stages of planning and implementing development activities;
Amendment 174 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. RegretStresses the fact that efforts to mainstream the SDGs across EU policies have not maturedshould go beyond a mapping exercise; recalls that many EU internal policies not only contribute to the implementation of the SDGs, but also have a very high ecological, social and economic spillover impact on developing countries;
Amendment 220 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the annual Eurostat monitoring reports on the SDGs; Calls for an annual review of the Eurostat SDG indicator set with the systematic participation of civil society organisations, in line with the 2021 review; emphasises that sustainable development is inherently trans-national; welcomes the work that Eurostat has initiated to this end and the first attempt to partially quantify such spillover effects, but stresses that this methodology needs to be further developed to sufficiently account for the EU’s global footprint8 ; ; _________________ 8 Eurostat, European Commission, 'EU SDG Indicator set 2021 – Result of the review in preparation of the 2021 edition of the EU SDG monitoring report', 2021.
Amendment 290 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recognises the importance of voluntary local reviews and voluntary subnational reviews for the implementation of the SDGs and of developing a regular review of the implementation of the SDGs at regional and local level in the EU;
Amendment 313 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes ongoing efforts to enhance the European financial architecture for development, as outlined in the Council conclusions of 14 June 2021; welcomes in this regard the adoption of a roadmap that presents actions to ensure a more impactful, efficient, coordinated and inclusive European financial architecture for development;
Amendment 356 #
2022/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the EU to present its first official EU voluntary review and voluntary regional review at the 2023 SDG Summit and lay the groundwork for this by presenting an initial review of the five priority SDGs at the upcoming 2022 HLPF, namely, SDGs 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 14 (life below water), 15 (life on land), and 17 (partnerships for the goals)t the High- level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) ahead of the 2023 SDG Summit;
Amendment 220 #
2022/0269(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Where competent authorities establish that Article 3 has been violated, they shall without delay adopt a decision containing:
Amendment 235 #
2022/0269(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Competent authorities shall provide economic operators affected by a decision adopted pursuant to Article 6(4) the possibility of requesting a review of that decision within 15 working days from the date of receipt of that decision. In case of perishable goods, animals and plants, that time limit shall be 5 working daysa time period set at national level. The request for review shall contain information which demonstrates that the products are placed or made available on the market or to be exported in compliance with Article 3.
Amendment 238 #
2022/0269(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. A competent authority shall take a decision on the request for review within 15 working days from the date of receipt of the requesta time period set at national level. In case of perishable goods, animals and plants, that time limit shall be 5 working days.
Amendment 292 #
2022/0269(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1
Article 26 – paragraph 1
1. In order to facilitate effective implementation and enforcement of this Regulation, the Commission mayshall make every effort, as appropriate, to cooperate, engage and exchange information with, amongst others, authorities of third countries, international organisations, civil society representatives and business organisations. International cooperation with authorities of third countries shall take place in a structured way as part of the existing dialogue structures with third countries or, if necessary, specific ones that will be created on an ad hoc basis.
Amendment 2 #
2022/0212(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with deep concern that the brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine and its worldwide effects have dramatically increased food and energy prices, disruptions to trade and investments, and humanitarian assistance needs, which were already under pressure because of funding gaps and the multiplication of crises in the world; calls to significantly increase humanitarian aid to address the unprecedented gap between needs and available resources, which currently stands at $36.9 billion – the highest ever1; _________________ 1 OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2022, Mid-Year Update, https://reliefweb.int/report/world/global- humanitarian-overview-2022-mid-year- update-snapshot-21-june-2022.
Amendment 10 #
2022/0212(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is extremely alarmed by the deepening food insecurity, with up to 345 million people across 82 countries estimated to be acutely food insecure in 20222; calls for additional funding for the “Prosperity” thematic programme of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe) to help partner countries develop resilient sustainable agri-food systems and reduce their dependence on food imports; calls for the EU to invest in interventions on food security in partnership with developing countries, since investing in food and nutrition is key to building human capital and achieving the SDGs; _________________ 2 WFP Global Operational Response Plan 2022, June Update, https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP- 0000140306/download/?_ga=2.9396989.99 022134.1657279887- 893066287.1657279887.
Amendment 18 #
2022/0212(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the need to support partner countries to buy and eventually produce vaccines and treatments, as well as to develop more robust health systems and close access gaps to essential health services; invites the Commission to strengthen its support for global programmes and initiatives to promote safe and affordable access to vaccines and medicines in developing countries;
Amendment 52 #
2022/0196(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Chapter VI a (new)
Chapter VI a (new)
Amendment 131 #
2022/0162(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 22 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 22 – point b
(b) a situation caused by natural disasters, man-made crisis such as wars and other conflicts or extraordinary circumstances having comparable effects related, inter alia, to climate change, public and animal health, food security and food safety emergencies and global health threats such as pandemics and epidemics, environmental degradation, privation of access to energy and natural resources or extreme poverty;
Amendment 221 #
Amendment 229 #
2022/0162(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 131
Article 131
Amendment 234 #
2022/0162(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 138 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4
Article 138 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4
Amendment 7 #
2022/0142M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that VPAs represent an important legal framework for the EU and its partner countries, and that they are made possible by the commitment of stakeholders and their good cooperation; stresses, in this regard, that VPAs with new partners should be promoted;
Amendment 8 #
2022/0142M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Is aware that the amount of timber traded between the EU and Guyana is small, accounting for 8% of Guyana’s timber exports; feels that the VPA will not only contribute to greater transparency in the timber trade, but may also open up greater opportunities for Guyana to export this natural resource to the EU and to new markets, thus enhancing the country’s development prospects;
Amendment 12 #
2022/0142M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that the success of governance, trade and law enforcement in the area of forestry is also dependent on combating corruption and fraud of all kinds throughout the timber supply chain, and therefore welcomes Guyana’s efforts to achieve greater transparency and looks forward to continued positive cooperation in the fight against illegal logging and forest degradation;
Amendment 16 #
2022/0142M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that sustainable and inclusive forest management and governance is essential to achieve the objectives set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement; underlines the risks posed by Guyana’s expanding oil, gas and mining industries; notes with concernnotes the lack of coherence between regulation in the forest sector and that in the mining sector;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. reaffirms the European Investment Bank’s specific role – which is set out in Article 209 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in Article 36 of the ‘Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe’ – as the EU’s financial arm with a global reach; stresses that the EIB, as a fully EU- owned institution, is thus more appropriate for implementing the EU’s development policy objectives in line with the ‘policy first’ principle, as opposed to the EBRD, of which Russia and Belarus are members;
Amendment 172 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recognises the importance and potential of Member State development banks within the EFAD structure; calls for an inclusive approach to Member States’ development banks in accessing funding under the European development finance architecture; stresses the pressing need to boost private sector development in sub‐Saharan Africa;
Amendment 188 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. insists that the Member States honour their commitment to spend 0.7 % of their gross national income on ODA; underlines the important role of ODA as a catalyst for change and a lever for the mobilisation of other resources; considers that the European Union should strive to maintain its position as a world leader in ODA; stresses the importance of the EU’s commitment to mobilise resources for climate action and the EIB’s role in making progress in this area;
Amendment 33 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the severity and magnitude of food crises has risen since 2020, with 161 million people severely food insecure in 2021 and in need of urgent food assistance12 and five countries were considered to be at risk of famine, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria (16 states and Federal Capital Territory) and Yemen; _________________ 12 Global Report on Food Crises 2021, September update.
Amendment 40 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 48 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas many countries that are highly dependent on imported foodstuffs and fertilizers, including several that fall into the Least Developed Country (LDC) and Low-Income Food-Deficit Country(LIFDC) groups, rely on Ukrainian and Russian food supplies to meet their consumption needs; whereas many of these countries, already prior to the conflict, had been grappling with the negative effects of high international food and fertilizer prices;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas ensuring safe and secure access to water is part of improving food security and nutrition; whereas water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the global population;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas as in other areas of humanitarian and development aid, growing needs are not matched by adequate resources leading to a rapidly increasing funding gap, which requires smarter and more systemic approaches;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas women play key roles in feeding the world as farmers, caregivers and producers, – they produce 60 - 80% of food in developing countries- but have unequal access to food, and to the resources, services and assets that increase their yields and incomes or caregiving skills;
Amendment 152 #
2021/2208(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. whereas food loss and food waste are part of worldwide food insecurity and malnutrition, and increased efforts to reduce food loss and waste are a way to contribute to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition;
Amendment 17 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls the critical role of small- scale fisheries in food security and nutrition; underlines its support for the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries; notes the potential conflicts between fisheries and other emerging sectors of the blue economy;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Stresses the importance of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors responsible for the supply of proteins, which are essential for food security;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Welcomes the new EU strategy for a sustainable blue economy; regrets the lack of specific targets for fisheries and aquaculture;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Recalls that fisheries and aquaculture play a key role in creating jobs and sustaining the economy not only in the EU, but also in developing countries; regrets that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people employed in the fisheries and aquaculture sector;
Amendment 49 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the production of fishmeal and fish oil contributes to overfishing in developing countries; calls for mandatory due diligence measures to ensure that the whole seafood-industry supply chain is fair, fully traceable and free of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Welcomes the role of regional sea conventions and regional fisheries management organisations;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Highlights concerns that the development of new activities in the blue economy will lead to increased competition over space at the expense of more traditional activities, such as fishing;
Amendment 47 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the World, constituting 80% of persecuted religious believers in the World; whereas this persecution ranges from routine discrimination in education, employment and social life, through limitations on all forms of expression up to physical attacks against Christian communities, which come close to meeting the international definition of genocide,
Amendment 59 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the importance of both the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe and the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020–2024 for this goal; recalls that the use of the rule of qualified majority voting within the Council on human rights issues would result in a more effective and proactive EU foreign and security policy, and would strengthe is needed, focused on cooperation on matters of key strategic interest for the EU, while reflecting its fundamental values;
Amendment 116 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Given the fact that human rights dialogues are intended to be a central part of the EU’s foreign policy toolbox, highlights that they cannot be an end in themselves; therefore calls on the EEAS and the Council to strike a better balance between diplomacy, interests and values, more in line with the human rights objectives guiding the EU’s external action with a greater focus on a long-term perspective; underlines that in order to avoid being accused of using double standards, the EU should only promote these values which lie within its competences in line with the Lisbon Treaty and avoid being vocal on subjects which remain within the sole remit of the Member States, including the matters of conscience;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines that COVID-19 has significantly strengthened the recent trends of authoritarian regimes weakening democracy; deplores the abuse of the epidemiological crisis by these regimes to further constrain the freedom of expression and of assembly through restricting the functioning of democratic institutions, the repression of dissent, including limiting media freedom both online and offline and targeting critics with defamation campaigns, the mass use of surveillance tools, disinformation campaigns, limiting access to information through blanket internet shutdowns, bandwidth throttling and content blocking, emergency measures implemented without clear criteria for their revocation and the restrictions placed on the democratic exercise of elections, as well as using selective access to healthcare as means of discrimination against parts of populations based on ethnicity, caste or religion;
Amendment 153 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the highly negative impact of COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected women, LGBTIQ persons and vulnerable groups, including the poor, children, persons with disabilities, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, religious minorities, informal workers and persons in prison or detention, among others; stresses that vulnerable groups are also more affected by the negative economic and social consequences of the pandemic, as well as the restrictions in access to healthcare and education; notes with concern the increase in hate speech against certain vulnerable groups, in particular minority groups;
Amendment 167 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. points out that some countries have a particularly worrying track record when it comes to persecution, harassment, intimidation, kidnappings and extrajudicial killings of the human rights defenders, often linked to their work in the illegally occupied territories or their belonging to specific ethnic or religious minorities; underlines that state violence against own citizens fighting for their basic rights is a common phenomenon in many countries; calls on the EU to increase the support for non- governmental and civic organisations that support democratic changes and protection of human rights;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights the interdependence between human rights, a healthy environment and combating climate change, and welcomes the UN’s call for global recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; underlines the vital role played by environmental human rights defenders and local and indigenous populations in preserving such an environment, despite the threats of violence that they often face from those responsible for, and profiting from, environmentally harmful practices; encourages the EU and the Member States to promote the recognition of ecocide as an international crime under the Rome Statute of the ICC, and requests that the Commission study the relevance of ecocide to EU law and EU diplomacy;
Amendment 213 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 268 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Stresses that States have the primary responsibility to promote and safeguard the human rights of persons belonging to belief or religious minorities, including their right to exercise their religion or belief and their right not to believe, and to protect them against the violations of those rights, in particular, crimes against humanity and genocide;
Amendment 278 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30b. Points out that persecution and discrimination of some religious communities - notably Christians, Muslims and Jews - is taking place in large number of countries; calls on the Member States and the EEAS - while underlining inalienable right of all religious minorities to live free of harassment - to take special note of these cases and react to them accordingly;
Amendment 309 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU GHRSR-EU Magnitsky Act) as an essential addition to the EU’s human rights and foreign policy toolbox, which strengthens the EU’s role as a global human rights actor by allowing it to take restrictive measures against legal and natural persons involved in grave human rights violations in the world; condemns any arbitrary and unjustified retaliatory restrictive measures imposed on the EU or other entities as a response to the EU’s decisions under the EU GHRSR-EU Magnitsky Act; regretstakes note of the fact that the Council has decided to apply unanimity instead of qualified majority voting when adopting sanctions on human rights issues;
Amendment 328 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Reaffirms the inalienable human rights of migrants and refugees, and calls for the EU and its Member States to fully uphold them in their cooperation with third countries, both in terms of the establishment of high legal standards and, equally importantly, their operationalisation in order to ensure the effective protection of these rights in practice; reiterates its call on the Commission to carry out a review of the human rights impact of migration policy frameworks and of the EU’s cooperation on migration with third countries; underlines the risks related to informal arrangements on return and readmission, which are not subject to judicial scrutiny and therefore do not allow for effective redress for human rights violations suffered by migrants and asylum seekers; is of an opinion that supporting peace, stability and economic wellbeing in potential states of origin is the best way of reducing the irregular migratory flows, that allows people to stay in their homeland; in this regards, calls on the European Commission to study best ways of engagement with these countries wherever possible;
Amendment 335 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Equally, calls for independent, effective mechanisms to monitor formal readmission agreements, both at the EU’s borders and in partner countries in order to ensure full respect for human rights, including the principle of non-refoulement; recalls that the right to asylum is guaranteed by Article 18 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; expresses its hope that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, including the new European Union Agency for Asylum, will help the EU Member States in creating efficient, properly functioning asylum systems, improving protection for asylum seekers and respecting the principles of the fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity among Member States; reiterates the need for a European agreement on a humanitarian visa or on the use of the European Temporary Protection Directive;
Amendment 361 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Calls on the HR/VP and the Council to pay special attention to the human rights situation in the illegally occupied territories in the Eastern Partnership countries, and take effective measures with the aim to prevent grave human rights abuses on the ground, including the violation of right to life, restriction of freedom of movement, and discrimination on the ground of ethnicity;
Amendment 402 #
2021/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46a. Stresses that freedom of speech and expression, as well as media pluralism, are at the heart of resilient democratic societies; urges that the best possible safeguards against ongoing disinformation campaigns and hostile propaganda originating from authoritarian states and non-state actors, such as terrorist groups be put in place by developing a legal framework both at EU and international level for tackling hybrid threats, including cyber and information warfare;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2180(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 9 #
2021/2180(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 27 #
2021/2180(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the Commission to present in its next reports a chapter on the compliance of the institutions of the European Union with the rule of law, in particular on the situation within the Commission itself. The EU institutions should resolve numerous internal problems, such as: lack of transparency, obstruction of access to documents, the 'revolving door' problem, and corruption;
Amendment 43 #
2021/2180(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes with concern that the contracts signed by the Commission with pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines have clauses that have not been published in their entirety for over a year;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2180(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Stresses that NGOs should be obliged to disclose their sources of funding; stresses that all European bodies must disclose and publish a list of all NGOs they fund and the amount of this funding in order to be in compliance with the principle of transparency and the right of EU citizens to information;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2180(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the Commission’s annual rule of law reports to resolutely fight against systemic corruption and devise effective instruments for preventing, combating and sanctioning corruption and fighting fraud, as well as for regularly monitoring the use of public funds, including recovery and resilience facility funds. The Commission should focus in the coming years on the fight against corruption and organised crime, which have been fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised crime groups are currently earning huge amounts of money from the trade in counterfeit medicines, vaccines, other medical equipment and false certificates.
Amendment 20 #
2021/2178(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the EU to actively support the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an ambitious economic integration initiative which presents a major opportunity for African countries to boost inclusive growth, enable sustainable development, reduce poverty and improve living standards; notes that the AfCFTA paves the way for a fundamental transformation of the continent’s development prospects;
Amendment 47 #
2021/2178(INI)
4. Welcomes the reform of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences as one of the EU’s key trade instruments for supporting developing countries in their efforts to promote sustainable development, reduce poverty and ensure respect for human rights; welcomes, in particular, the aim to facilitate increased economic growth and, job creation, stimuli to investment and the development of the private sector in developing African countries; calls on the EU to make sure that European trade policy does not contradict efforts by African partners to establish viable economic structures.
Amendment 48 #
2021/2178(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses that Africa is a key geographical priority in the EU's new trade strategy; underlines in this regard the importance of a more robust dialogue between the EU and Africa, a deepening of trade agreements in response to increased demand from African partners for the partnership to be extended beyond the trade in goods, and the implementation of initiatives to facilitate investment;
Amendment 88 #
2021/2178(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that deepening and expanding economic partnership agreements must go hand in hand with strong support for the AfCFTA, as the two are mutually reinforcing;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses that investment has a positive impact on growth and jobs, not only in the EU but also in developing countries, but investors must actively contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals of the host states, including by supporting the local economy through technology transfer, utilising local labour and local production;
Amendment 63 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 8 – point 1 (new)
(1) Stresses that EU investment policy vis-à-vis developing countries must focus on stimulating and supporting investment flows that create jobs and reduce poverty;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2166(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission communication of 29 April 2021 entitled ‘Better regulation: Joining forces to make better laws’ (COM(2021)0219) and its commitment to ensuring that every legislative proposal contributes to the 2030 sustainable development agenda; stresses the importance of involving citizens, businesses and stakeholders in the decision-making process;
Amendment 30 #
2021/2166(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses the importance of a holistic perspective that takes into account the impact on the SDGs as whole, where all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social, and environmental – are considered with the same level of detailed analysis and accuracy, taking into account both qualitative and quantitative evidence;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2163(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has, on the one hand, created a number of logistical obstacles for international organisations carrying out aid operations, whilst on the other hand, these logistical challenges have contributed to a number of changes in the way aid programmes are implemented, particularly in terms of boosting the importance of locating humanitarian aid;
Amendment 118 #
2021/2163(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the importance of civil society in delivering aid and especially that of religious actors, cooperation with whom is crucial if we are to deliver aid to those who need it most; underlines that church figures have long taken the lead in providing basic social services in the field and remain when many others have departed; calls on the Commission to adopt a partnership strategy with churches and religious organisations in the area of development and humanitarian cooperation;
Amendment 141 #
2021/2163(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the fact that while humanitarian aid seeks to tackle immediate, life-threatening situations, crises are caused by drivers that require long-term solutions; calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to adopt a communication developing a clear policy on a humanitarian-development-peace nexus in order to bridge the gaps between the individual policy areas; stresses that the aid system as things stand is extremely overburdened and does not ensure adequate coordination between humanitarian interventions and development projects, often failing effectively to satisfy the requirements of those most in need; calls for the EU and the Member States to swiftly implement this nexus approach, with a particular focus on preventing conflicts, tackling hunger, boosting healthcare systems, providing education and livelihood opportunities, and building resilience, while protecting the rights of vulnerable groups;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2158(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Draws attention to the context in which official development assistance (ODA) is now provided, marked by the COVID pandemic and the global health crisis, the aggravating climate crisis, the relentless growth of the needs of humanitarian aid caused mainly by rising instability and conflicts in fragile countries, developing countries’ woefully inadequate financial and other resources to respond to the challenges they face, the reversal of the progress towards key Sustainable Development Goals, including those to eradicate poverty and hunger, and the continued global failure to scale up climate action to the urgent need;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2158(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists that the Union and its Member States scale up their ODA and climate finance so as to honour their commitments, that maximum efficiency of the spending be sought, that policy coherence for development (PCD) be practiced in a more convincing way and that new efforts to create an enabling international environment for domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) be made; takes the view that well-functioning PCD and support for DRM should be considered part and parcel of sound financial management as these are means to increase the efficiency of EU action which do not need to imply significant additional costs to the Union budget;
Amendment 101 #
2021/2146(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Recalls that the crisis at the EU- Belarus border caused by the Lukashenka regime's hybrid warfare is being kept under control thanks to FRONTEX;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls for buildings to be modernised in order to meet zero-emission standards, in particular by installing solar panels on all buildings belonging to the Agency;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2138(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes the gender distribution within the Authority’s senior management members, with 3 out of 5 being women (60 %); notes the gender distribution within the Authority’s management board, with 3 out of 6 being of the same gender (50 %); further notes the gender distribution within the Authority’s overall staff, with 134 out of 250 being men (53,60 %); points out, however, that, in the recruitment of new staff and in connection with promotions, the Authority should bear in mind that candidates’ skills, knowledge and experience are the most important factors; points out that the need for a geographical balance among staff members should also be borne in mind;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2138(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls for buildings to be modernised in order to meet zero-emission standards, in particular by installing solar panels on all buildings belonging to the Authority;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2122(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Asylum discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 22 #
2021/2115(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Is aware of the EEAS efforts to achieve a meaningful geographical representation while respecting the competences and merits of candidates and reiterates, in this regard, the necessary provision of additional SNEs to face the EEAS’ increasing workload; urges the EEAS to continue its efforts to improve the geographical representation, as this is a recurring problem, especially in the positions of Heads of Delegation and middle and senior management; observes that at the end of 2020 EEAS staff included nationals from all Member States and welcomes the efforts made by the EEAS to keep the Human Resources Network of Member States informed about the composition of staff, to publish vacancies and to promote national efforts to increase the number of candidates;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2115(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Considers it important to ensure a balanced representation of countries that joined the Union after 2004 or later (EU13) and thus, welcom; notes that the number of staff from these Member States at the end of 2020 had increased by 6 % compared to the previous year; points out that the share of EU13 in the EEAS staff is 23 % at the end of 2020, which is more than the share within the Union population, which corresponds to 20 %;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 10 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Recalls that key performance indicators are a widely recognized tool for measuring achievement against targets; calls on the Council to provide summaries of its key performance indicators and the related results in its management reports;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Regrets the lack of information on the implementation of the Council’s gender action plan and the measures taken to ensure equal opportunities for persons with disabilities at the Council as a workplace; calls on the Council to provide information on gender balance, geographical distribution and disabilities of its members of staff and on the related internal policies in force;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 35 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Encourages the Council to maintain control over its own technical systems, provide stronger safeguards for privacy and increase security and transparency for the public;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Emphasises Parliament's prerogative to grant discharge pursuant to Article 319 TFEUof the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union as well as the applicable provisions of the Financial Regulation and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure; reiterates that this prerogative allows the Union to maintain transparency, democratic scrutiny and in line with current interpretation and practice, namely, the power to grant discharge in order to maintain transparency and to ensure democratic accountability towards Union taxpayers;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
Amendment 42 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Stresses that the current situation, where Parliament can only check the reports of the Court and of the European Ombudsman as well as the information on the Council’s website but does not receive written or oral answers from the Council during the annual discharge procedure, i.e., the Council refuses to collaborate with Parliament in the context of the annual budgetary discharge procedure, makes it impossible for Parliament to make an informed decision on granting discharge, and that this has a lasting negative effect on both institutions and discredits the management and democratic scrutiny of the Union budget; regrets the Council’s continuing refusal to engage in loyal cooperation in the framework of the discharge procedure that has lasted for more than a decade;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2108(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Believes that a revision of the Treaties is necessary to streamlineIn respect of the Council's specific role as an institution giving recommendations on the discharge procedure, making it clearer and more transparent, especially by giving Parliament the explicit competence to grant discharge to all institutions, bodies, offices and agencies individuallyreiterates its requests to the Council to give discharge recommendations with respect to the other Union institutions;
Amendment 49 #
2021/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Reminds that the fight against Legionella bacteria is one of the most important tasks in the field of water treatment and disinfection;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Recalls the support by the vast majority of Parliament for a single seat to ensure efficient spending of Union taxpayers’ money and to assume its institutional responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint; recalls that Parliament’s plenary has previously requested a debate on its right to determine its own working arrangements and committed itself to initiating an ordinary treaty revision procedure under Article 48 of the Treaty on the European Union with a view to proposing changes necessary to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Protocol 6 to allow it to decide on the location of its seat and its internal organisation4 ; calls on the Council to take into account Parliament's position; _________________ 4Report A7-0350/2013 available at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/A-7-2013-0350_EN.pdf
Amendment 114 #
2021/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Welcomes the achievements made so far as a result Parliament’s gender mainstreaming policy, in reaching gender parity at the level of Directors and 40% of women employed at the level of Heads of Unit; notes that there is still significant room for improvement at the level of Directors-General with currently 23% of women employed at this level; calls on Parliament to aim to reach gender parity at all three levels by 2024; Reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when the Bureau discusses general matters affecting its staff policy, and repeats its request to the Secretary-General to take the appropriate measures to implement this key approach; reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to take further steps to ensure transparency and fairness during senior management appointment procedures, in particular in light of the Court of Justice’s judgment from 14 July 2021 in case T670 / 19 against the European Parliament; reiterates its call on the Secretary-General to insist on the need for a genuine geographical balance in the form of proportional representation of all Member States at all levels of staff, including top management; asks for the full implementation of the measures recommended in Parliament’s resolution of 18 April 2018, notably that officials from staff representative bodies sit on Parliament’s senior management selection panels; calls, furthermore, to ensure consistency when it comes to external publications of senior management posts and diligence in the publication of these posts as and when they fall vacant;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the replacement of the Development Cooperation Instrument with the Global Europe Instrument coincides with a dramatic reversal of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and with rapid aggravation of the global climate crisis; insists that in the implementation of the Global Europe Instrument, maximum efficiency and effectiveness in the response to these incomparably important challenges must be sought;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 13 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that the Global Europe Instrument’s spending target of 20% for human development and social inclusion is a minimum target; calls for substantially higher expenditure in this area, given the crucial importance of health, education, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene and poverty eradication for the realisation of human rights and of a life in dignity for all, the devastating impacts of the COVID pandemic and the human rights-based approach laid down in the Global Europe - NDICI regulation, the implementation of which Parliament will scrutinise;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its deep concerns regarding the situation concerning the rule of law in a number of Member States, which is deeply worrying in its own right and may ultimately lead to serious losses for the Union budget and underlines its requests to the Commission to use all available tools to limit the risk of such losses. This should include the immediate and full application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget;
Amendment 106 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Calls on the Commission to stop unjustifiably withholding approval of National Recovery Plans and disbursement of the related funds;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 59 – point h a (new)
Ha. Calls on the Commission to encourage the UK to rejoin the Erasmus programme; calls also for the development of student and scientific exchanges for the Eastern Partnership countries, particularly Ukraine;
Amendment 197 #
2021/2106(DEC)
90a. Expresses regret that the Commission has imposed on the Member States very ambitious reduction targets for CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, when most of the buildings managed by the Commission and other EU institutions are not zero-emission; calls, therefore, on the Commission to lead by example and help in the fight against CO2 emissions by installing photovoltaic collectors on all buildings;
Amendment 243 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 108 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 108 – point k a (new)
ka. draw up a financial support plan for Ukraine to enable it to recover from the illegal aggression by Vladimir Putin’s regime;
Amendment 244 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111
Paragraph 111
111. Notes that the Court also examines the regularity of the information in the annual activity reports of the Commission, including those of its directorates-general and offices primarily responsible for administrative expenditure; notes with satisfaction that the Court estimates that the level of error in spending on “administration” was not material;
Amendment 249 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 a (new)
Paragraph 112 a (new)
Amendment 254 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 114 a (new)
Paragraph 114 a (new)
114 a. Urges the European Schools to swiftly follow up on the recommendations of the Court concerning the specific weakness founded in procurement and recruitment;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 114 b (new)
Paragraph 114 b (new)
114 b. Emphasizes, with regard to the European schools, the importance of respecting the annuality principle and of respecting payment deadlines, procurement rules and transparency in recruitment procedures;
Amendment 257 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 115
Paragraph 115
115. Welcomes the initiatives taken by the Commission to ensure gender equality and, but recalls the Commission President’s commitment to reach gender equality at all levels of managementat knowledge, merit and experience should bye the end of the current Commission mandate, which is fully supported by Parliamentmain criteria for recruitment and promotion;
Amendment 258 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116
Paragraph 116
116. URegrets the persisting geographical imbalances in the composition of the Commission staff, especially at middle and senior management levels; underlines its request for the Commission to ensure a fair geographical balance of its members of staff at all levels while at the same time fulfilling the requirements in the staff regulation in relation to competences and merits of candidates;
Amendment 262 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 a (new)
Paragraph 116 a (new)
116 a. Insists on the Commission to implement a more transparent appointment procedure for all positions especially the top management related ones;
Amendment 269 #
2021/2106(DEC)
b. continue its work in order to ensure gender equalitya geographical balance among staff members at all levels of management by the end of the current Commission mandate and to report gender-data disaggregated databy Member State;
Amendment 10 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that churches, faith- based organisations (FBOs) and religious associations have a major role in the social fabric of developing countries, are important partners in delivering humanitarian assistance to hard-to-reach communities and greatlybecause they are on the front line, work closely with people on the ground and know their needs best, and are therefore best placed to deliver aid and make a significant contributeion to sustainable development and to achieving the SDGs, in particular SDGs 3 and 4; further notes that churches and FBOs deliver in social sectors where shortcomings in state services are experienced;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that churches and FBOs are frequently the only providers of healthcare and other social services in remote areas of Syria, Iraq and sub-Saharan Africa, and in conflict-prone settings such as northern Mozambique and other crisis zones;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the activities of churches and religious leaders in the field of conflict management and mediation, and in fostering reconciliation, dialogue and peace; highlights that inter-religious dialogue is crucial, notably in conflict areas, to foster peace and reconciliation; stresses that religious and faith-based organisations are now present at every stage of the conflict-transformation cycle as they work in peace education and conflict prevention, in mediation and conflict resolution, in inter-religious dialogue, in building networks of local leaders for peace, in post-settlement social reconstruction and trauma work, and in the academies and courts where human rights, including religious freedom, are given theoretical depth and cross-cultural grounding;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make the fight against the persecution of religious minorities – in particular the persecution of Christians, who are currently the most frequently persecuted religious group in the world – a priority in the programming of activities related to EU development assistance, in line with the areas of cooperation for geographic and thematic programmes of NDICI-Global Europe;
Amendment 77 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to link the issue of religious freedom with trade treaties concluded between the European Union and its external partners;
Amendment 80 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Emphasises that, as the first organisations on the ground with many years of experience, FBOs provide essential social services and remain on the ground when many other actors leave; calls on the Commission to adopt special guidance on partnership and cooperation with churches and FBOs when it comes to development- and humanitarian assistance;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Welcomes the proposals for measures to promote the effective use and implementation of intellectual property, to facilitate access to and exchange of assets protected by intellectual property rights and to combat infringements of intellectual property rights; points out, however, that it is very important that these measures should not result in new or excessive obligations on businesses, in particular in the SME sector
Amendment 17 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Strongly encourages the Commission to assist producers and their associations as well as local authorities in developing countries in unlocking the potential of IP and reaping the economic value of local innovations, geographical indications and traditional knowledge; encourages, moreover, consultation with business representatives and their associations, as well as with other interested groups, in order to collect and analyse the available data and information, with a view to ensuring that decisions taken in this field take into account the interests of all stakeholders in the broadest and most favourable manner possible; reiterates its call, in this regard, to respect the progress achieved in the international protection of indigenous peoples’ rights over their genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that IP systems contribute to the development of new medicines, but stresses that they must comply with international human rights law and public health requirements; notes that strong IPRs may limit access to medicines in developing countries while not necessarily encouraging pharmaceutical innovation that responds to the needs of developing countries; stresses at the same time that producers of generic medicines, unlike producers of innovative medicines, tend to be more regional; asks the Commission in particular to promote regulatory solutions that encourage competition in generic medicine production while maintaining a balance between generic and innovative medicines;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. welcomes the announcement of the revision and harmonisation of the legislation on industrial designs and the recognition of the need to develop the protection of geographical indications for non-agricultural products; recognises that such measures are necessary and can have a very positive impact on business competitiveness;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
Amendment 12 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
Amendment 40 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22
Citation 22
Amendment 42 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24
Citation 24
Amendment 43 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25
Citation 25
Amendment 48 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas gender equality of men and women before the law is a value upheld by the European Union and a fundamental and universal human right;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas violence is the most extreme form of gender inequalan attack on human dignity;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas with regard to healthcare services and services relating to sexual and reproductive rights, access must be universal;
Amendment 88 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the pandemic is having a serious impact on women and girls, particularly in terms of access to education and healthcare, and is resulting in increasing gender violence and economic inequalitiesconsequences for society;
Amendment 97 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas any kind of legislation in conformity with the law must use precise language and specific, unanimous definitions that correspond to an objective truth;
Amendment 100 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas measures to combat inequalityfight for equality between men and women will be of fundamental importance to the recovery and equilibrium of society;
Amendment 105 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas achieving respect for human dignity and the equality of men and women before the law in third countries is still a challenge;
Amendment 112 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas in certain countries, women are systematically undervalued, reining in their personality, stopping them from accessing education, not permitting them to work outside the home, suffering punishments and ill-treatment and being forced into submission, which marginalises and degrades them;
Amendment 116 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas the dignity of the woman as a person is under attack in societies whose basic principles do not respect the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration, and in which practices such as female genital mutilation, forced marriage, forced abortion and deprivation of liberty are practised;
Amendment 117 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas women live with fear and the risk of suffering ill-treatment that threatens their lives and personal integrity;
Amendment 126 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. DeplorWelcomes the fact that the Council of the European Union has failed to achieve unanimity on conclusions owing to objections from four Member States to the word ‘gender’;
Amendment 146 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 154 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 158 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls for all action plans concerning EU external action to use robust language so they refer to concepts that are both universal and objective as required by any universally valid rule of law;
Amendment 160 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Points out that GAP III’s intersectional approach promotes a picture of women as victims, which devalues them, detracting from their dignity;
Amendment 164 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the need for an annual assessment of GAP results at every level and every stage, against targeted and measurable objectivesobjectives able to measure real equality between men and women that redounds to the common good for the benefit of society;
Amendment 169 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises that ideologising EU policies does not constitute a solution for improving the quality of democracy beyond our borders;
Amendment 175 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on EU missions and delegations and on the Member States to cooperate closely in the implementation of GAP IIIachieving observance of human rights, respect for people’s dignity and freedom and real equality of men and women before the law;
Amendment 185 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for close ties to be established with organisational networks and ministries in partner countries and calls for an annual dialogue regarding GAP III implementation, encompassthe establishment of a form of direct collaboration that ensures that women in situations in which their personal integrity is attacked fingd stakeholdhelters and, in particular, civil society a solution to their problems;
Amendment 193 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for funding for local women’s organisations to be increased; condemns all moves to clamp down on women’s rights activistshat champion the interests of defenceless women to be increased and urges all governments to protect, support and cooperate with civil society as it provides both them and their families with help in resolving their situation by means of measures such as offering them accommodation and sustenance, safety and legal aid, education, so they are able to have a decent and stable life with hopes for the future;
Amendment 201 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for increased funding for organisations concerned to advise on and establish the legal framework in societies in which respect for human rights has not yet been achieved;
Amendment 205 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls strongly for GAP III to be coordinated with other initiatives, such as the Spotlight Initiative, whose effectiveness needs to be improved and budget increased; achieve the goal of respect for human rights, as an issue that precedes being able to bring strategic support to social and economic problems, which will consolidate their stability;
Amendment 213 #
2021/2003(INI)
8. WelcomesPoints out that it will not be possible to address genuine needs that third states may have due to the fact that 85 % of all new external actions will be required to incorporate gender as a significant or principal objective; stresses that the objectives set should also be quantified in terms of dedicated funding and not just a percentage of the overall programmes;
Amendment 242 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for action to combat femicide and all types of violence against womeany person to be stepped up;
Amendment 261 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Points out that some violent forms of behaviour are caused by addiction to alcohol, betting or drugs. Finding a solution to this endemic evil would mean having to be more effective in lessening behaviour of this kind;
Amendment 268 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 279 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 12 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Expresses the need to respect the freedom of conscience of a large part of the population which disagrees with so-called sexual and reproductive rights so they are not discriminated against and persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression;
Amendment 284 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 293 #
2021/2003(INI)
Amendment 307 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Declares that so-called sexual and reproductive health rights represent an attack on the identity of women because they make them renounce highly important aspects of their femininity, such as fertility or motherhood, by advocating against said aspects;
Amendment 309 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Expresses its concern over the imposition of so-called sexual and reproductive health rights in agreements with third parties, as this represents a manipulation that takes advantage of the vulnerability of certain countries in need, undermining their sovereignty and destroying their culture and traditions;
Amendment 310 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Points out that the imposition of contraception and abortion represents an assault on the physical and moral integrity of women;
Amendment 311 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Urges the promotion of actions in support of pregnant women in vulnerable situations, as proposing abortion as the only option constitutes a manipulation that predisposes them towards one irreversible direction, infringing their freedom and going against the natural longing to become a mother;
Amendment 320 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Urges the taking of measures to encourage and raise awareness of the importance of education for girls, and monitoring to prevent absenteeism or early school leaving throughout the whole of their education until they have completed their training;
Amendment 326 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Draws attention to the inequalities and disparPresses for rectification of any inequalities between women and men regarding access to healthcare and the quality of healthcare provided; calls for universal access to facilities for the preventiinformation on, diagnosis, care and treatment of female and sexually transmitted diseases;
Amendment 346 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reiterates that the crisis is affecting women’s and men’s access to the labour market; stresses the need for the inclusion of a gender dimension in all recovery plans;
Amendment 364 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for GAP III to promote women’s economic activity and their access to the necessary resources and social protection; calls for measures to help make women more employable and provide them with business opportunities that can act as a driver for entrepreneurship to achieve family and social stability;
Amendment 368 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls for GAP III to take a non- ideological approach in order to care for people in precarious situations who need social protection and resources;
Amendment 407 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that women are under- represented at every levelcan provide a complementary and enriching view of political and public life; calls for programme funding totheir presence to be ensured through programmes that promote the training and participation of women;
Amendment 412 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that the great contribution female leadership brings to society should encourage and drive us to continue actively involving women in entrepreneurship;
Amendment 434 #
2021/2003(INI)
21. Stresses the importance of the contribution made by women to promoting dialogue, forging coalitions and mediating for peace; calls on the EU to promote greater participation by women inenrich peacekeeping and further peacebuilding through the participation of women;
Amendment 442 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the need to ensure that women and girls who have suffered sexual violence in conflict zones receive holistic care and treatment that is respectful of their health and protects life;
Amendment 459 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 471 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Points out thatto the important role of women are at the forefront when it comes to expertise in the fields of agriculture, climate and biodiversity; calls for them to be givenstates that because of the positive impact this may bring to regional development, this deserves to be supported in the form of funding, legislative framework provisions and access to resources;
Amendment 485 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for women and girls to be given betterbetter universal access to digital tools and training in the use thereof and for measures to be taken to promote theirwomen’s natural advancement in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the STEM professions);
Amendment 493 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the need for digital platforms to be suitably regulated in order to combat gender-based online violence and cyberbullying; calls for greaterthe involvement of women in the design, manufacture and development of artificial intelligence applications in order to combat the perpetuation of gender stereotyping and prejudichave a full picture;
Amendment 507 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
Amendment 517 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Reiterates that the EU has to remain faithful to the principle of neutrality by contributing value that encompasses a number of approaches and points of view which promote real equality between men and women and avoid a single-track biased ideological vision;
Amendment 519 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the EUR 33 billion pledged at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris; calls for the annual monitoring of agreed actions and their implementation in practiceRegrets that the pledged EUR 33 billion is earmarked for goals established at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris as these are primarily ideological propaganda and not a real direct contribution to achieving respect with dignity for women and that they are able to participate freely in society;
Amendment 523 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. RecallsTakes note of the Commission’s commitment to earmark EUR 4 billion from the external budget to women and girls and to increase funding for women’s organisations; calls for these commitments to be clarified;
Amendment 536 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Points out once again that intergenerational dialogue, unity and commitment on the part of men and boysall are crucial to bringing about societal change and creating a true Generation Equalityof free people with values directed at the common good;
Amendment 121 #
2021/0422(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point j
(j) the manufacture, production, processing, handling, use, holding, storage, transport, import, export or disposal of radioactive material falling within the scope of Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom46, Council Directive 2014/87/Euratom47or Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom48, which causes or is likely to cause death or serious injury to any person or substantial damage to the quality of air, the quality of soil or the quality of water, or to animals or plants; _________________ 46 Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, and repealing Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom (OJ L 13, 17.1.2014, p. 1). 47 Council Directive 2014/87/Euratom of 8 July 2014 amending Directive 2009/71/Euratom establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations (OJ L 219, 25.7.2014, p. 42–52). 48 Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom of 22 October 2013 laying down requirements for the protection of the health of the general public with regard to radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption (OJ L 296, 7.11.2013, p. 12).
Amendment 129 #
2021/0422(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Member States shall ensure that agricultural producers, when they carry out agricultural production in accordance with the requirements of the common agricultural policy, are excluded from criminal liability for their environmental impact.
Amendment 104 #
2021/0366(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) ‘plantation forest’ means an artificially planted forest that is intensively managed and meets, at planting and stand maturity, all the following criteria: - one or two species, even age class, and regular spacing. It includes; - short rotation plantations for wood, fibre and energy, and excludes forests planted for protection or ecosystem restoration, as well as forests established through planting or seeding which at stand maturity resemble or will resemble naturally regenerating forests; ;
Amendment 107 #
2021/0366(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
(6) ‘forest degradation’ means harvesting operations that are not sustainable and cause a long-term reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of forest ecosystems, resulting in the long-term reduction of the overall supply of benefits from forest, which includes wood, biodiversity and other products or services;
Amendment 178 #
2021/0366(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. However, if the operator obtains or is made aware of anysubstantiated information that would point to a risk that the relevant commodities and products may not fulfil the requirements of this Regulation, all obligations of Article 9 and 10 have to be fulfilled.
Amendment 20 #
2021/0300M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Underlines its support for the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries;
Amendment 30 #
2021/0300M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the amount allocated to the sectoral support component and encourages this allocation to be used to improve research, surveillance and control of fishing activity, support for coastal communities and the sustainable development of Mauritania’s fisheries sector;
Amendment 45 #
2021/0300M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Welcomes the recruitment of Mauritanian seamen on EU vessels and the transfer of free donations of fish to Mauritania as part of the implementation of the fisheries agreements between Mauritania and the Member States carrying out fishing activities in these areas; stresses that these activities benefit the local labour market and coastal communities;
Amendment 1 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Since 1971, the Community has granted trade preferences to developing countries under its Generalised Scheme of Preferences (‘GSP’), which is one of the Union’s key trade instruments.
Amendment 88 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 16
Article 19 – paragraph 16
16. Where the Commission considers that there is sufficient evidence to justify temporary withdrawal for the reason set out in paragraph 1, point (a) and the exceptional gravity of the violations calls for a rapid response in view of the specific circumstances in the beneficiary country, it shall initiate the procedure for temporary withdrawal under the rapid response mechanism in accordance with paragraphs (3) to (15). However, the period referred to in paragraph 4, point (b) is reduced to 2 months and the deadline referred to in paragraph 8 is reduced to 5 months.
Amendment 2 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Draws attention to the fact that the COVID pandemic is dealing a heavy blow to developing countries, with already poor and vulnerable people taking the hardest hits and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals in many cases being replaced by regress; underlines the need to continue supporting developing countries in terms of access to COVID-19 vaccines; stresses that this is key to saving life, building human capital and stimulating economic recovery in such countries; considers that the current crisis is exacerbating inequalities throughout the world and that without access to vaccines, the gulf will become even wider;
Amendment 9 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that development assistance together with substantial debt relief and further development of international tax cooperation is badly needed to shore up public finances, avert damaging austerity measures and prevent that spending on COVID vaccination crowds out other crucial expenditure; calls on the European Commission to define a comprehensive European debt relief strategy towards developing countries; stresses, however, that debt relief is an ad hoc measure and that in the longer term there is a need to support developing countries in implementing systemic reforms so that they can address their immediate and urgent health, education and social protection needs while at the same time avoiding insolvency;
Amendment 15 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out the urgency of scaling up funds for health care, food security and nutrition, education, and social protection and gender equality and to reinforce the People - Global Challenges line from the Emerging challenges and priorities cushion; stresses that human development should be prioritised in geographical lines;
Amendment 20 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to ensure that it will be able to convincingly demonstrate adherence to the NDICI regulation’s provisions on expenditure for social inclusion and human development, gender, climate, biodiversity and migration objectives and full respect of the requirement that 93% of the NDICI expenditure shall qualify as official development assistance; insists on the need to increase ODA, in particular to least developed countries, so as to contribute to fulfilment of the EU’s and its Member States’ collective pledges;
Amendment 22 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
With regard to the first subparagraph, point (a), (b), or (c), gas and electricity from renewable sources shall be considered only once for the purposes of calculating the share of gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources. Energy produced from renewable fuels of non-biological origin shall be accounted in the sector - electricity, heating and cooling or transport - where it is consumed. For the purposes of point (b), Member States may decide to count renewable fuels and electricity produced from renewable sources and used for the production of heat and cold in the heating and cooling sector in accordance with Article 23(7) and 24(4b).Renewable fuels and electricity counted towards point (b) shall not be taken into account for the purposes of achieving the goals set out in point (a) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 of this Article. Where a Member State decide to count renewable fuels and electricity produced from renewable sources towards point (b) it will notify its decision to the Commission one year before the introduction of such a mechanism.
Amendment 27 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point a
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
That increase shall be of 1.5 percentage pointsmandatory for Member States where waste heat and cold is used. In that case, Member States may count waste heat and cold up to 40 % of the average annual increase.
Amendment 28 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point a
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 29 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point b Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point b Directive (EU) 2018/2001
4. Member States shall endeavour to increase the share of energy from renewable sources and from waste heat and cold in district heating and cooling by at least 21.1 percentage points as an annual average calculated for the period 2021 to 2025 and for the period 2026 to 2030, starting from the share of energy from renewable sources and from waste heat and cold in district heating and cooling in 2020, and shall lay down the measures necessaryintroduce appropriate measures to that end. The share of renewable energy shall be expressed in terms of share of gross final energy consumption in district heating and cooling adjusted to normal average climatic conditions.
Amendment 30 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 25 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 25 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) the amount of renewable fuels and renewable electricity supplied to the transport sector, including electricity used for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin used in the transport sector, leads to a greenhouse gas intensity reduction of at least 138 % by 2030, compared to the baseline set out in Article 27(1), point (b), in accordance with an indicative trajectory set by the Member State;
Amendment 31 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 25 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 25 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Amendment 37 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point b
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 27 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Article 27 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Amendment 38 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point c
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 27 – paragraph 1a
Article 27 – paragraph 1a
Amendment 40 #
2021/0218(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point e – point ii
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point e – point ii
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 27 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 4
Article 27 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 4
Where electricity is used for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin, either directly or for the production of intermediate products, the average share of electricity from renewable sources in the country of production, as measured twoin the last years before the year in question, shall be used to determine the share of renewable energy.;
Amendment 85 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the EU to address the root causes of biodiversity loss and to mainstreaminclude obligations on conservation and the sustainable use of resources into broader development policies;
Amendment 92 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of biodiversity is vital to achieve many other policy objectives, including human health, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and water and food security; stresses however that EU’s biodiversity objectives and targets need to be realistic and feasible, therefore they should build upon a sound scientific knowledge and thorough assessment of the current biodiversity status and trends;
Amendment 98 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the EU and its Member States to support the global recognition of the right totep up their efforts to ensure a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment at the UN General Assembly and to examine the case for giving legal personality to natureglobally;
Amendment 119 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
8. RegretNotes the fact that the EU budget for supporting external biodiversity policy remains considerably low in comparison with that earmarked for climate change policies;
Amendment 127 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the EU to mainstreaminclude biodiversity into all relevant policy areas, notably agriculture, fisheries, energy, mining, trade and climate change;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses that sustainably managed and multifunctional forests are important part of green infrastructure which provides a home for thousands of species and that about 50% of Natura 2000 sites are forests; thus emphasizes that management practices applied in European forests clearly show that the ecological functions of forest ecosystems and biodiversity can be maintained in managed forests along with all other functions;
Amendment 142 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for the protection and restoration of forests to be prioritiaddressed in the upcoming NDICI;
Amendment 154 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 169 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for the EU to put an end to the double standards towards pesticides whereby hazardous substances banned in the EU can be exported from the Union; believes however that adopting overly ambitious quantitative reduction targets in a relatively short period may result in different pace of adjustment in different Member States and lead to a segmentation of the single food market, both of which would undermine the achievements of the EU's cohesion policy so far;
Amendment 193 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that in order to be enforceable, the environmental objectives of the EU’s free trade agreements (FTAs) must be clear, quantifiable, verifiable and include sanctions for non-complianc and verifiable;
Amendment 237 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Underlines the factat damages to thate environmental crime poses a global threat to sustainable have an impact on development, stability and security;
Amendment 242 #
2020/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
Amendment 5 #
2020/2260(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Urges a shift away from trade- oriented agricultural policies and towardsStresses the need to support for food sovereignty and local and regional markets; recalls that agroecology’s capacity to reconcile the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability has been widely recognised; expresses support for reducing dependence on pesticides and antimicrobials and restricting over- fertilisation in order to reduce air, soil and water pollution and reverse biodiversity loss, but draws attention to the potential risks of over-ambitious quantitative reduction targets within the relatively short period of 10 years; stresses that the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is affecting all countries, is not conducive to undertaking such measures, which may have the direct consequence of reducing agricultural production and its contribution to global food security, including the implementation of a plan to increase the surface area of organic production to 25%, and that carrying out such a radical transition over a relatively short period of time may result in varying paces of adjustment in different countries and lead to segmentation of the food market;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2260(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. RegretNotes that increasing vertical and horizontal concentration in the agri-food sector reinforces the industrial food and farming model; believes that the Green New Deal requires the creation of a new anti-trust environmentcalls for the dissemination of expertise, improved efficiency and increased innovation in the agri-food sector;
Amendment 59 #
2020/2260(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the EU-Mercosur Agreement is inconsistent with the Farm to Fork Strategy, in particular its reduction of dependence on animal feed, and the shift to a more plant-based diet and shorter supply chains; believes that EU trade policy should make the granting of preferences and closer cooperation with third countries conditional on them adopting and implementing in practice ambitious goals in key areas, such as animal welfare, the use of pesticides and the fight against antimicrobial resistance; is disappointed that the farm to fork strategy does not contain an explicit declaration that equivalent requirements will be applied in relation to animals and agri- food products imported from third countries. This is a key element that should be clearly set out both in the strategy and in all implementing documents. In the absence of such a requirement the strategy will fail since the significant increase in the cost of agri- food production in the European Union on account of the ambitious new targets will mean that hundreds of thousands of EU farmers will have to stop production, and the EU market will be flooded by cheap products from third countries which do not meet the requirements set out in the strategy and the implementing documents;
Amendment 86 #
2020/2260(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that the costs of the transition must not lead to a decline in farm viability, and that compliance with higher environmental standards must entail an increase in economic scale; stresses, in particular, that the new model for implementing the Common Agricultural Policy should seek to reduce the risk of lower absorption by final beneficiaries as a result of increased conditionality requirements;
Amendment 90 #
2020/2260(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Stresses the urgent need to strengthen the position of farmers in the market chain; points out that one of the measures needed is to provide (institutional and financial) support to help agricultural producers organise common economic structures (e.g. cooperatives, organisations, groups) that will increase the economic viability, competitiveness and profitability of farms, and enhance the process of creating SMEs, especially micro-enterprises in rural areas, thereby strengthening entrepreneurship;
Amendment 98 #
2020/2260(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Is disappointed that the publication of such a key document for the agri-food sector was not preceded by a thorough assessment of the impact of its introduction on the individual agri-food branches in the short, medium and long term;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 25 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the elimination of harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and early and forced child marriage; is extremely concerned that more than 200 million girls and women worldwide have been forced to undergo FGM; underlines that according to World Health Organisation, female genital mutilation harms girls and women in many ways and can cause long-term health complications; stresses that early and forced child marriage is a human rights violation and often results in making young girls vulnerable to violence, discrimination and abuse; calls for full access to physical and psychological care by interculturally sensitive and trained personnel;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Condemns any violations of SRHR, including failures to provide access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), family planning services andfailures to provide access to maternal healthcare;
Amendment 39 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 51 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 60 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for theAcknowledges that Gender Action Plan III to give more prominence to its SRHR thematic policy area givenshould be focused on the problems of FGM, early and forced child marriages and the tremendous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls in developing countries;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 79 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 93 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates its call on both parties of the new agreement between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States to commit to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of SRHR free from discrimination, coercion and violence and to the full implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Actiontection of vulnerable girls and women from FGM practices, early and forced child marriages, poverty, social inequality, violence and abuse, as well as to commit to the protection of girls and women who are exposed to vulnerability due to disabilities, widowhood or orphanhood;
Amendment 105 #
2020/2215(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that asylum seekers and refugees are too often victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution; insists that access to SRHR for these populations is critical for calls for ensuring adequate assistance to the victims and protection from furtheir survivalexploitations.
Amendment 2 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19
Citation 19
Amendment 3 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas there are approximately 87 million persons with disabilities in Europe1a; _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscor ner/detail/en/speech_21_1015
Amendment 4 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas 37 % of the EU population aged 15 and over reported (moderate or severe) physical or sensory limitations1b; _________________ 1b https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php/Functional_and_acti vity_limitations_statistics#Functional_an d_activity_limitations
Amendment 5 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas petitions on disability issues reveal the difficulties encountered by persons with disabilities and the fact that they face discrimination and obstacles in everyday life and that they do not enjoy the fundamental freedoms and rights laid down in the CRPD, such as access to public transport, accessibility of the builtphysical environment, use of sign languages, financing and equal access to education and vocational training;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 8 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas petitions have repeatedly highlighted the limitations in terms of access to education for persons with disabilities, which lead to lower participation in educational activities than the population average and, as a consequence, to a risk of social and economic exclusion; whereas one person with disabilities out of four leaves the education system prematurely1c; _________________ 1c https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php?title=Archive:Disabi lity_statistics_- _access_to_education_and_training&oldi d=413588
Amendment 9 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
H b. whereas petitions have repeatedly highlighted the limitations regarding the employment opportunities of persons with disabilities; whereas the average gap between the employment rates of people with and without disabilities in the EU is 25%1d; _________________ 1dCOM(2019)653/F1 - PL (europa.eu), p.89
Amendment 10 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the creation of the role of Commissioner for Equality played an instrumentalmportant role in establishing the new Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021- 2030;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
Amendment 13 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
N a. whereas initiatives at EU level such as The Access City Award promote the adaptation of public spaces to the needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities; whereas the competition has rewarded cities that make commitments at the level of political decision-making to be inclusive for persons with disabilities and respectful of their rights, are responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities and hold a social dialogue with organisations for persons with disabilities and the elderly; whereas the adaptation of public spaces will not only help to combat social exclusion, but will also contribute to economic growth;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas several petitions illustrate the problems of accessibility for persons with disabilities to the builtphysical environment, to transport, as well as accessibility to information and communications technologies and systems (ICT), and other facilities and services provided to the public;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas several petitions prove that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the situation of persons with disabilities, including violations of persons with disabilities’ most basic human rights, such as access to healthcare treatment and, to protective measures against the spread of the disease and to education;
Amendment 20 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Recital Q a (new)
Q a. whereas due to the difficult situation during COVID-19 crisis institutions for persons with disabilities and older people, such as day centres or schools have been temporarily closed; whereas in this emergency situation the care of persons with intellectual disabilities has fallen to their family members; whereas petitioners have intervened with the Committee on Petitions regarding the institutions that have remained open, pointing to the difficult health situation, the lack of staff, the lack of protective and disinfectant products and, as a consequence, the high rates of illness and death in these institutions;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Stresses that Member States should step up their efforts in providing support for persons with disabilities in the following priority areas: health, education, accessibility, employment and working conditions, independent living, coordination, living conditions, social protection and raising awareness;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 32 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 46 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal for creation of a European Disability Card to be recognised in all Member States by end of 2023, in order to scale up the pilot project on the European Disability Card and the European parking card for persons with disabilities; is of the opinion that a European Disability Card, which should be mandatory in all Member States, will be an important key instrument to help persons with disabilities to exercise their right to free movement in a barrier- free Europe;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Regrets the fact that access to the builtphysical environment and physical accessibility were not included within the scope of the European Accessibility Act; calls on the Commission to use the European Accessibility Act as a basis for adopting a robust EU framework for an accessible and inclusive environment with fully accessible public spaces, services, including public transport, communication, administrative and financial services, and the builtphysical environment;
Amendment 72 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that there is no mutual recognition of disability status between Member States; calls on the Member States to work together in a spirit of mutual trust to recognise the status assigned in another Member State; emphasises the Commission’s goal of working with Member States to expand the scope of the mutual recognition of disability status in areas such as labour mobility and the benefits related to the conditions of service provision; underlines in this context the importance of swift action in terms of implementation of the European Disability Card;
Amendment 77 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses the urgent need for EU legislation aimed at protecting citizens against all forms of discrimination in the EU; urges the Member States to adopt the EU horizontal anti-discrimination directive tabled by the Commission in 2008; calls on the Commission to present an alternative solution in order to move forward in tackling discrimination across the EU, in all areas of life, as soon as possible;
Amendment 104 #
2020/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the fact that Member States are willing to implement inclusive educational policies, but calls on them to further increase their education systems’ capacity to provide high-quality inclusive education for all learners, and calls on the Commission to strengthen the role of the Child Guarantee in ensuring the inclusion of children with disabilities; stresses that persons with disabilities should be guaranteed access to education, including during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and Member States should tackle all forms of discrimination and exclusion in this area;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls the fundamental principle of protecting citizens’ rights as described in the Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that the Agreement protects the rights of those EU citizens and their family members who exercised their right of free movement in the UK in accordance with EU law before the end of the transition period and who have continued to reside there following its end, as well as those UK citizennationals and their families who are exercising the same right in a Member State of the EU- 27; reiterates the need for the public authorities in both the United Kingdom and the EU to ensure this principle;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the rights providguaranteed by the citizens’ rights section of the Agreement can be relied on directly by EU citizens in UK courts and by UK nationals in the courts of the Member States;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the Agreement provides a role for the Court of Justice of the EU, by permitting UK courts to ask ithe Court of Justice, under certain conditions, for a preliminary ruling on the interpretation of the citizens’ rights sectionPart Two of the Agreement for eight years following the end of the transition period;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the role of the Independent Monitoring Authority in receiving complaints and conducting inquiries regarding alleged breaches of the Withdrawal Agreementfrom the EU citizens and their family members or EEA EFTA countries’ citizens as well as conducting inquiries regarding alleged breaches by the administrative authorities of the United Kingdom of Part Two of the Withdrawal Agreement; recalls its right to bring a legal action before a competent court or tribunal in the United Kingdom;
Amendment 23 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that the Independent Monitoring Authority focuses on systemic failings in the implementation or application of Part Two of the Agreement and that individuals filing complaints must seek redress by other means; t cannot resolve any individual complaints reported, therefore individuals filing complaints must seek resolution by other means that exist under UK law; nevertheless underlines the importance of reported complaints in terms of gathering information concerning common and systemic issues;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that the EU Settlement Scheme’s requirement that EU citizens with pre-settled status have to make a second application to the scheme in order to be provided with the indefinite right to remain in the UK is problematic and can puts citizens at a higher risk of missing deadlines; highlights the difficulties that EU citizens may encounter in attempting to apply for settled or pre-settled status owing to the UK Home Office’s insistence on a digital-only approach to the application process;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that the absence of a physical document creates the risk that many EU citizens and, in particular, the elderly disadvantaged and vulnerable and digitally challenged peoplegroups such as the older persons and persons with disabilities will struggle to provexercise their rights due to lack of the necessary digital skills; points out that the complexity of provprocess of gaining digital status may lead to the risk of discrimination against EU citizens;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for reconsideration to be given to better regulation of thimprove and facilitate conditions of entry and residence in the UK for purposes such as business, research, study, training and youth exchanges;
Amendment 38 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Regrets that the United Kingdom has pulled out of mobility programmes, such as Erasmus+, and opted not to take part as an associated third country in the new 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme as there are several non-EU countries participating;
Amendment 39 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to continue to allow the United Kingdom to participate in EU programmes for the benefit of EU and British young people, aso long as ithe latter fulfils the necessary financial commitments in return.;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Recalls that the possibility of rejoining the EU structures remains open for the United Kingdom, based on the Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, provided that the Copenhagen criteria are fulfilled and that other Member States and the European Parliament agree.
Amendment 3 #
2020/2170(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that the Agency is partly financed from the fees it receives from companies that request the registration of chemicals as required under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; notes that the applicable fees depend on the size of the companies and the volume of chemicals registered (different thresholds); notes that, according to the Court’s report, since the first registrations in 2009, some 26 % of the companies claimed to be micro, small or medium sized; notes with concern, however, that thanks to the Agency’s effective system of ex-post verifications, the Agency has identified that some 50 % of the companies had incorrectly declared their size, resulting in lower fees; stresses that this finding demonstrates the limitations of a system that relies excessively on self-declarations made by applicants; notes that, in order to mitigate this situation, the Agency has, over the years, invoiced and cashed fee corrections and administrative charges amounting to EUR 32,2 million, and that the Agency has made considerable progress in recovering undue fee reductions and collecting overdue administrative charges; notes, however, that there is still a considerable verification workload ahead and that the remaining amount of necessary fee corrections was unknown at the end of 2019; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on its efforts, and on the results achieved, to continue to reduce the considerable verification bacworklogad and to implement the fee corrections;
Amendment 36 #
2020/2170(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that the process of moving to the Agency’s new premises in Helsinki began on 21 December 2019 and the new building was open and operational for the Agency’s staff at the beginning of January 2020, concluding four years of preparations for relocating staff; notes that the move is due to the partial malfunctioningexpiry of the lease of its previous building, particularly as regards air quality;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2149(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes the geographical imbalances in the composition of the EEAS staff, especially as regards to top grading posts; stresses that the EEAS, like all European institutions, must ensure that all Member States are proportionally represented while at the same time respecting the competences and merits of the candidates; calls on the EEAS to enhance the geographical balance in order to have a proper representation of nationals from all Member States, reflecting the diversity of Member States;
Amendment 33 #
2020/2144(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Welcomes the fact that the Court sees a strong increase in media interest with particularly high coverage of its special reports;
Amendment 34 #
2020/2144(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32 b. Welcomes the Court’s efforts, in line with the Financial Regulation, to produce its special reports generally within 13 months while noting that the average time to produce the special reports is still longer that that time limit;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Emphasises Parliament's prerogative to grant discharge pursuant to Article 319 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union, and the applicable provisions of the Financial Regulation and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure in line with current interpretation and practice, namely to grant discharge in order to maintain transparency and ensure democratic accountability towards Union taxpayers;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35 a. Notes that over the course of almost twenty years Parliament has developed the practice of granting discharge to all Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. ENotes that the different roles of the respective institutions in the discharge procedures should be distinguished; emphasises that Parliament does not accept that the two institutions have an equivalent and reciprocal role in the discharge procedure;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its call on the Secretary- General to insist on the need for real geographical balance in terms of proportional representation of all Member States at all levels of staff, including top management; notes the difficulties Parliament encountered in recruiting some nationalities; stresses the importance of increasing the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer throughout all Member States;
Amendment 77 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 a (new)
Paragraph 60 a (new)
60 a. Notes that the physical presence in Parliament's premises is of great importance for proper functioning of its work;
Amendment 162 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 a (new)
Paragraph 86 a (new)
86 a. Geographic dispersion of Parliament - Single Seat
Amendment 163 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 b (new)
Paragraph 86 b (new)
86 b. Recalls that a vast majority of Parliament expressed in various resolutions support for a single seat to ensure efficient spending of Union taxpayers money;
Amendment 170 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 c (new)
Paragraph 86 c (new)
86 c. Notes that the Court has estimated that moving from Strasbourg to Brussels could generate annual savings of 114 million;
Amendment 171 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 d (new)
Paragraph 86 d (new)
86 d. Recalls that additional expenditure caused by the travels to Strasbourg goes against the principle of sound financial management;
Amendment 185 #
2020/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90
Paragraph 90
90. Recalls that, at its meeting of 10 December 2018, the Bureau decided to modify the rules applicable to the pension scheme by increasing the retirement age from 63 to 65 years and introducing a levy of 5% to pension payments for future pensioners with a view to improve its sustainability; welcomes that the immediate effects of the rules change were savings in the 2019 pensions payments amounting to approximately EUR 325 000, that of these, EUR 306 000 stem from the increase in pension age and EUR 19 000 stem from the introduction of a 5% levy to all pensions established after 1 January 2019; asks that the Bureau evaluate all possible options as soon as the Court of Justice has made its decisions regarding the current measures in order to find a fair solution to the voluntary pension scheme and fund while keeping Parliament's liability to a minimum as Union taxpayers’ money is involved;
Amendment 200 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Is concerned about weaknesses identified by the Court in the management of established duties not yet collected by national authorities; notes that in the Member States visited by the Court there are particular delays in notifying customs debts (in Poland), late enforcement of the recovery of such debts (in Belgium, Germany and Poland), and insufficient documentation to confirm the correctness of duties booked in the accounts (in Germany);
Amendment 7 #
2020/2124(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises the important role that the EIB, the world’s largest multilateral lender, can play in contributing to the Union’s development policy objectives, and in particular its potential to promote climate actionenvironmental sustainability and to support the recovery from shocks such as COVID-19;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2124(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the ‘policy first’ principle underpinning the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), which should enhance coherence and coordination among the EIB, the Commission and Member States in identifying investment operations that can contribute to sustainable development and respond to increasing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2124(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the EIB to maximise additionality and the development impact of its operations outside the Union by increasing its engagement in LDCs, enhancing the transparency of operations carried out by financial intermediaries, cooperating with EU delegations, and increasing its presence on the ground where necessary in partnership with local institutions, authorities and initiatives and responding adequately to local needs;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to mount an assertive and coordinated international trade policy response geared towards a multilateral, resilient and sustainable recovery in developing countries; calls on the Commission to deepen EU-Africa trade relations through economic partnership agreements, while making the most of the EU’s Aid for Trade Strategy, in order to provide sustainable investment opportunities for Africa and thus offer an alternative development model; calls on the Commission also to remain committed to concluding trade agreements and continuing negotiations with Latin American and Asian partners;
Amendment 34 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Invites the Commission to adapt its trade policy in order to help developing countries to boost the resilience and diversification of their value chains at a global, regional and local level, including reshoring and nearshoring, and points out that reshoring must be based on a comprehensive approach and take into account international trade, industry and the internal market;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the commitment shown by the EU and its Member States in tackling the wider impact of COVID-19, in particular through the Coronavirus Global Response and COVAX initiatives, which demonstrate our solidarity with the least developed countries; calls on the Commission to coordinate with the World Health Organization and the African Union in order to scale up vaccine production for developing countries;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Commission to make food security one of its priorities and to identify the appropriate measures to ensure that this pandemic does not precipitate a food crisis in the developing world; stresses that the legitimate demand to reduce the pressure placed by agriculture on the environment must be pursued in such a way, and at such a pace, as to ensure food security for all citizens in developing countries, as well as in the EU; supports actions to facilitate trade with a view to promoting food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary measures in response to COVID-19;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to collaborate with developing partner countries in order to facilitate digital infrastructure, as well as to accord strategic importance to digital trade, establish policy strategies and harmonise regulatory frameworks for e-commerce.;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the global rise in environmental criminalitydamage is a growing threat to the achievement of the UN’s 2030 Agenda; calls for the recognition of the right to a healthy and sustainable environment at the UN level;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the EU to makinclude the fight against environmental crime an overriding strategic political prioritydamage in international judicial cooperation and for the EU institutions and COPs, notably by promoting compliance with MEAs through the adoption of criminal sanctions, through exchanges of best practices and by promoting the enlargement of the scope of the International Criminal Court to cover criminal acts that amount to ecocidcause irreversible damages and have the most devastating effects on environment, biodiversity and climate;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that the Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) is crucial to the implementation of the ‘polluter pays’ principle; dDeplores the fact that liability rules have largely not been applied and are unable to fulfil their compensatory and preventive functions;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes that companies play an important role in the system of ELD, however, given the administrative nature of the ELD, there is a crucial role for the administrative authorities to take the initiative, reacting rapidly, in case of a detected environmental harm, as well as taking adequate actions to prevent future harms;
Amendment 65 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to improve access to justice for victims of environmental harm, i.e. through collective actions and redress mechanisms, primarily under a binding andn enforceable UN treaty on business and human rights; calls on the Union and its Member States to push for the creation of an international independent authority in the field of environmental liability.
Amendment 4 #
2020/0157M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly supports the conclusion of the negotiations on the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the EU and Honduras, which not only promotes sustainable trade in legal timber products, but also aims to address illegal logging and improve forest governance, law enforcement and transparency, taking into consideration the fact that forests are important for Honduran economy, and the problem of deforestation in this country should be addressed more effectively;
Amendment 14 #
2020/0157M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the importance of ensuring full stakeholder involvement, in particular of keeping up the participation and dialogue with indigenous people, which got off to a promising start, during the implementation and monitoring phase of the VPA, in order to adequately address their needs and foster effective cooperation;
Amendment 28 #
2020/0157M(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that the success of the Agreement will also depend, inter alia, on tackling fraud and corruption, as well as on the well-developed framework of monitoring and evaluation of the Agreement and its economic, social and environmental impacts;
Amendment 46 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2016 on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties (2016/2030(INI)) and its recommendation of 13 March 2019 to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning taking stock of the follow-up taken by the EEAS two years after the EP report on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties (2018/2115(INI)),
Amendment 87 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas, according to the recent report commissioned by UK government, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, constituting 80% of persecuted religious believers in the world; whereas this persecution range from routine discrimination in education, employment and social life, through limitations on all forms of expression up to physical attacks against Christian communities, which come close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN;
Amendment 173 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that freedom of speech and expression, as well as media pluralism, are at the heart of resilient democratic societies; urges that the best possible safeguards against ongoing disinformation campaigns and hostile propaganda originating from authoritarian states and non-state actors, such as terrorist groups be put in place by developing a legal framework both at EU and international level for tackling hybrid threats, including cyber and information warfare;
Amendment 269 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the VP/HR and the Council to pay special attention to the human rights situation in the illegally- occupied territories in the Eastern Partnership countries, and take effective measures with the aim to prevent grave human rights abuses on the ground, including the violation of right to life, restriction of freedom of movement, and discrimination on the ground of ethnicity;
Amendment 270 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. In this regard recalls its resolution of 14 June 2018 on Georgian occupied territories 10 years after the Russian invasion (2018/2741(RSP)) and reiterates the necessity of imposing the restrictive measures by the EU and its Member States on the persons included in the “Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili List”, the individuals responsible for grave human rights violations in Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia;
Amendment 392 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Urges the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to step up advocacy in relation to FoRB, and to launch interreligious dialogue with states and representatives of civil society and faith groups in order to prevent acts of violence and discrimination against persons on the grounds of thought, conscience, religion or belief; calls for the EU to continue to forge alliances and to enhance cooperation with a broad range of countries and regional organisations, in order to deliver positive change in relation to FoRB; reminds the Council and Commission of the need to adequately support the institutional mandate, capacity and duties of the Special Envoy for the promotion of FoRB outside the EU; underlines the need to pay special attention to the situation of the persecuted Christians around the world, who make up the vast majority of the religious groups facing discrimination, violence and death;
Amendment 480 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses that the EU should continue to actively support democratic and effective human rights institutions and civil society in their efforts to promote democratisation; positively notes, in this context, the European Endowment for Democracy’s consistent engagement in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods of the EU to promote democracy and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms; calls on the Council to consider expanding the EED’s mandate also to the countries of Central and Latin America and making sufficient funds available to do so; recalls that the experience gained and the lessons learned from transitions to democracy in the framework of the enlargement and neighbourhood policies could make a positive contribution to the identification of best practices that could be used to support and consolidate other democratisation processes worldwide;
Amendment 57 #
2019/2098(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes that on 2 April 2019 a workshop was organised upon request of the Committee on Petitions on "Conflicts of Interest: Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in EU institutions and agencies" during which the preliminary findings of an upcoming study on "Conflicts of interests and EU Agencies" were presented; notes that the study, which is expected to bewas published in January 2020, will provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of the policies on avoidance of conflicts of interest in the different agencies and that it will also makes recommendations in relation to improved scrutiny of conflict of interest policies in agencies; calls on the Network to report to the discharge authority on developments on application and possible changes in terms of conflict of interest regulations and policies;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2094(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 5 #
2019/2094(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with concern that the Office does not share resources with other Agencies due to its limited own resources; notes, however, that in 2014 the Office signed a service level agreement with ENISA for sharing resources in the field of internal controls and that the Office still makes full use of that agreementwhich was terminated by ENISA as of 1 January 2020 as a result of changes in the structure of ENISA due to its expanded new mandate; notes with satisfaction that the Office started a joint project, signed in 2019, for sharing IT infrastructure and other IT projects with several joint undertakings and other Union Agencies;
Amendment 12 #
2019/2094(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the Office signed a framework contract with one company for the provision of clerical and secretarial support services, but recalls that the loan of staff can only be done through contracts with authorised temporary work agencies and in accordance with Directive 2008/104/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council15 , and with specific rules adopted by the Member States; notes with concern that the use of this service contract is not in compliance with EU social and employment rules and exposes the Office to legal and reputational risks; takes notes of the Office’s reply that following an open tender procedure, the Office concluded a framework contract for the provision of clerical and secretarial support services to the Office, guaranteed over the whole duration of the contract, which is different from the use of interim workers; calls, however, on the Office to use this servicnotes that according to the tender specifications of the framework contract, which are annexed to it, the contract for the provision of labour inhas the obligation to compliancey with the applicable EU and national legal framework; _________________ 15Directive 2008/104/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on temporary agency work (OJ L 327, 5.12.2008, p. 9).
Amendment 1 #
2019/2093(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2092(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Authority for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2090(DEC)
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Authority for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2088(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) discharge in respect of the implementation of Europol’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2087(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2086(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 24 #
2019/2086(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that, having selected the new building and having signed a lease contract in 2017 due to the expiry of the previous lease contract on 31 December 2019, the Agency ishad planninged to move to new premises in Helsinki in January 2020; notes that that move is due to the partial malfunctioning of its current building, particulremoval to the new premises was completed on 7 Januarly as regards air quality2020;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2084(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2083(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 22 #
2019/2083(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that 2018 was the third year of the five-year growth plan following the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 that significantly increased resources in the area of budget and staff; notes that, following the extension of its mandate, the Agency’s staff is to reach 1 000 by 2020; notes in light of comments and observations from the discharge authority which stressed that the planned increase in staff would require additional office space, that an analysis to identify the optimal real- estate strategy is under preparation and is expected to commit the budgetary authority in the fourth quarter 2019 or first quarter of 2020;
Amendment 24 #
2019/2083(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes, in light of comments and observations from the discharge authority related to the need to develop a comprehensive business continuity plan, that a business continuity officer was nominated in 2018 and an ad interim business continuity policy and business continuity plan will be adopted by the end of 2019;
Amendment 31 #
2019/2083(DEC)
15. Acknowledges the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and whistle-blower protection; notes that the whistleblowing policy was adopted on 18 July 2019; furthermore, notes that with the aim of being more transparent, the Agency launched a multilingual version of its website in all 24 official languages of the Union and that the communication strategy will be adopted by the end of 2019;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2081(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2080(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2079(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Centre for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2077(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2076(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2074(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2073(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2072(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2071(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2070(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2069(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Centre for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2067(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2066(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018;
Amendment 15 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that the procedure for the appointment of the new Secretary-General of the European Commission on 21 February 2018 was conducted in a manner which aroused widespread irritation and disapproval in public opinion, among Members of the European Parliament and within the European civil service; notes that the result of this procedure constitutes a reputational riskhas damaged the reputation and integrity of not only for the European Commission but for all the European Union institutions;
Amendment 38 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 6
6. Takes note that the new Secretary- General was transferred in the interest of the service under Article 7 of the Staff Regulations and that the position was not published because the post was not considered vacant; hence no official could apply since the procedure was organised through a reassignment with post rather than as a transfer in the strict sense with proper publication of the vacant post; stresses that such a procedure for the post of Secretary-General is unacceptable, and against the spirit of implementing the rules for the appointment of EU officials, who are servants of the citizens of the European Union;
Amendment 73 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Stresses that there have been clear and continued failings by the European Commission in the communication of the processes and procedures for the appointment of the Secretary-General of the Commission to both the public and the press; in this regard notes that the European Commission published its response to the Budgetary Control Committee’s questions at 03h00 on Sunday the 25th March 2018; stresses that in the interest of transparency and informing the broadest possible audience on a matter of public interest, such a working practice is unacceptable;
Amendment 74 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Notes that throughout the European Parliament’s investigation into the appointment of the Secretary-General of the European Commission, neither the Commission President or the Secretary- General of the Commission have appeared before the Members of the European Parliament, notes that this is against the spirit of inter-institutional cooperation and the spirit of transparency and openness; stresses that the debates within the European Parliament are intended to give the public and the press the opportunity to scrutinise the work of the EU institutions and hold them to account;
Amendment 85 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Expresses serious concerns over the impartiality and objectivity of the President of the European Commission, given that the President of the Commission has publically threatened to resign if the appointment of the newly appointed Secretary-General is not honoured;
Amendment 120 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Is deeply concerned about a report by the German magazine "Der Spiegel" about rude and inappropriate language used by Mr Selmayr in addressing a Spiegel journalist; notes that such language, if it was indeed used by Mr Selmayr, would be a flagrant violation of Article 12 of Regulation No. 31 (EEC) ("the Statute"), notes with great concern that the Commission did not follow up on the Spiegel report with an investigation of the incident, is deeply concerned that Commissioner Öttinger did not bring the incident to the attention of his colleagues prior to the appointment of Mr. Selmayr, is deeply concerned that the undisputed Spiegel report may reflect adversely on Mr Selmayrs position as Secretary General of the Commission;
Amendment 122 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Notes that when Mr. Selmayr was appointed, the rules were applied in such a way that only he could succeed; concludes therefore, that this seems very likely to be a case of favouritism; considers that the procedure must be re- opened, with the term of opening being extended by an additional month to give candidates from the individual Member States an opportunity to apply for the role;
Amendment 127 #
2018/2624(RSP)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Notes with great concern that the same Spiegel report quotes Mr Selmayr as saying he would never again give the Spiegel journalist any bit of information, notes that Article 17 of Regulation No. 31 (EEC) ("the Statute") prohibits the unauthorised disclosure of information received in the line of duty for all officials, regardless of rank, notes with great concern that the Commission did not follow up on the Spiegel report with an investigation of Mr Selmayr possibly leaking information to the media and presumably doing so on a regular basis, is deeply concerned that Commissioner Öttinger did not bring the incident to the attention of his colleagues prior to the appointment of Mr.Selmayr, is bewildered by Commissioner Öttinger's opinion, expressed in the Budgetary Control Committee, that Mr Selmayr leaked information to the journalist only confidentially, affirms that an official shall refrain from any unauthorised disclosure of unpublished information received in the line of duty and that this also holds for the Secretary General of the Commission;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to provide information about the amounts of customs claimed from the Member States and collected in favour of the Union budget; believes the current system of incentives for customs controls can be improved;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Is of the opinion, together with the Court, that financial instruments should only be used if commercial loans are unobtainable because the project is too small or too risky, or the borrower cannot offer the necessary collateral; urges the Commission to develop a methodology for analysing the effect of guarantees on the loan supply, competition between banks and business innovation activity and for analysing the split of implicit subsidy between supplier and beneficiary;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 122
Paragraph 122
122. Is of the opinion that the Commission and Member States should not promote a more intensive and widespread use of public private partnerships (PPP) until the issues identified in this report are addressed and the following recommendations are successfully implemented; in particular, improving the institutional and legal frameworks and project management and increasing assurance that the choice of the PPP option is the one that provides most value-for- money and that PPP projects are likely to be managed in a successful manner; stresses that failing to identify and allocate project risks correctly may have financial implications for the public partner and hamper the achievement of the project objectives;
Amendment 32 #
2018/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 – introductory part
Paragraph 124 – introductory part
124. In order to ensure that the PPP option is the one that maximises value-for- money and achieves its potential benefits, recommends that:
Amendment 33 #
2018/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125 – indent 1
Paragraph 125 – indent 1
- the Member States establish clear, supported by adequate institutional and legal frameworks establish experience-based PPP policies and strategies that clearly identify the role that PPPs are expected to play within their infrastructure investment policies, with a view to identifying the sectors in which PPPs are most suitable and establishing possible limits to the extent to which PPPs can be effectively used;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2218(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2217(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2216(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2215(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2214(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2213(DEC)
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint UndertakingPostpones its decision on granting its Executive Director discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2212(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge ton granting the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2211(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on discharge toPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 16 #
2018/2210(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that Declarations of Interest (DoI) of the management board members and senior management are in place in almost all agencies and that these are published by most of the agencies on their website , along with relevant CVs; calls on the Network to continue reporting to the discharge authority on this issue; stresses that management board members and senior management should submit declarations of interest instead of declarations of the absence of conflict of interests; reiterates that it is not for the members or management to declare themselves out of conflict of interest; recalls that a neutral body should assess the existence of conflict of interest; notes with appreciation that some Union agencies, such as EFSA, succeeded in implementing a reliable policy on conflict of interest; notes with regret that since 2012 the European Court of Auditors failed to publish any special report on the management of conflict on interest in selected Union agencies, namely EASA, ECHA, EFSA, EMA; notes that for agencies working with industries a risk of conflict of interest is higher than in other Union agencies;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 24 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Regrets that despite previous calls, the Agency does not publish the declarations of interests of the members of its Management Board, of its managerial staff in general, and of its executive director; calls for the publication of declarations of interests listing membership to all other organisations; stresses that it is not for the members of the Management Board, the managerial staff or the executive director to declare themselves out of conflict of interest but that a neutral body should assess the existence of conflicts of interest;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2207(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the interim director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2206(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Management Committee of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2205(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2204(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2200(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Europol’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decicion on grantsing the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Railway Agency (now European Union Agency for Railways) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2192(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2190(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2190(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Acknowledges the Authority’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and; welcomes the recent Authority's decision on implementing rules laying down guidelines on whistle-blower's´ protection and confidentiality of their identity; welcomes the Authority’s updated policy on independence, which was adopted in 2017 after stakeholder and public consultation and which aims to build on from the policy it replaces in order to ensure that the Authority may reach a correct balance between attracting the relevant expertise from the scientific community but at the same time guarding its activities against any undue influence; welcomes also the new definition of what constitutes a conflict of interest which was adopted in the new Authority's policy on independence; welcomes further the publication on the Authority's website of the declarations of interest by the members of the Management Board; regrets that the publication of their CVs is still missing; notes with appreciation that the Authority implemented rules on competing interest management as of July 2018 replacing the rules on the declarations of interest of 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2188(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with satisfaction that in 2017, Eurojust contributed to counter-terrorism projects of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and other justice and home affairs partners and furthermore participated in two joint tender procedures with Europol; notes with satisfaction that Eurojust intends to develop a procurement strategy aimed at further reaping the benefits of inter-agency and inter-institutional joint procurement procedures; strongly encourages Eurojust to further develop cooperation projects with the other institutions, agencies, offices and bodies of the Union, in the field of Justice and Home Affairs;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges Eurojust’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, and prevention and management of conflicts of interest; noteregrets that Eurojust adopted its internal rules on whistleblowing on the basis of the Commission’s model rules in June 2018the Agency's policy is to publish declarations of absence of conflict of interest rather than declarations interests for the Administrative Director and the members of the Management Board; calls for the publication of declarations of interests listing membership to any other organisations; stresses that it is not for the members of the board and the director to declare themselves out of conflict of interest; reiterates that a neutral body should assess the existence of conflicts of interest;
Amendment 11 #
2018/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes that Eurojust adopted its internal rules on whistleblowing on the basis of the Commission’s model rules in June 2018; asks the Agency to provide details on whistleblowing cases in 2017, if any, and on how they were handled; underlines the importance of awareness- raising and training of staff as means of fostering a positive and trusting environment in which whistleblowing is an accepted part of the corporate culture;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2183(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2182(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 1 #
2018/2177(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls the Commission to pay stricter attention to the recurrent weaknesses of its ex ante checks system and to implement measures to avoid the accounted failure of certain ex ante controls, while noting that the Court underlined that in some error cases the Commission had sufficient information from its information systems to prevent, detect and correct before making the expenditure, the estimated level of error would have been consequently 1,8 percentage points lower;
Amendment 14 #
2018/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that the ROM instrument should be used proactively and more rapidly when critical situations occur or persist; emphasises that corrective measures should be taken without delay and the nature of deficiencies at the design level should be structurally assessed; stresses the indispensability of providing Parliament and the budgetary control authority with a clear view of the real extent to which the Union’s main development objectives have been achieved;
Amendment 15 #
2018/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Takes note of the statement of the evaluation of the eleventh EDF that (i) ‘there is a real threat that EDF will be pushed into responding to agendas that distance it from its primary objective of poverty alleviation, which are difficult to reconcile with the EDF’s core values and compromise what it does well’ and (ii) that ‘despite consultations, government and [civil society organisation] views (with some notable exceptions such as in the Pacific region), have rarely been taken account of in programming choices’; considers however that peace building and addressing root causes of migration are fundamental aspects of sustainable development;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2177(DEC)
– considers there is still a need for a more systematic approach to the communication of EU grant-funded activities to enhance EU visibility, and to strengthen transparency and accountability along the chain of funding;
Amendment 21 #
2018/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Believes that enough local ownership and partners involvement should be ensured in the operational governance and policy design to avoid a too centralised modus operandi with a prominent role for donors while consistently respecting the principle of management by results;
Amendment 22 #
2018/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Invites the Commission to further elaborate on, and clarify, the exact scope and meaning of its margin of flexibility or of interpretation in assessing whether the general eligibility conditions for the making of disbursements to a partner country have been met, with respect to the so called ‘differentiation and dynamic approach to eligibility’; is concerned by the final use of the funds transferred and the lack of traceability when the Union’s funds are merged within the partner country’s budget resources;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European External Action Service for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the factNotes that, according to the Court of Auditors (the “Court”), the overall level of error for the MFF Heading 5 (Administration), including the budget of the European External Action Service (EEAS) continues to be relatively low with an estimation at 0,5 % in 2017; urges the EEAS to continue in this direction and to lower the level of error in the future;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with appreciation that the previous recommendations made in relation to the improvement of the monitoring system for the timely updating of the personal situation and data of members of staff, with a potential impact on the calculation of family allowances, have been implemented in most respects; considers, however, that consistency checks in relation to the management of family allowances require ongoing attention;
Amendment 8 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with appreciation that in 2017, the common overhead costs relating to all delegations’ offices (rent, security, cleaning and other overheads), including EDF delegations, were financed entirely from the budget lines of the EEAS for the second consecutive year;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that the total budget of the EEAS for 2017 amounted to EUR 660 million with an increase of 3,75 % compared to 2016; looks forward to a significant reduction in expenditure in the next financial year;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Requires the EEAS’ buildings policy to be annexed to the annual activity report, particularly in view of the fact that it is important for its costs to be properly rationalised and not to be excessive; urges the EEAS to provide the discharge authority with the list of building contracts concluded in 2017, including details of the contracts, the country where they were concluded and their duration, as it had done in its annual activity report for 2011; requests the EEAS to provide the same information on building contracts in its annual activity report for 2018;
Amendment 18 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. WelcomAcknowledges the fact that the EEAS has established 7 new co-location projects with 6 different Member States and observes the increasing interest in co- location schemes with 14 new co-signed agreements, not only with Member States but also with FRONTEX or EASO; notes that co-location arrangements have contributed to a reduction in the average space of buildings in order to bring it closer to the prescribed 35m²/person; is of the opinion that co-locations are cost- effective and welcomes that they contribute to the joint representation of the Union and its Member States towards third countries; invites the EEAS as part of the monitoring of costs to expand such memoranda of understanding to other Union entities such as the CSDP missions; invites the EEAS to put in place an effective management of recovery of costs in the case of co- locations;
Amendment 23 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Notes with concern the enormous disparities between the EEAS and other institutions as regards the resources allocated to the payment of allowances to trainees; calls, therefore, for the causes of these disparities to be identified and for a solution to be proposed to put an end to these imbalances and reduce these excessive costs;
Amendment 24 #
2018/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
31b. Is of the opinion that, in a time of crisis and budget cuts in general, expenditure on ‘extra moenia’ days for the staff of the European institutions should be reduced and that such days should be organised, as far as possible, in the headquarters of the institutions, as the added value that results from them does not justify such high costs;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2017; / Postpones its decision on granting the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2175(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that in 2017, the Supervisor had a total allocated budget of EUR 11 324 735, which represented aStresses the need to reduce the budget for the financial year 2018, given the 21,93 % increase compared to the 2016 budget, and that the budget implementation in terms of commitment appropriations for 2017 amounted to EUR 10 075 534in the budget for the financial year 2017 compared to 2016; notes with concern that the implementation rate continued decreasing from 94,66 % in 2015 and 91,93 % in 2016 to 89 % of the available appropriations in 2017; notes that the budget implementation in terms of payment appropriations amounted to EUR 9 368 686,15, corresponding to 77 % of the available appropriations; calls on the Supervisor to define the budget estimates prudently;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2175(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes with concern the sharp increase in the number of missions by members and staff of the Supervisor from 2014 to 2017, stressing that, in times of crisis and budget cuts in general, this expenditure should be reduced and that such days should be organised, as far as possible, in the institutions' own premises, since the added value that this entails does not justify such high costs;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2017; / Postpones its decision on granting the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the Ombudsman’s budget is mostly administrative, with a large amount being used for expenditure related to persons, buildings, furniture, equipment and miscellaneous running costs; notes that it amounted in 2017 to EUR 10 905 441 (EUR 10 658 951 in 2016); notes with concern that expenditure on buildings, plant and equipment has increased dramatically, stressing that such costs must be properly rationalised and not excessive;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. requests that the Ombudsman's buildings policy be included in its annual activity report, especially as it is important that these costs are properly rationalised and not excessive;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomencourages the Ombudsman’s commitment to make efforts to ensure that all available funds are spent in a result-oriented manner and welcomes the fact that it is taking into account the results of a number of measurements and statistical data that impact directly on the office’s work; noteregrets that in relation to key performance indicators (KPI) adopted as part of the Strategy “Towards 2019”, measures have been taken to enhance the results through continuous reviews, the streamlining of processes and monitoring of the work; notes, however, that the KPI for overall compliance reached only 85 % and fell short of the target of 90 %; encourages the Ombudsman to continue to improve its performance in this regard;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. notes that the compliance rate in a period of 12 to 18 months is still below the target set by the Ombudsman; is convinced that the 90% target is realistic and can be achieved; expects this target to be achieved in the financial year 2018 and that the related results will be presented in detail in the annual activity report;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the factNotes that the Court’s recommendations to improve the monitoring system for the timely updating of the personal situation of members of staff , which may have an impact on the calculation of family allowances, have been implemented in most respects;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with satisfaction that based on its audit work, the Court concluded that the payments as a whole for the year ended 31 December 2017, the administrative and other expenditure of the institutions and bodies were free from material error;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the Committee’s budget is mostly administrative, with a large amount being used for expenditure concerning persons, buildings, furniture, equipment and miscellaneous running costs; expresses its concern about the increased expenditure on buildings, furniture and equipment, which in 2017 is slightly higher than the equivalent rate of 2016 and 2015 (1% and 1.3% respectively); expresses hope that there will be no further increases in the future for the next financial year;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that the budget spent on “Members’ travel and subsistence allowances, attendance at meetings and associated expenditure” (8.4 million EUR or 94.7%)is higher in percentage and monetary terms than the one of the same period in the financial year 2016 (92.6% and 7.6 million EUR respectively);
Amendment 11 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. WelcomNotes the fact that the overall execution rate for payments at the end of December 2017 was 89,9 %; notes that the final payment execution rate at the end of the budget cycle (after payment of carry- overs) will be higher and should ideally be close to the commitment rate;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Regrets that the implementation rate for commitments in 2017 is slightly lower than in 2016 and 2015;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that the analytical tool for monitoring the budget execution, Budget Watch, is used to monitor the execution of commitments and payments of all budget lines centrally, which contributes to an optimisation of the budget execution through a better preparation for the reallocation of resources; calls onurges the Committee to strengthen its efforts related to the payment execution rates, in particular for Budget Title 2 concerning buildings, equipment and miscellaneous operating expenditure, where the payment execution rate was of 77,1 %;
Amendment 16 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notacknowledges that the Committee reduced the overall number of posts in its establishment plan by 48 from 537 to 489 between 2013 and 2017 mainly due to the 5 % staff cuts and the implementation of a cooperation agreement concluded in 2014 with the European Parliament; welcomobserves that despite the staff cuts the Committee managed to reinforce its political work by reallocating more human resources from support services to the core business areas related to political and legislative activities; askdemands the Committee to be informed on the mapping of the workload distribution within the organisation to verify the match between tasks and resources;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes with concern that contract staff increased from 34 posts in 2013 to 54 in 2017, while temporary staff increased from 64 post in 2013 to 71 in 2017; notes that the increase of temporary and contract staff is mainly related to security issues prompted by the situation in Brussels; is concerned that part of this increase results from the need to compensate the overall staff reductions and might be detrimental to the distribution of workload and the long-term organisational development of the institution;
Amendment 24 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. WelcomNotes the long-term building strategy which was approved by the Committee and by the European Economic and Social Committee in 2017; notes that that building strategy provides a framework for any future decision related to the building policy to be taken and contains a set of guiding principles in the field of real estate; notes that several scenarios have been identified and explored in order to prepare the building policy beyond 2021 with a priority given to scenarios that include the continued use of the VMA building; asks to be kept informed about the ongoing negotiations with the Commission regarding the continued use of the VMA building; encourages the Committee, together with the European Economic and Social Committee, to carry out an assessment of potential renovation needs and to make an estimation of the costs for the scenario where the two Committees take over the entire VMA building;
Amendment 27 #
2018/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. CallUrges on the Committee to swiftly comply with the Court of Justice’s judgement and to take all necessary measures to follow-up on its decision; encourages the Committee to consider finding an amicable settlement with the former internal auditor in the interest of both parties and requests that Parliament is regularly kept informed;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2172(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with satisfaction that, in its annual report for 2017, the Court identified no significant weaknesses in respect of the audited topics relating to human resources and procurement for the Committee;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that following the increase in "Other expenditure" mainly due to the change in the allocation of the amount of provisions which have been included in the item provisions for only two years; total expenses increased by 1% compared to last year;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Points out that although the other items for the financial year 2017decreased slightly, "Other expenditure" almost doubled to 16.63%;
Amendment 19 #
2018/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. As the interinstitutional costs of IT training in particular in 2017 were influenced by inaccurate indicative prices, it calls for a new service level agreement with the Commission in this area to avoid uncertainty by working with a single global amount for all training;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2171(DEC)
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the Court’s budget is purely administrative with a large amount being used for expenditure in relation to persons working withObserves with concern that staff expenses and other administrative expenses in the finstitution (Title 1) and in relation to buildings, movable property, equipment and miscellaneous operating expenditure (Title 2); calls on the Court to continue improving payment execution rates, in particular in relation to Title 2 where the payment rate was 55,75 % of final appropriations and 57,13 % of commitments (compared to 52,8% and 53,8 % respectively in 2016)ancial year 2017 were higher than those expenses in the financial year 2016; calls for a reduction of those expenses for the next financial year in the view of the tough economic situation;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes with concern that investment in buildings, plant and equipment has doubled; stresses that those costs must be justified;
Amendment 8 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Deplores that since 2012 the Court failed to publish any special report on the management of conflict of interest in selected Union agencies; urges the Court to publish annual special report on the management of conflict of interest in Union agencies working with industries, namely the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Chemicals Agency (EFSA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA); notes that for Union agencies working with industries the risk of conflict of interest is higher than in other Union agencies;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the factNotes that, according to the Financial Regulation, the Court shall ensure that special reports are drawn up and adopted within an appropriate period of time which shall, in general, not exceed 13 months; notes that in 2017 it took an average of 14,6 months from the commencement of an audit task to adoption of the special report; notes that this was the shortest ave while also the year before the 13-month target timefragme duration since the start of the 2013-2017 period; regrets, however,for producing special reports was not met; regrets that only eight of the special reports (29 %) published during the year2017 complied with the 13 months target timeframe set out in the Financial Regulation; calls on the Court to continue improving its performance in this regard, while not compromising the quality of the special reports and the targeted nature of its recommendations;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the achievements of the Court in terms ofCourt's strategy for communication, 'Get clear messages across to our audience', and the communication activities aimed at increasing its visibility and media impact, including an increase of its outreach on social media; welcomes the use of extensive social media analytics to better understand to what extent target groups are reached and whether media campaigns have been successful; encourages the Court to continue striving for the best use of various communication channels to raise awareness of its work among citizens;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the detailed review of the use of official cars by members of the Court and the Secretary General broken down by user, distance travelled and cost paid, provided by the Court in the framework of the discharge procedure 2017; observes that different regimes apply to journeys covered by a mission order and other journeys undertaken in the course of performance of official duties, up to a limit for reimbursement of 10 000 km per year; notes, moreover, that for all other journeys, members and the Secretary-General shall bear any other related cost; notes with concern that 17 % of all utilisation of official vehicles are for non-professional use; calls on the Court to put in place measures to prevent and avoid abuse for journeys under the category 'Other journeys undertaken in the performance of official duties'; notes with concern that drivers tasked with driving members on official missions and protocol journeys are also employed in various administrative tasks, as declared by the Court in the framework of the discharge procedure 2017; calls on the Court to carry out a detailed analysis of the journeys under the category 'Other journeys undertaken in the performance of official duties' and to ensure that members having used official vehicles for non-professional use to pay back to the Court by 30 June 2019 any amounts reimbursed for those travels undertaken in 2017;
Amendment 19 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that the reduction of 5 % in staff numbers over the period 2013-2017 has been achieved in compliance with the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management7 with an overall contribution of 45 posts; notes that the number of contractual agents increased from 59 to 73 over the same period, which is mainly due to the reinforcement of security measures at the Court premises; notes, however, that the Court streamlined procedures by using IT tools and digitalisation and by outsourcing various tasks to the Pay Master Office of the Commission in order to implement staff reduction objectives; _________________ 7 OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1
Amendment 25 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. RegDeplorets that members of the Court can be absent from the Court without justification and without having to request leave for one or more days; notes the absence of specific rules to control of the members’ absences; calls on the Court to establish procedures for keeping a register of members’ annual leave as to ensure that all leave taken by members is effectively recorded; stresses that the current practice strongly undermines the trust of Union citizens and institutions in the good faith of the Court;
Amendment 36 #
2018/2171(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Urges the Court, in relation to the period 2011-2017, to complete a comprehensive audit of mission expenses by members of the Court in order to identify potential irregularities and to recover the amounts affected by such irregularities; furthermore, calls on the Court to provide a list with the missions undertaken, including, for each mission, the dates, the full cost and a cost-benefit analysis;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with satisfaction that, in its annual report for 2017, the Court of Auditors identified no significant weaknesses in respect of the audited topics relating to human resources and procurement for the Court of Justice of the European Union (the ‘CJEU’);
Amendment 8 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. NoteRegrets that appropriations carried over from 2016 to 2017 were EUR 22 240 120,22, of which 86,26% (EUR 19 188 159,20) was used in 2017 as compared to 90% in 2016;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with concern that the CJEU overestimated its commitments for various budget lines under Chapter 14 ‘Other staff and external services’, inter alia for missions (budget line 162), having committed EUR 342 000 in 2017 whereas payments only amounted to EUR 204 795,27, and overestimated further training (budget line 1612), having committed EUR 1 457 644,07, whereas payments only amounted to EUR 579 000,04; notes that the CJEU reduced its request for appropriations for Members’ missions to EUR 299 750 when drawing up its 2019 estimates in response to the observation of the Parliament in its discharge report for the year 2016; calls on the CJEU to pursue its efforts to ensure sound financial management in order to avoid significant discrepancies between commitments and payments;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. WelcomAcknowledges the fact that the CJEU has started its work on developing an Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) which will replace a set of applications developed over the past 25 years and which will include a component on the computerisation of performance indicators and reporting instruments;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the increase of remunerated traineeships at the CJEU from 57 in 2016 to 82 in 2017; welcomes, moreover, that the CJEU has requested anconsiders that there is no need to further increase the number of remunerated trainees; therefore calls for the additional amount of EUR 550 000requested in the 2019 budget; regrets, however, that 215 trainees assigned to Member’s cabinet in 2017 were still not remunerated; calls on the CJEU to ensure an appropriate allowance being paid to all trainees in order to provide sufficient rei for the remuneration of interns not to be granted in order to avoid excessive expenditure; regrets, however, that the 215 trainees assigned to the cabinets of membuersement for the trainees’ efforts and not to reinforce discrimination on economic grounds continued not to receive remuneration;
Amendment 19 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes with concern that chauffeurs drove to the home countries of the members of the CJEU without having the member on board on 26 occasions and that 53 nights were reimbursed to the drivers in relation to those trips; notes, moreover, that 22 flights, five trips by train and one boat trip were scheduled for chauffeurs in order to do official missions with a member in his or her home country; underlines that chauffeurs should accompany members in the home country only in duly justified cases;
Amendment 23 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Reiterates its call on the CJEU to publish CVs and declarations of interest for all its members on the websiteUrges the CJEU once again to publish on its website the CVs and declarations of interest for all its members, indicating whether they belong to other organisations; notes that short biographies of each member are published on the website, which do not however contain information on membership of any other organisations; notes that, under the new Code of Conduct for Members, members are required to submit a declaration of their financial interests to the President of the Ccourt of which they are a member s upon taking up their duties in line with the new Code of Conduct for members; calls on the CJEU to publish thosesuch declarations on its website;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Is of the opinion that the significant costs of visits to the CJEU can be reduced by increasing dialogue with European citizens through social media, which is an immediate and effective means of communication;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2017 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with concerns the increase of EUR 16,5 million (+3 %) in the budget of the European Council and Council in 2017 compared to an increase of 0,6 % in 2016;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing its President discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Parliament for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Takes note of the ongoing technical and editorial changes made to Parliament’s public website; underlines that progress remains slow, particularly in view of the forthcoming European elections in 2019 and increased interest in Parliament’s work; stresses that further improvements are of the utmost priority;
Amendment 62 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Regrets that expenditure items such as salaries and mission costs were not communicated in response to the questionnaire; draws on the information provided during the 2016 discharge procedure, where salaries paid for EPLO staff amounted to EUR 23 058 210 and mission costs amounted to EUR 1 383 843; assumes that these amounts have not changed significantly for the budgetary year 2017 and remains concerned that costs may outweigh the benefits; acknowledges the importance of effective communication in Member States but stresses the need for cost-efficiency; invites all decision-making parties involved to strive for more added value particularly with regards to running costs;
Amendment 64 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45a. Underlines the need to modernise the mission of the information offices of Parliament by optimising the use of new communication technologies as their task is to better inform citizens;
Amendment 100 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 54 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses, however the urgent issue of the brand-new KAD II building which completion date was supposed to be in the year 2013 and the budget at a cost of EUR 317 million.
Amendment 101 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
54a. Deplores, that even if it all goes according to plan from now on, the new KAD II building will be ready by the end of 2019 at the cost of EUR 432 million over 6 years late and EUR 115 million more expensive.
Amendment 102 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 b (new)
Paragraph 54 b (new)
Amendment 129 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Notes that the new Parliament’s travel service, which had already worked with the Parliament, will start operating on 1 January 2019; welcomes the fact that the new contract contains strengthened conditions, in particular with regard to ticket pricing and the availability of the travel service’s call centre at all times, including at weekends; stresses again the importance of a simple and user-friendly complaints mechanism to quickly highlight shortfalls, which allows for speedy resolution of any problems; emphasises that attention needs to be paid to the specific requirements of Members and their need for tailor-made services; is doubtful that services will significantly improve since former BCD staff will be taken on by the new travel service;
Amendment 131 #
2018/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 a (new)
Paragraph 67 a (new)
67a. Encourages the new travel agency to strive to achieve the most competitive prices for the European Parliament’s work-related travels;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 8 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 21 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 23 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 27 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2017;
Amendment 150 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 53 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses that regarding external relations DG NEAR and DG DEVCO use in their AARs residual error rates that are the products of residual error rate (RER) studies and that the RER is calculated on transactions only from closed contracts, for which all controls have been already applied;
Amendment 152 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Notes the fact that the Court considered that the RER studies were broadly fit for purpose whilst havialthough the Court had strong concerns about the quality of those studies;
Amendment 153 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 54 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Notes that the RER of DG DEVCO and DGNEAR do not include payments made in 2017;
Amendment 157 #
Amendment 161 #
Amendment 170 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Is deeply concerned by the fact that, according to the Court, 64 % of the total value of EFSI contracts that the EIB Group had signed by the end of 2017 was concentrated in six Member States: France, Italy, Spain, Germany, UK, Poland;
Amendment 199 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92
Paragraph 92
92. Finds it unacceptable that, according to the Commission, eight critical or very important recommendations issues by the Commission’s Internal Audit Service over the period 2014 - 2017 are still pending; requests to obtain the progress report on these recommendations implementation until 30 June 2019;
Amendment 222 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 104 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Amendment 229 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 116 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Amendment 231 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 a (new)
Paragraph 116 a (new)
116a. Observes that it has not always been made clear whether ‘political responsibility’ encompasses responsibility for the directorates-general, or is distinct from it;
Amendment 253 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 126 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 126 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Notes that if the authorising officers by delegation, when disclosing the specific areas of their expenditure for which they issue a reservation refer to the materiality threshold of 2 % only in the context of the ‘residual error rate’, they finally run the risk to underestimate the risk of error;
Amendment 255 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 126 a (new)
Paragraph 126 a (new)
126a. Stresses that the Commission did not disclose in its AMPR 2017 the scope of the reservations that was reported on in the AMPRs of preceding years;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on discharge togranting the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2183(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Bio- based Industries Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2182(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Director of the Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 5 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern that, according to the Court of Auditors’ summary of results of the Court’s 2016 annual audits of the Union agencies and other bodies (“the Court’s summary”), the agencies’ 2016 budget amounted to some EUR 3,4 billion, representing an increase of about 21,42 % compared to 2015 and about 2,4 % (2015: 2%) of the Union’s general budget; points out that the increase is mainly related to agencies working on matters related to industry, research and energy (additional EUR 358 000 000) and civil liberties, justice and home affairs (additional EUR 174 000 000); notes moreover that of the EUR 3,4 billion budget, some EUR 2,4 billion were financed by the Union general budget, whereas some EUR 1 billion were financed by fees and also by direct contributions from Member States, the European Free Trade Association countries and other sources;
Amendment 11 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. WelcomNotes the contribution provided by the EU Agency’s Network (“the Network”) in coordinating, collecting and consolidating actions and information for the benefit of the Union Institutions, including the Parliament; notes that its coordination tasks include the annual discharge and budget procedures, the implementation of the Commission’s roadmap stemming from the Common Approach and related policy initiatives, and the review and implementation of Financial and Staff Regulations;
Amendment 18 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses, therefore, the immediate need to establish clear definitions of acceptable carry-overs in order to streamline the Court’s reporting on this issue, as well as to enable the discharge authority to distinguish between the carry- overs indicating poor budgetary planning, and the carry-overs as a budgetary tool which support multiannual programmes as well as procurement planning;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that, according to the Court’s summary, public procurement remains an error-prone area; notes thatexpresses its dissatisfaction with EASO, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA), the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT Systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), which did not fully comply with the public procurement principles and rules laid down in the Financial Regulation; calls on the Agencies to pay particular attention to the Court’s comments on public procurement;
Amendment 24 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with satisfaction that the majority of the Agencies (27 out of 31) have a business continuity plan in place; considers that all agencies should have such a plan in place; calls on the Network to report to the discharge authority on the evolution of that situation;
Amendment 40 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Expresses its concern that only 22 Agencies (71 %) have adopted internal rules and guidelines on whistleblowing and reporting irregularities in accordance with the provisions of the Staff Regulations; notes that the remaining nine agencies foresee adoption of the relevant rules and guidelines; calls on the Network to report immediately to the discharge authority on the adoption and implementation of these measures per individual Agency;
Amendment 44 #
2017/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that the agencies ashould promote more actively promoting their work through various channels, in particular by regularly updating their websites to provide information and promote the work they have delivered; notes in addition that social media is increasingly becoming a standard communication tool for the agencies; observes that open days, targeted campaigns and videos explaining the core work of agencies are some of the activities used in educating citizens and providing them with opportunities to learn more about the work of the agencies and the Union institutions; acknowledges that the general or specialised media relations activities are regularly measured through different indicators, as well as that each Agency has its communication plan with specific activities tailored for its needs;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 18 #
2017/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that all members of the management board are obliged to issue an annual public statement of interest in writing, which is published on the Agency’s website; notes that the CV of the executive director and the chairperson of the management board are also published and kept up to date; notes that the Agency is preparing new rules on the prevention and management of conflicts of interest; callregrets that the members onf the Agency to report to the discharge authority on their adoption and implementationManagement Board and of the Advisory Group have published declarations of 'absence of conflict of interest' and not declarations of interest, while it is not for the members to declare themselves out of conflict of interest, but to ensure independent verification of the declarations of interest, by third parties; calls on the members of the Management Board and of the Advisory Group to publish declarations of interest listing their membership in any other organisation; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on this matter by the end of July 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital b – paragraph 1
Recital b – paragraph 1
recalls that in February 2016 the Office directly awarded a FWC for interim services to support it in its response to the migration crisis for a period of 12 months amounting to EUR 3 600 000; recallsdeplores the fact that the FWC was awarded to a single preselected economic operator without applying any of the procurement procedures laid down in the Financial Regulation; considers that the award was therefore not in compliance with the relevant Union rules and that the associated 2016 payments, amounting to EUR 592 273, are irregular;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the interim director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the interim director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Management Committee of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Body’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Management Committee of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Body’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2172(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2171(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2170(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2169(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Europol’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Europol’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2165(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2163(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2162(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2161(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2160(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2159(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 18 #
2017/2159(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that the Authority in January 2016 adopted the standard operating procedures on “Handling complaints submitted by whistleblowers” and recommends to undertake consistent training on whistle-blowing rules rights and the Authority rules; calls on the Authority to commit itself to strictly protect the identity of whistle-blowers and their intimidation; asks the Authority to provide details on whistle-blower cases in 2016, if any, and how they have been handled;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2158(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 11 #
2017/2158(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the factNotes that the Agency published the declarations of absence of conflicts of interests and the CVs of their respective management board members on its website, taking into account remarks made by the Parliament; urges the Agency to verify if there is any case of conflict of interest for all in-house and seconded staff who is currently working at the Agency since 2012;
Amendment 17 #
2017/2158(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Highlights that, according to the Court’sECA report, 70 % of the Agency’s 2016 budget was financed by fees from the aviation industry and 30 % from the Union funds; stresses that a future decrease of the Agency’s revenue resulting from the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the Union is possible and might have a considerable impact on the Agency business plan; notes, from the Agency's reply the establishment of a working group to look into this matter, which has already performed a first analysis on the potential risks and impact of Brexit;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2157(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2156(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2155(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 12 #
2017/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes with satisfaction that the CVs and declarations of interests of all Management Board members are published on the Agency's website; notes that no breach of trust procedures were initiated for Management Board members in 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2153(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2152(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2150(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2149(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2148(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2147(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2146(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2145(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European External Action Service for the financial year 2016; / Postpones its decision on granting the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European External Action Service for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 24 #
2017/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes that the 13 Member States that joined the Union since 2004 account for 19,6% of overall AD EEAS staff, approaching their share of Union population (20,6%); draws attention nevertheless to the fact that they only account for 13,28% of managerial positions and emphasises that, while respecting a merit-based recruitment policy, the percentage of nationals from the these Member States in managerial positions within the EEAS should be further increased to reflect within the EEAS their share of the Union population; deplores the fact that Member States in question are especially underrepresented at the higher level of administration and remarks that a progress in this matter is of high priority;
Amendment 26 #
2017/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Asks the EEAS to provide before 30 June 2018 further explanation of the increasing number of seconded national experts reaching 445 in 2016 (85% of them being located in Brussels) compared to 434 in 2015 and 407 in 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2144(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2016; / Postpones its decision on granting the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 8 #
2017/2144(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Supervisor to provide a detailed list of missions undertaken by its members in 2016, indicating the price, the place and the cost of each mission before 30 June 2018; calls for the missions undertaken in 2017 to be included in its next annual activity report;
Amendment 9 #
2017/2144(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Supervisor to inform the Committee on Budgetary Control before 30 June 2018 of the amounts paid in 2016 under Service Level Agreements which have fees depending on consumption;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2143(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2016; / Postpones its decision on granting the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 29 #
2017/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes the lack of data from 2016 in different sections of the Ombudsman’s annual activity report for 2016; urges the Ombudsman to provide the follow up to the 2015 discharge before 30 June 2018, in compliance with Article 166 of the Financial Regulation.
Amendment 4 #
2017/2142(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2016; / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes the inclusion of data on the missions undertaken by the Committee’s members in its annual activity report; asks the Committee to provide a list of the events attended by its members in 2016 in an annex to its annual activity report forbefore 30 June 20178;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2141(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 10 #
2017/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is concerned with the high amount of expenditure related to travel expenses and allowances of the Committee members; notes that the final appropriations for travel and subsistence allowances for members were EUR 19 561 194 which accounted for 97,01 % (EUR 18 975 764 out of EUR 19 561 194) as well as for the delegates which accounted for 96,40 % (EUR 455 354 out of EUR 472 382 ); calls on the Committee to provide a detailed breakdown of members’ and delegates’ expenditure, particularly those concerning item 1004, in its next annual activity report, and asks for the adoption of by the end of June 2018; urges the Committee to immediately adopt appropriate measures in order to make savings and reduce environmental pollution; urges the Committee membersto reduce travel expenditure for members and delegates and asks for the cost-benefits assessment of those missions for the Union and visited countries; asks the Committee to provide the discharge authority with a list of the visited countries in 2016; asks the Committee to increase the use of video-conference and telepresence facilities, which may contribute to economic savings, such as on travel expenses;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Is concerned that for 9 out of 22 tenders in 2016 the contracts were awarded without competition to the only company that had applied for the tender; asks the Committee to take the necessary measures to ensure a competition among tenders so that the contracts can be attributed on a competitive basis;
Amendment 34 #
2017/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Regrets the fact that the Committee is only now preparing draft guidelines on the prevention of conflicts of interest in the context of social dialogue; notes that the draft guidelines are currently being finalised through a dialogue with the socio-professional organisations; asks the Committee to speed-up the finalisation process, to timely adopt the guidelines on the preventing of the conflict of interest including listing membership to any other organisation and to publish them on the website;
Amendment 35 #
2017/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Deplores the fact that neither the President, nor the Vice-Presidents and the Secretariat have published declarations of interest on the Committee’s website and urges the Committee to publish them by the end of June 2018 listing membership to any other organisations; deplores the fact that members declarations of interest are published in various languages and different formats limiting the public access to them; urges the Committee to publish them in an unique format and in one of the three languages of the Union by the end of June 2018;
Amendment 37 #
2017/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Regrets the absence of provisions against “revolving doors” and urges the Committee to establish and implement severe rules against such practices;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2140(DEC)
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 5 #
2017/2139(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Registrar of the Court of Justice of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice of the European Union for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Registrar of the Court of Justice of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice of the European Union for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 9 #
2017/2139(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Is concerned that the commitments for missions in 2016 were EUR 342 000 whereas payments were only EUR 157 974; calls on the Court to ensure sound financial planning in order to avoid a similar discrepancy in the future;
Amendment 20 #
2017/2139(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Urges the CJEU to publish curricula vitae and declarations of interest for all CJEU members, listing membership to any other organisations;
Amendment 21 #
2017/2139(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Regrets the absence of rules on 'revolving doors' and urges the CJEU to establish and implement strict obligations in regard thereto;
Amendment 28 #
2017/2139(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Asks the CJEU to publish the meetings with the professional associations as well as agents representing the Member States;
Amendment 55 #
2017/2139(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the CJEU’s adoption of guidelines on information for and protection of whistleblowers in the beginning of 2016 and recalls that the protection of whistleblowers is one of the main issues in public administration.; calls on the CJEU to provide its staff with training on the 2016 guidelines, highlighting whistleblowers' vital role in bringing wrongdoing to light; calls on the CJEU to encourage its staff to take advantage of the 2016 guidelines in appropriate cases;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2138(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2016 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Council discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Council and of the Council for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing its President discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Parliament for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 23 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Encourages the Parliament’s Secretariat to continue its additional efforts in assisting the political groups in improving their internal financial management and in providing them with better guidance; calls on the political groups to further improve the application of relevant rules for authorising and settling expenditure, as well as to improve and further harmonise how they carry out and procurement procedures;
Amendment 60 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recalls that the key performance indicator of DG COMM is the total outreach or exposure attained across the entire range of Parliament’s communication platforms and channels; notes with satisfaction that, with regards to the Parliament’s presence in the media and average coverage per month, there was a 12% increase compared to 2015, and 7% increase compared to the election year 2014; acknowledges in addition significant results for the Parliament’s use of social media, as well as actions related to raising awareness among young people; points out, however, that the Parliament’s communication activities should continue to improve, in particular by increasing outreach on social media; which is currently below the standards expected of a parliamentary institution;
Amendment 69 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes with satisfaction the major technical and editorial improvements of Parliament’s public website, in particular search engine optimisation of the website; notes that the Responsive Web Design project and the live streaming and video- on-demand platform renewal project, which aim to redesign the website to make it adaptive to all kinds of devices, were launched in 2016 and successfully implemented to parts of the website; calls for a continuation of these projects and their implementation on all sections of the Parliament’s website; encourages further improvements because the website is still rather user-unfriendly;
Amendment 74 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Underlines the need to modernise the mission of the information offices of Parliament by optimising the use of new communication technologies as their task is to better inform citizens;
Amendment 145 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Encourages the successor travel agency to strive to achieve the most competitive prices for the European Parliament’s work-related travels;
Amendment 148 #
Amendment 154 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Notes that as of end 2016, the Fund’s actuarial deficit amount to EUR 326,2 million;
Amendment 171 #
2017/2137(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)
Paragraph 47 c (new)
47c. Regrets that the assessment of the current situation of the Pension Fund, that should have been provided by the Secretary-General is still unavailable; finds obtaining the assessment of high priority as 145 people will join the fund in five years; wishes to receive the assessment at the latest until 30 June 2018;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 5 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 7 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 9 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 11 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 13 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/pPostpones the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2016;
Amendment 118 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. 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 149 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Reiterates its call for thematic concentration, as expressed in its discharge report on budget year 2015; calls on the Commission to inquire to what extent thematic concentration could contribute to simplification and a decrease of the regulatory burden and control burden;
Amendment 270 #
Amendment 273 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 164
Paragraph 164
Amendment 275 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 165
Paragraph 165
Amendment 278 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 166
Paragraph 166
Amendment 340 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 211
Paragraph 211
211. Stresses that weaknesses were detected in particular in the management and control system of Hungary (concerningfour countries as regards accordingly to late management declaration by the paying agency and deficiencies in greening payments), Bulgaria (concerning greening and the organic status of farmers), Poland (concerning greening payments) and Italy (concerning deficiencies in correctly establishing the eligibility of land and an active farmer);
Amendment 384 #
Amendment 385 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 250 b (new)
Paragraph 250 b (new)
250b. Insists that educational material financed by European funds including PEGASE comply with the common values of freedom, tolerance and non- discrimination through Education' adopted by EU Education Ministers in Paris on 17 March 2015.
Amendment 396 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 254 a (new)
Paragraph 254 a (new)
254 a. Asks the Commission to ensure that European funds are spent in line with Unesco-derived standards of peace and tolerance in education.
Amendment 438 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 277
Paragraph 277
277. Wishes to receive the supporting documents for these explanations until 30 June 2018;
Amendment 442 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 281 a (new)
Paragraph 281 a (new)
281a. Deplores the fact that the Court’s report on the annual accounts for the European Schools for the financial year 2016, revealed numerous weaknesses; believes that the financial accountability of the European Schools system should be raised to a proper level by means of a dedicated discharge process for the EUR 177,8 million put at its disposal;
Amendment 443 #
2017/2136(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 281 b (new)
Paragraph 281 b (new)
281b. Reiterates Parliament's view that a 'comprehensive review' of the European Schools system is urgently required to consider "reform covering managerial, financial, organisational and pedagogical issues" and recalls its request that "the Commission submit annually a report giving its assessment of the state of progress" to Parliament;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 77 #
2016/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76
Paragraph 76
76. Asks to the Commission to report in due coursebefore 30 June 2017 to Parliament on the corrective measures, level of recoveries and improvements in the management of funds by the APF;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the executive director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the executive director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Regrets that despite the Joint Undertaking 's policy on conflicts of interests, there are no declarations of absence of a conflict of interest on the Joint Undertaking's website; reminds that transparency is a core issue for the credibility of the Joint Undertaking's operations and for the public trust in the integrity of its staff and the use of financial and human resources for its operations; calls upon the Joint Undertaking to make immediately available for the public the declarations of absence of a conflict of interest of its executive and administrative staff until June 2017; asks the Joint Undertaking to present by June 2017 the list of the conflicts of interests identified (if any) and how they were handled and finalized;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Οoperational Mmanagement of Llarge-Sscale IT Systems in the Aarea of Ffreedom, Ssecurity and Jjustice for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2192(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2192(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2192(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes that the closed calls for tenders are published on the Office's website; notes with regret that the e- recruitment platform have not been yet put in act; therefore calls the Office to put in act measures in order to make this service available for using;
Amendment 14 #
2016/2192(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Invites the Office to improve the transparency of the recruitment procedures; in particular calls the Office to publish on its website the threshold scores of the candidates to be invited for interviews after the examinations of their applications;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2192(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the conclusion of internal rules on whistleblowing is foreseen by the Office at the beginning of 2017; calls the Office to put in place rules on whistle-blowing as a matter of urgency; recommends the Office to disseminate these rules among its staff so that all employees to be aware of it; asks the Office to provide details on the whistle- blower cases in 2015 (if any) and how they were handled and finalized; therefore, asks the Office to report to the discharge authority on the establishment and implementation of its whistleblowing rules;
Amendment 18 #
2016/2192(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with concern that the Office openly acknowledges that it does not publish the curriculum vitae of either the management board or the senior management teams; notes with regret that some Management Board's members declarations of interest are incomplete or missing; urges the Office to put in act measures and policies in order to publish complete declarations of interest;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Institute for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2190(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 6 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 8 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes that some of the staff members who received undue payments, allowances included, have not returned them; calls on the Agency to take urgent measures for recovering the undue payments and inform the discharge authority by June 2017 on the recovering the undue payments; recalls that the European citizens money are at stake and should be the leading principle in dealing with the financial matters; regrets that the European Court of Auditors failed to find this matter and protect the tax payers;
Amendment 9 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes the high level of appropriations carried over, explained by the Agency through the commitments at year-end, mainly streaming from the long-term nature of the REMIT project implementation; notes the Agency's statement on the uncertainty on the annual budgetary allocation and calls for additional explanations as annual budgetary allocations differ from one year to another to most EU bodies; calls the Agency to do its outmost to respect the principle of annuality;
Amendment 11 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes with concern that the Agency published in 2016 a vacancy notice to recruit a budget officer as an AD8, breaching the establishment plan providing for the availability of the AD5 position only; calls on the Agency to send by June 2017 to the discharge authority all the vacancy notices and employments in the breach of the establishment plans since January 2015 to the present date; calls on the European Court of Auditors to thoroughly verify this case and possible similar others and to inform the discharge authority by June 2017;
Amendment 15 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Is concerned that the Head of Administration Department was reclassified in 2014 as AD12 being in conflict of interest as the person concerned was a member of the committee deciding the promotions; calls on the Agency to inform by June 2017 the discharge authority on all cases of conflict of interest in the human resources practice of the Agency; regrets that the European Court of Auditors failed to disclose this case in its report on this Agency and calls on ECA to thoroughly verify this case and possibly similar others in the last three years and to inform the discharge authority by June 2017;
Amendment 22 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes with satisfaction that the Agency adopted an anti-fraud strategy for the period 2015 to 17, following guidance from OLAF, and that awareness-raising training has been provided to all staff; calls upon the Agency to present the results of the implementation of this strategy up to date;
Amendment 26 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Is concerned that the decision making in the ACER is not perceived as objective and transparent and the senior management does not have a clear vision on leading the Agency and setting up its goals, as resulting from the 2015 ACER Staff Engagement Survey; in addition, the Agency's leadership took decisions contrary to the European Commission and failed to consult and take into account the staff opinions, creating a split contrary to a team work, which does not fall into good leadership and management;
Amendment 27 #
2016/2189(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Notes with concern that the mandatory mobility is not enforced in the Agency and therefore some decisions could lead to arbitrary management; calls on the Agency to apply the mandatory mobility of the staff performing sensitive functions, such as administration, human and financial resources in order to eliminate the risks associated to sensitive management tasks, which should be object to mitigating controls and specific ex post controls; calls on the Agency to inform the discharge authority, by June 2017, on measures taken to practice the mandatory mobility;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2188(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2188(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2187(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that, with the exception of the CVs of the Senior Management Board, the CVs and the declarations of interest of the Authority’s Management Board members and of the Senior Management Board are not published on the Authority’s website; calls the Authority to take all necessary measures in order to improve the publicity and the transparency of information related to their members;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Police Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Police Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Police Office for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Police Office for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2183(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2183(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2182(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2182(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 10 #
2016/2182(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the Agency has implemented a robust conflict of interest policy and a detailed anti-fraud strategy in order to contribute to a culture of high ethical behaviour among the staff and experts working for the Agency, but not has set up specific rules on obligations after leaving the service for its experts and staffno actual conflict of interest cases materialised during 2015, which is not necessarily a proof of lack of conflict of interest; periodic verifications could show the real situation;
Amendment 15 #
2016/2182(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Acknowledges the need for EU agencies to abide by high standards of transparency, accountability, and ethics as all other institutions; notes the Agency's policy on conflict of interest; asks the Agency how many cases of conflict of interest the Agency has identified and managed in 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the executive director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the executive director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budgetbudget of the Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 6 #
2016/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Observes that a total of EUR 1 406 984 was carried over to 2016, amounting to 17 % of the overall 2015 budget; notes that, according to the Court’s report, the level of committed appropriations carried over was at EUR 212 456 (49 %) for Title II (administrative expenditure) compared to EUR 383 940 (59 %) in 2014; acknowledges that these carry-overs resulted from the College’s relocation from the United Kingdom (UK) to Hungary in September 2014 and the consequential need to initiate new services and supply contracts; acknowledges that most of the services procured under these annual contracts had not been provided by the end of 2015; calls the College to further reduce the level of allocations carried over to the following year by keeping them at the lowest possible level;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2177(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2177(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Railway Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Railway Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the executive director of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the executive director of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 10 #
2016/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on the Authority to make efforts to create new opportunities for training through a fellowship program, in cooperation with national food agencies;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that only some of declaration of interests of the Authority’s Management Board members are published on its website; calls on the Authority, in accordance with the principles of publicity and transparency, to take all necessary actions in order to make the statements of interests of all the Authority's Management Board Members available;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2172(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2172(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2171(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Foundation for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2171(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2170(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of Eurojust for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2170(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2169(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2169(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budgetbudget of the Centre for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 8 #
2016/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas air pollution has considerable economic and environmental impacts, from increased medical costs and reduced productivity to damaged vegetation and ecosystems; whereas the Union is spending more than EUR 2 billion to combat air pollution;
Amendment 19 #
2016/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with concern that the Agency’s Management Board members are not required to make their CVs and declarations of interest publicly available, and consequently only a few can be found on its website; notes that the CVs and declarations of interest of its senior management team are published in the website; asks the Agency to present by June 2017 the list of the conflict of interests, if any, and how they were handled and finalized;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2164(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budgetbudget of the Centre for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2164(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2163(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of budget of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2162(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2162(DEC)
- having regards to the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, establishing the European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions (Eurofound), and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75;
Amendment 8 #
2016/2162(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges the fact that the Foundation was committed to increasing the number of declarations of interest and CVs available on its website and that it aimed to collect declarations from all board members as the new governing board was to be appointed after the expiration of; notes, however, that some of the governing board's CVs and declarations of interests are still missing; urges the maFoundate of the current board in November 2016; notes, however, that some of the governing board’s CVs andion's governing board members to submit those documents without declarations of interests are still missingy with a view to increasing transparency;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2161(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Centre for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2161(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2160(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European External Action Service for the financial year 2015; / Postpones its decision on granting the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European External Action Service for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2159(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the for the financial year 2015; / Postpones its decision on granting the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2158(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Ombudsman for the financial year 2015; / Postpones its decision on granting the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Ombudsman for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2157(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2156(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2155(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice for the financial year 2015; / Postpones its decision on granting the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants itsPostpones its decision on granting the President discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Parliament for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 8 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out, however, that the reputational risk in the case of the Parliament’s budgetary and financial management is relatively high, especially against the background of the Members of Parliament (MEPs) being the representatives of the citizens in the Union and hence any irregularities do not only damage the administration’s reputation, but also undermine the credibility of the MEPs as aneven if the error rate is remarkably low, the reputational risk is relatively high, given that such financial and budgetary errors might impact negatively on the standing of the institution;
Amendment 17 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that against this background, the work undertaken by the Parliament and in particular by CONT in the context of the discharge procedure is of particular importance, as it offers the sole opportunity to consider more thoroughly the accounts of the Parliament’s administration;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that ‘mopping-up’ transfers accounted for EUR 83 419 000, which represents 4,6 % of final appropriations with a total of EUR 71 000 000 transferred from provisional appropriation headings and from other sources, so as to help fund the annual lease payments for the Konrad Adenauer building; reaffirms, yet again,urges that Parliament's property policy should be set with sufficient clarity as part of the budgetary strategy;
Amendment 34 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Is strongly concerned with the Court’s finding that of the 151 transactions examined for all the Union institutions, 22 (14,6 %) were affected by error;
Amendment 35 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Takes furthermore note of the specific findings concerning Parliament contained in the annual report of the Court for 2015; notes that the Court found that in one out of the sixteen Parliament transactions examined, related to a political group, the Court found weaknesses in controls of the authoriszation and settlement of expenditure made in 2014 but cleared in 2015, and in the related procurement procedures; these involved only one out of 16 Parliament transactions and these weaknesses were cleared in 2015;
Amendment 69 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
Amendment 77 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Believes that MEPs ought to be able to use the Parliament’s website to provide their constituencies with maximum transparency on their activities and therefore calls upon the secretary-general to develop a system in which MEPs can indicate how they want their personal webpages to be organised; refers, in this respect, to the wish of certain MEPs to have their diaries and, in particular, their meetings with interest representatives, included on these webpages, and urges the secretary-general to make this possible without further delays, as already requested in Parliament’s 2014 discharge resolution;
Amendment 83 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Calls on the bureau to make it possible for MEPs who wish to do so, to have their accounts relating to the general expenditure allowance audited by the Parliament’s administration in a manner that is both efficient and effective (for example, by taking samples or by concentrating on expenditures over a certai; asks the bureau to insure that any measure taken financial threshold) and to publish the results on their personal webpages on the Parliament’s website; alternatively, to earmark a percentage of the general expenditure allowance for MEPs to hire an external audit this regard produces no additional costs; recalls about the answer to the 2014 discharge questionnaire that "a comprehensive system of control and direct payment of the general expenditure allowance (GEA) would necessitate the creation of 40 to 75 new posts in the area of financial management, depending on the degree of control required"; recalls about the principle of the independence of the mandate;
Amendment 99 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls on the secretary-general to ensureNotes that the accounts of the political groups and of NI are easily accessible on the Parliament’'s website in a format that allows for quick and easy searches;
Amendment 102 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Similarly, calls on the secretary- general to ensure onNotes that the Parliament’'s website full disclosure of the underlyingmakes available a range of documents regarding the decision on the recognition of the European political parties and European political foundations and the determination of the final funding amount;
Amendment 105 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Welcomes the introduction of a special form for rapporteurs which enables to indicate which interest representatives had influenced their reports (legislative footprint);
Amendment 107 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Reiterates its call for a report by Parliament’s administration on the use of the Parliament’s premises by interest representatives and other external organisations, whilst paying special attention to the MEP-industry fora;
Amendment 127 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Is, however, not convinced of the effectiveness of Parliament’s communication strategy in respect of those who are not automatically interested in Parliament’s activities or are even sceptical about its functioning; invites the secretary- general to develop a new strategy to reach also these citizens and to concentrate in that respect less on “sending messages” than on facilitating access to information and on addressing unjustified prejudices against the Parliament; hopes the secretary-general would put in place a communication strategy that can improve the cost-effectiveness ratio, avoiding unnecessary and costly advertising campaigns;
Amendment 133 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Is not convinced of the need to have information offices of the Parliament in all Member States, especially in view of the fact that for effective communication physical presence may not always be necessary and can easily be replaced by effective and responsive internet facilities; is in particular sceptical about having an information office in the cities of Brussels and Strasbourg as in both cities the Parliament itself can be visited and in addition for interested visitors there is or will be a Parlamentarium at their disposalNotes that the Parliament's information offices' task is to better inform citizens; calls therefore for better use of modern ways of communication;
Amendment 204 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Notes with concern that no special arrangements have been made for staff’s pensions in case of a Member State leaving the Union and that it is entirely at the discretion of the Member State concerned, whether and to what extent it will acknowledge the pension rights of Union staff of their nationality; while recognising that this issue holds for all European institutions, invites the secretary-general to engage in a dialogue with the Commission in order to make sure that British staff do not become victimised in the case of a Brexit and that their statutory, contractual and acquired rights are fully safeguarded;
Amendment 211 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 a (new)
Paragraph 76 a (new)
76a. Calls once again on the Bureau to make an assessment of the current situation of the Pension Fund as soon as possible;
Amendment 248 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 101
Paragraph 101
Amendment 261 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 109
Paragraph 109
Amendment 269 #
2016/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112
Paragraph 112
Amendment 3 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 7 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 10 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2151(DEC)
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 19 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 22 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 26 #
2016/2151(DEC)
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015;
Amendment 56 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to make greater use of the opportunities regarding the performance reserve within the existing legal framework, in order to create a genuine financial stimulus to effectively improve the financial management; requests furthermore a reinforcement of the performance reserve as an instrument, by increasing the performance-dependent component in the following legislative framework;
Amendment 80 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. WelcomNotes 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 issue;
Amendment 89 #
2016/2151(DEC)
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;
Amendment 134 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Underlines that the control burden for end-users would decrease if a 'Single Audit' approach would be applied, in which a European audit would not be carried out separately, but would build on national audits. Such a continuing line of accountability would however only be possible if national audits are adequate and if Commission and Member States would agree on the principles and interpretations; calls on the Commission to be proactive in this regard by publishing guidelines;
Amendment 135 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 b (new)
Paragraph 42 b (new)
42b. Believes that granting discharge should depend on the necessary improvement in financial management at Member State level; points at the instrument of national declarations in this context which could help to achieve greater accountability and ownership at national level;
Amendment 149 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Reiterates its call for thematic concentration, as expressed in its discharge report on budget year 2014; calls on the Commission to inquire to what extent thematic concentration could contribute to simplification and a decrease of the regulatory burden and control burden;
Amendment 316 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 201
Paragraph 201
201. In light of the alarming information provided by Politico on 2 December 2016 regarding “Conflict of interest fears over Georgieva’s World Bank dealings” recalls that the Parliament called on the Commission in its last resolution of the Commission discharge for 2014 to review the code of conduct for Commissioners by the end of 2017 including by defining what constitutes a conflict of interest; stresses that without a detailed definition of what constitutes a conflict of interest Parliament will not be able to properly evaluate fairly and consistently the existence of actual or potential conflict of interests.
Amendment 324 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 206
Paragraph 206
206. Takes noteDeplores that the Court did not formulate any error rate regarding this policy area whilst the director general of DG HOME estimates in his 2015 annual activity report a residual multiannual error rate of 2,88% for DG HOME directly managed non-research grants;
Amendment 325 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 208
Paragraph 208
208. Recalls that deficiencies were detected by DG HOME in the management and control systems of the European Refugees Fund, Return Fund, and European fund for integration of third- country nationals and the External Borders Fund for the period 2007-2013 by Czech Republic, Germany, France and Poland;
Amendment 327 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 210
Paragraph 210
210. Takes noteDeplores that the Commission considers that it is “difficult if not impossible to provide an estimated cost paid for migrants/seeker country by country as the management of migratory flows comprises a wide range of activities”107 ; _________________ 107 reply to written question 23 - hearing of Commissioner AVRAMOPOULOS of 29 November 2016
Amendment 348 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 218 a (new)
Paragraph 218 a (new)
218a. Notes that the size of the budget allocated to the European Schools system is considerably larger than that received by all but 2 of the 32 agencies; Believes that the financial accountability of the European Schools system should be raised to a level comparable to that of the European agencies including by means of a dedicated discharge process for the EUR 168,4 million put at its disposal;
Amendment 349 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 219 a (new)
Paragraph 219 a (new)
219a. Notes the ongoing financial and organisational crisis in the European Schools system is growing more acute because of the plans to open a fifth school in Brussels and the possible consequences of the withdrawal of one member state from the European Schools Convention at some point in the future; questions whether the European schools system as currently organised and financed has the resources to cope with the planned expansion to five schools in Brussels; notes that this risks creating even more significant problems in the future by over- stretching some language sections that, under current resourcing models, only have the capacity to cover four Brussels schools (in the case of the German- language sections) or three (in the case of the English-language sections);
Amendment 351 #
2016/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 223 a (new)
Paragraph 223 a (new)
223a. Calls for the Commission to play its full part in all aspects of the process of reform covering managerial, financial, organisational and pedagogical issues; asks that the Commission submits annually a report giving its assessment of the state of progress in these areas to the European Parliament to ensure its relevant committees can scrutinise the management of the schools system and evaluate the use it makes of the resources put at the system's disposal out of the European Union budget asks that the relevant Commissioner give the matter his close attention, and specifically calls on him to participate personally in the biannual meetings of the Board of Governors; reiterates Parliament's view that a 'comprehensive review' of the European Schools system is urgently required; calls for the first draft of the review in question to be provided until 30 June 2017;
Amendment 1009 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 94 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Rule 94 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The provisions governing the procedure for granting discharge to the Commission in accordance with Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in respect of the implementation of the budget, shall likewise apply to the procedure for granting discharge to:
Amendment 1012 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 94 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Rule 94 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The discharge to the bodies referred to in the fourth indent of the first paragraph shall be dealt with in a single report per body.
Amendment 70 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8 a) When calculating the duration of posting, same postings within the same contract concluded by the undertaking referred to in Article 1 (1) should be taken into account.
Amendment 72 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 c (new)
Recital 8 c (new)
(8 c) For the calculation of the remuneration within the meaning of this Directive, minimum rates of pay and other mandatory elements, laid down by law or universally applicable collective agreements or arbitration awards, are to be taken into account, provided that these elements do not alter the relationship between the service provided by a workers and the consideration which the worker receives in return. The mandatory elements are the elements which apply to all workers and that are not optional or dependent on certain events or factors. Member States should specify in a transparent way the different elements of remuneration applicable on their territory. Posted worker should be entitled to the gross amount of remuneration which does not have to comply with the all mandatory elements but to the amount required.
Amendment 82 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Because of the highly mobile nature of work in international road transport, the implementation of th it would be pmosting of workers directive raises particular legal questions and difficulties (especially where the link with the concerned Member State is insufficient). It would be most suited for these challenges to be addressed suited to address this topic through sector-specific legislation together with other EU initiatives aimed at improving the functioning of the internal road transport market.
Amendment 121 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
Amendment 132 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) When calculating the duration of posting, only postings within the same contract concluded by the undertaking referred to in Article 1 (1) should be taken into account.
Amendment 133 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 b (new)
Recital 8 b (new)
(8b) When assessing working place for the purpose of calculating the duration of posting in the context of replacement, the working place should be understood as the very same working place where the worker is posted to the same working position to perform the same tasks.
Amendment 134 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 c (new)
Recital 8 c (new)
(8c) For the calculation of the remuneration within the meaning of this Directive, minimum rates of pay and other mandatory elements, laid down by law or universally applicable collective agreements or arbitration awards, are to be taken into account, provided that these elements do not alter the relationship between the service provided by a workers and the consideration which the worker receives in return. The mandatory elements are the elements which apply to all workers and that are not optional or dependent on certain events or factors. Member States should specify in a transparent way the different elements of remuneration applicable on their territory. Posted worker should be entitled to the gross amount of remuneration which does not have to comply with the all mandatory elements but to the amount required.
Amendment 139 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
(-1) in Article 1, the following paragraph is added: “2a. This Directive shall not apply to transport undertakings.”
Amendment 141 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
(-1) in Article 1, the following paragraph is added: “2a. This Directive shall not apply to undertakings referred to in Article 1(1) which post workers, if the period of posting does not exceed three days within a one month reference period.”
Amendment 142 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 a (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 1 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 4 a (new)
(-1a) in Article 1, the following paragraph is added: “4a. Undertakings established in a non- member State must not be given more favourable treatment than undertakings established in a Member State."
Amendment 146 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Amendment 155 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Because of the highly mobile nature of work in international road transport, the implementation of th it would be pmosting of workers directive raises particular legal questions and difficulties (especially where the link with the concerned Member State is insufficient). It would be most suited for these challenges to be addressed suited to address this topic through sector-specific legislation together with other EU initiatives aimed at improving the functioning of the internal road transport market.
Amendment 178 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – indent 2 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – indent 2 – point c
(c) remuneration, including overtime ratesminimum rates of pay, including overtime rates, unless the Member State fails to publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of minimum rates of pay, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation; this point does not apply to supplementary occupational retirement pension schemes;
Amendment 193 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
For the purposes of this Directive, remuneration means all the elements of remuneration rendered mandatory by national law, regulation or administrative provision, collective agreements or arbitration awards which have been declared universally applicable and/or, in the absence of a system for declaring collective agreements or arbitration awards to be of universal application, other collective agreements or arbitthe concept of minimum rates of pay referred to in paragraph 1 (c) is defined by the national law and/or praction awards within the meaning of paragraph 8 second subparagraph, ince of the Member State to whose territory the worker is posted.
Amendment 200 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Member States shall publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of remuneration in accordance with point (c)minimum rates of pay, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation in accordance with point (c). If the payment received by the posted worker is at least equal to the minimum rates of pay, it shall be deemed that this posted worker has received the minimum rates of pay provided for in this Directive.
Amendment 201 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Member States shall publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of remuneration in accordance with point (c)., their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation in accordance with point (d). If the payment received by the posted worker is at least equal to the amount of constituent elements of remuneration, it shall be deemed that this posted worker has received the remuneration provided for in this Directive."
Amendment 210 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a
Amendment 214 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a a (new)
Amendment 229 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
Amendment 260 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
(–1) In Article 1, the following paragraph 2a is inserted : 2a. This Directive shall not apply to transport undertakings.
Amendment 263 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 1 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 b (new)
(–1) In Article 1, the following paragraph 2b is added: 2b. This Directive shall not apply to undertakings referred to in Article 1(1) which post workers, if the period of posting does not exceed three days within one month reference period.
Amendment 279 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 2a
Article 2a
Amendment 366 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – pragraph 1 – indent 2 – point c
Article 3 – pragraph 1 – indent 2 – point c
(c) remuneration, including overtime ratesminimum rates of pay, including overtime rates, unless the Member State fails to publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of minimum rates of pay, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation; this point does not apply to supplementary occupational retirement pension schemes;
Amendment 400 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
For the purposes of this Directive, remuneration means all the elements of remuneration rendered mandatory by national law, regulation or administrative provision, collective agreements or arbitration awards which have been declared universally applicable and/or, in the absence of a system for declaring collective agreements or arbitration awards to be of universal application, other collective agreements or arbitthe concept of minimum rates of pay referred to in paragraph 1 (c) is defined by the national law and/or praction awards within the meaning of paragraph 8 second subparagraph, ince of the Member State to whose territory the worker is posted.
Amendment 428 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Member States shall publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of remunerminimum rates of pay, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation in accordance with point (c).
Amendment 438 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
If the payment received by the posted worker is at least equal to the minimum rates of pay, it shall be deemed that this posted worker has received the minimum rates of pay provided for in this Directive.
Amendment 452 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – pragraph 1 a
Article 3 – pragraph 1 a
Amendment 468 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a a (new)
(ba) The following paragraph is added: 1aa. When the effective duration of posting exceeds 24 months, Member States shall ensure that, whatever the law applicable to the employment relationship, the undertaking referred to in Article 1(1) guarantee workers posted to their territory, in addition to the terms and conditions of employment referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the terms and conditions of employment covering the following matters which, in the Member State where the work is carried out, are laid down: – by law, regulation or administrative provision, and/or – by collective agreements or arbitration awards which have been declared universally applicable within the meaning of paragraph 8: (a) other mandatory rules relating to leave and holiday entitlements, in addition paragraph 1(b); (b) parental and paternal leave; (c) other mandatory rules relating to working hours and rest periods, in addition to paragraph 1(a); (d) remuneration, including overtime rates, in addition to paragraph 1(c), unless the Member State fails to publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of the remuneration, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation; this point does not apply to supplementary occupational retirement pension schemes; Where a posted worker is replaced by another posted worker performing the same task at the same working place [by the undertaking referred to in Article 1(1), the duration of the posting shall for the purposes of this paragraph be the cumulative duration of the posting periods of the individual workers concerned. This paragraph shall not apply to workers that are posted for an effective duration of six months or less. For the purpose of this Directive, remuneration means all the elements of remuneration rendered mandatory by national law, regulation or administrative provision, collective agreements or arbitration awards which have been declared universally applicable and/or, in the absence of a system for declaring collective agreements or arbitration awards to be of universal application, other collective agreements or arbitration awards within the meaning of paragraph 8 second subparagraph, in the Member State to whose territory the worker is posted. Member States shall publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of remuneration, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation in accordance with point (d). If the payment received by the posted worker is at least equal to the amount of constituent elements of remuneration, it shall be deemed that this posted worker has received the remuneration provided for in this Directive.
Amendment 469 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a b (new)
(ba) The following paragraph is added: 1ab. Member States shall publish in the single official national website referred to in Article 5 of Directive 2014/67/EU the constituent elements of remuneration, their geographic and personal scope and the method of calculation in accordance with point (d). If the payment received by the posted worker is at least equal to the amount of constituent elements of remuneration, it shall be deemed that this posted worker has received the remuneration provided for in this Directive.
Amendment 6 #
2015/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Acknowledges from the Network that 93 % of the agencies stated that they share services with other agencies and institutions; notes that 75 % of the agencies have cooperation agreements, working arrangements and memorandums of understanding for cooperation with other agencies, institutions and Member States; takes note that general agreements are being implemented on an annual basis and with more concrete individual actions in the areas of administrative services and specific operational services; encourages agencies to pursue further shared services where this results in cost savings and increased efficiency; stresses that where services are shared, costs should be divided equalfairly between participating agencies or institutions in order to prevent one party being burdened by the entire service cost;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Suggests that the Commission, Council and Parliament consider locating any new agencies that may become necessary in the future in close proximity to other agencies so that they may share services easier;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Requests an assessment by the Commission of the added value of communications by agencies; notes that agency staff numbers are limited; suggests therefore, that agencies should prioritise their core tasks over communications;
Amendment 25 #
2015/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Suggests that the Commission, Council and Parliament consider merging of smaller agencies who perform similar or interlinked tasks; argues that this would provide efficiency savings in the long term;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2204(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (formerly the ENIAC Joint Undertaking and the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (formerly the ENIAC Joint Undertaking and the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2204(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (formerly the ENIAC Joint Undertaking and the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking) for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (formerly the ENIAC Joint Undertaking and the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking) for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Approves the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/rRefuses to grant the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (formerly the ENIAC Joint Undertaking and the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking) discharge in respect of the implementation of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ARefuses to approves the closure of the accounts of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2200(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (formerly the Joint Undertaking for the implementation of the Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting discharge to the Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (formerly the Joint Undertaking for the implementation of the Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines) in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2200(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (formerly the Joint Undertaking for the implementation of the Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines) for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (formerly the Joint Undertaking for the implementation of the Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines) for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the ECSEL Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 4 #
2015/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ARefuses to approves the closure of the accounts of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GRefuses to grants to the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2014 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 8 #
2015/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ARefuses to approves the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2192(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing Management Committee of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Body’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2192(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2190(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2190(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Autority’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2188(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2188(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Police Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Police Office for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2183(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2183(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2182(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2182(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Police College discharge in respect of the implementation of the College’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Railway Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Railway Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 9 #
2015/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Deplores the fact that using two locations to carry out its activities exposes the Agency to additional costs and represents a waste of the European taxpayer's money; demands that this issue be addressed in order to restore value for taxpayer's money and operational efficiency while also avoiding needless indirect cost such as "wasted" working hours due to travelling or additional administrative work.
Amendment 2 #
2015/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2177(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2177(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2175(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Agency for information whether its relocation will achieve the aim of cost efficiency.
Amendment 2 #
2015/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2172(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2172(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2171(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2171(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2170(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2170(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2169(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2169(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budgetbudget of the Agency for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2166(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2165(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2165(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2164(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2164(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2162(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2160(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Committee of the Regions for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2159(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Economic and Social Committee for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2158(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Takes note of the Court's initiative to reform its chambers' system and is interested to learn more about the proposal;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2157(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Court of Justice for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2155(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants itsPostpones its decision on granting the President discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Parliament for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 30 #
2015/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. CriticisDeplores the transfer of responsibilities from the administration to the offices of Members; calls for a review by and about the administration to check which obligations (e.g. responsibility for insuring trainees) can be returned to the administration;
Amendment 199 #
2015/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Calls for the results of the external assessment requested by Parliament in its above-mentioned discharge resolution for the financial year 2013 to be delivered in due time; identifies the board of the voluntary pension fund as responsible for the extent of the fund’s deficit; calls for a sole concept for the private pension fund, to decrease the liabilities of this fund; estimates necessary to decrease the retirement benefits for the participant members of the fund;
Amendment 203 #
2015/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. Calls on the Bureau to make an assessment of the current situation of the Pension Fund as soon as possible;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014/Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (formerly the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014/Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (formerly the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 8 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (formerly the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014/Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (formerly the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 11 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014/Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 12 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014/Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 14 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (formerly the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014/Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (formerly the Trans- European Transport Network Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 17 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 8
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014/Postpones the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E – point b
Recital E – point b
(b) integrated and place-based approach and synergies - programmes and projects should bring not only their own results and benefits, but the results and benefits should complement those of other programmes and projects through synergies while respecting the subsidiarity and proportionality principle; synergies should be achieved within a given territorial area; for that system to function, it is important to create a management matrix to create appropriate conditions for integrated projects;
Amendment 24 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that in the past the discharge procedure primarily verified the legality and regularity of financial transactions; believes howeverBelieves that it is of equal importancet to verify whether the results achieved by projects and programmes match the intended objectives;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the discharge document prefers to adopt a consensual approach, seeking to provide an objective and balanced description of particular stakeholders' views; in addition, the discharge strives to create a common approach to the particular elements of Union budgetary policy, especially those that have been newly introduced, namely the performance aspects and the aspects related to the preventive and corrective capacity of supervisory and control systems;
Amendment 28 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 31 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 66 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Reminds the Commission that the Parliament has a zero-tolerance approach to errors;
Amendment 70 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Notes the fact that for 12 Commission DGs, the estimated corrective capacity is higher than the estimated amount at risk, which reflects the multi-annual nature of corrective systems;
Amendment 71 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Calls on the Commission to revise the method to calculate the corrective capacity in time for the 2015 discharge procedure;
Amendment 74 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Calls on the Commission to apply strictly Article 32(5) of the new Financial Regulation if the level of error is persistently high, and consequently to identify the weaknesses in the control systems, analyse the costs and benefits of possible corrective measures and take or propose appropriate action in terms of simplification, improvement of control systems and redesign of programmes or delivery systems when appropriate data is availablebefore the mid-term review of the 2014-2020; ;
Amendment 359 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 285 a (new)
Paragraph 285 a (new)
285a. Notes that the Director-General for Human Resources and Security (DG HR) maintained her 'reputational reservation' in the 2014 Commission Synthesis report regarding the European schools and that the representative of the European Commission voted against granting discharge for the 2012 and 2013 European Schools accounts; regrets that the member state representatives are not taking the problems equally seriously;
Amendment 360 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 285 b (new)
Paragraph 285 b (new)
285b. Recalls that the Parliament in its 2010 Commission discharge procedure had already questioned "the decision- making and financing structures of the Convention on the European Schools;" and had demanded that the Commission "explore with the Member States a revision of that Convention and to report by 31 December 2012 on the progress made"; notes that no progress report was ever received by Parliament;
Amendment 361 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 287 a (new)
Paragraph 287 a (new)
287a. Notes that the size of the budget allocated to the European Schools is considerably largely than that received by all but 2 of the 32 agencies for which a separate discharge report is prepared; resolves that given the scale of the problem and in order to monitor progress and future developments more closely the discharge authority shall prepare a separate discharge report on the European schools with respect of financial year 2015 and subsequent years;
Amendment 362 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 288 a (new)
Paragraph 288 a (new)
288a. Calls on the budgetary authority to put into reserve parts of the Union budget contribution to European Schools, aiming primarily at the office of the secretary general, during the 2017 budget procedure unless sufficient progress has been achieved in implementing the Court's recommendations;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the efforts by the Commission to build an Energy Union and calls for its rapid implementation and for an effort to be made to revise its energy and climate targets upwards, while ensuring a level playing field between European and non-European energy producers, including the broad application of a revised Emissions Trading System (ETS);
Amendment 17 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the need for the EU and its Member States to speak with one voice at the international level, to resist divide-and- rule tactics by external suppliersused by the Russian Federation and to prevent political pressure being exerted by blocking energy supply routes;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines the importance of full solidarity between the Member States in the area of energy security.
Amendment 25 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that prioritising energy efficiency and renewable energysome new energy sources, like shale gas, will reduce our overall energy needs and imports and that increased support for energy-related research and development is key to a just energy transition and vital for reinforcing the EU's technological leadership;
Amendment 30 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to set up a comprehensive framework for the external dimension of the Energy Union, with a specific focus on the promotion of strategic partnerships with energy-producing and transit third countries; in this regard, underlines the importance of stepping up energy cooperation with the United States; calls on the Commission to give its full support for projects by individual Members aiming at increasing their energy independence from Russia; this should take into account the current state of regional cooperation and the planning and development of major strategic infrastructure projects, such as the Southern Gas Corridor and Euro-Asian Oil Transport Corridor, including developing alternative routes and energy suppliers for those Member States currently dependent on a single supplierRussia;
Amendment 12 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU has for decades striven to build a mutually beneficial strategic partnership with Russia based on shared values and principles and on common interests; whereas the EU remains open to such a relationship and to dialogue leading to it, and wishes to return to a cooperative relation with Russia, should Russian authorities meet their international and legal obligations, particularly with regard to Ukraine and to Georgia;
Amendment 60 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas Russia is in the process of destabilizing Moldova, having put in place an export-embargo on various Moldovan products with the exception of those from the southern Gagautian region which is ethnically and linguistically distinctive from the rest of the country and has close ties with Russia;
Amendment 71 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas in reaction to Russia’s covert military invasion of Ukraineannexation of Crimea and hybrid war launched against Ukraine by Russia, the EU has adopted a stage-by-stage series of restrictive measures; whereas similar sanctions have been adopted by a number of other countries in reaction to Russia’s aggression;
Amendment 89 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas these restrictive targeted measures are not directed against the Russian people but aim at stimulating a change in Russian policy towards, and actions in, the common neighbourhood; whereas the sanctions could be lifted, partially or fully, as soon as Russia commits itself towhen Russia implementings, fully and honestly, the provisions of the Minsk agreements and the return ofs the Crimea to Ukraine; whereas the sanctions will be strengthened should Russia chose to do otherwise and refrain from taking any positive step to change its policy;
Amendment 96 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas these restrictive targeted measures are not directed against the Russian people but against certain individuals and enterprises connected to the Russian leadership, who are taking direct advantage of the current stand-off with Ukraine, in the economic and defensive sectors, and aim at stimulating a change in Russian policy towards, and actions in, the common neighbourhood; whereas the sanctions could be lifted, partially or fully, as soon as Russia commits itself to implementing, fully and honestly, the provisions of the Minsk agreements and the return of Crimea to Ukraine; whereas the sanctions will be strengthened should Russia chose to do otherwise and refrain from taking any positive step to change its policy;
Amendment 291 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 321 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Firmly supports the swift creation of a robust European Energy Union, specifically the interconnection of national energy networks in order to reduce considerably the dependence of individual Member States on external energy suppliers, particularly Russia; is of the firm conviction that the challenges to and vulnerability of European solidarity, and the exposure of individual Member States, to the illegitimate use of energy as a political and diplomatic bargain chip can only be combatted efficiently through the full implementation of the Third Energy package and the completion of a transparent, integrated, synchronised and resilient European internal energy market;
Amendment 417 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Reiterates its call on the Russian authorities to immediately return the wreckage of the Tu-154 Polish Government aeroplane and all of its black boxes to Poland; calls on the High Representative, President of the Council as well as leaders of the EU Member States to raise this issue in any bilateral contacts with the Russian authorities; underlines the level of dependence of the Russian judiciary on the authorities and calls for an impartial, international investigation into the causes of the crash;
Amendment 429 #
2015/2001(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses its deep concern for the state of human rights and the rule of law in Russia, and strongly condemns the crackdown on independent civil society and the persistent and multiform repression of activists, political opponents and critics of the regime, which has in some cases led to their murder (Anna Politkovskaya, Natalya Estemirova, Boris Nemtsov, Sergey Magnitsky, Alexander Litvinenko, and others); demands that all assassinations of political activists, journalists and whistle blowers be investigated properly and independently; reiterates its call on the Council to deliver on its commitment to defend these principles, and to adopt restrictive measures for the officials involved in the well-documented Magnitsky case; strongly condemns introduction of the so-called ‘Foreign Agents-law’, which is aimed at intimidating all Kremlin-independent NGO-activities and demonizing all foreign involvement in Russian civil society; is especially concerned with the deteriorating human rights situation in Crimea since its illegal annexation, including the institutionalised discrimination of the local national, cultural and linguistic minorities' rights;
Amendment 24 #
2014/2817(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas earlier this year Russia staged military exercises in Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region; whereas the parliament of Transnistria repeated an appeal to Moscow to be allowed to join Russia;
Amendment 95 #
2014/2817(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses thatIs gravely concerned with Russia’'s concerns regardactions aimed at undermining the association process of the EU’'s Eastern neighbours must be adequately addressed and understood, so as to ease fears of new geopolitical dividing lines on the European continent; notes that each country has every right to make its own political choices, butand that the EU’'s engagement with the Eastern partners aims to spread prosperity and increase political stability, from which the whole region will ultimately gain;
Amendment 98 #
2014/2817(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Deplores the use of trade by Russia as an instrument to destabilise the region by introducing several import bans on products from Moldova and Ukraine; is concerned with the possibility of Russia repeating the Crimean scenario in Transnistria;
Amendment 1 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
– having regard to the draft Association Agreement (‘Agreement’) between the European Union and Georgia signed on 27 June 2014 (17901/2013),
Amendment 2 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
– having regard to the Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit of 7 May 2009, Warsaw Eastern Partnership Summit of 30 September 2011, and Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit of 29 November 2013,
Amendment 8 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas there is strong national and cross-party consensus in Georgia in favour of European integration with the West, including EU and NATO;
Amendment 12 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas Europe should show its solidarity and support for sovereignty of the countries that regained their independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union;
Amendment 16 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas in the last few years Georgia has made significant progress in reforms and in strengthening relations with the EU, as well as developing a mature democratic system, as shown by peaceful transfer of power after last parliamentary and presidential elections;
Amendment 22 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas Russia continues to occupy the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, in violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international laws; whereas ethnic cleansing and forcible demographic changes have taken place in the areas under the effective control of the occupying force, which bears the responsibility for human rights violations in these areas;
Amendment 26 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the EU stresses the right of Georgia to join any international organisation or alliance, while respecting international law, and reiterating its firm belief in the principle that no third country has a veto over the sovereign decision of another country on such matters;
Amendment 36 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Warmly welcomes the signature of the Association Agreement as constituting a significant step forward in EU-Georgia relations and embodying a commitment to the path of political association and economic integration; stresses that the ratification of the Agreement is not the final goal in itself andand should be followed by thate full implementation thereof is key;
Amendment 40 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the rapid ratification of the Agreement by the Georgian Parliament by unanimity and invites the parliaments of the EU Member States to swiftly ratify the Association Agreement;
Amendment 42 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that, under Article 49 TEU, Georgia – like any other European state – has a European perspective and may apply to become a member of the Union provided that it adheres to the principles of democracy, respects fundamental freedoms and human and minority rights, and ensures the rule of law and that the EU should develop its relations with Georgia based on its European perspective;
Amendment 52 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and calls for the EU to ensure the applicability of the Agreement to the whole territory of Georgia; calls, in this connection, for the EU to continue to engage actively in conflict resolution, through the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia and through the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM);
Amendment 53 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on Russia to reverse its recognition of the independence of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Thskhinvali region / South Ossetia, to end the occupation of the Georgian territories and to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as the inviolability of its internationally - recognized borders;
Amendment 60 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the efforts by the Georgian authorities in the area of democratic reforms, including tacklingIs concerned with the escalation of the political conflict and use of judicial system to fight against the political opponents, which undermines the refform of the judiciary, and the need to investigate properly and fully all allegations of violations of human rightts by the Georgian authorities in the area of democratic reforms; recognises the fundamental principle of equality before the law; stresses, however, that all prosecutions should be transparent, proportionate and free from political motivation, and should adhere strictly to due process;
Amendment 69 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is gravely concerned about opening a criminal case on the basis of Article 315 of the Georgian Criminal Code against the UNM party, alleging "a conspiracy or revolt aimed at forceful change of constitutional order in Georgia", which follows the arrest or prosecution of almost entire leadership of the former government party, including charges pressed against former president Michael Saakashvili and detention of former prime minister Vano Merabishvili;
Amendment 82 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the importance of anti- discrimination legislation to ensure equality and protection for all minorities; welcomes the adoption of the anti- discrimination law by the Georgian Parliament, and calls for its full implementation in the letter and spirit of EU legislation and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; notes that this is an important step in the visa liberalisation process; encourages the Georgian authorities to conduct information campaigns on the subject;
Amendment 88 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the work carried out by Georgia in implementing the visa facilitation and readmission agreements; welcomes, also, the significant progress made in the visa dialogue; supports timely introduction of a visa free regime for Georgia as a tangible positive development for the benefit of Georgian citizens;
Amendment 98 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 124 #
2014/2816(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses that Russia’s concerns as regardsIs concerned with Russia’s actions hampering the association process of the EU’s Eastern neighbours must be adequately addressed and explained, so as to ease fears of new geopolitical dividing lines on the European continent; points out that each country has every right to make its own political choices, but that the EU’s engagement with the Eastern partners aims to spread prosperity and increase political stability, from which all countries in the region will gain;
Amendment 22 #
2014/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Also emphasises that controls are a guarantee that money from the EU budget earmarked for the funding of CAP instruments is being properly spent;
Amendment 24 #
2014/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Points out that in the EU legislator’s view the payment scheme should be integrated with the control system, i.e. that the results of controls should be taken into account in determining the criteria for the calculation of payment entitlements;
Amendment 1 #
2014/2130(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 2 #
2014/2130(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2013 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 2 #
2014/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the joint undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 6 #
2014/2129(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2013 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 6 #
2014/2110(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Acknowledges from the Agency that theCVs, declarations of interests and the declarations of commitments of the members of the Management Board have been made publicly available; observes that the curricula vitae of the Management Board have not been made public; calls of the Executive Director, the Directors and the Heads of Department were fully published on the Aagency to remedy this issue and to notif's website as requested by the discharge authority on the results of remedial actionsagency's discharge 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2014/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – indent 2
Paragraph 2 – indent 2
- CVs, declarations of interest of the directors have been partiaExecutive Director, the Directors and the Heads of Department were fully published on the agency's website; call as onf the Agency to fully implement this recommendation as a matter of urgency1st December 2014 as requested by the European Parliament on the agency's discharge 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2014/2086(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Invites the EEAS to strengthen its new anti-fraud strategy covering third countries and to swiftly finaliseakes note of the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding with the European Anti- Fraud Office (OLAF);
Amendment 15 #
2014/2086(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the EEAS has had pracnegotiation and potentical difficulties in the coordination of actions concerning the Aeffects of any new association Aagreement with Ukraine, as well as the current security situation within Europe regarding this Agreement; these difficulties, in addition to other actions towards Russia, may lead to a situation where in the future, Russia may use military tools when negotiating economic agreements in Ukraine or other frozen conflicts in order to force economic concessions from the Union;in the framework of the neighbourhood policy, including the economic dimension, should be better coordinated and assessed to prevent the emergence of new (local) difficulties (putting potentially the European security at risk)
Amendment 18 #
2014/2086(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Finds that the EEAS continues to lack sufficient expertise on how to manage relations with eastern neighbouring countries, in particular with Russia; is convinced that a thorough understanding of the specifics and negotiation patterns of that countryat stake in this geographical area is essential for the efficient implementation of Union foreign policies;
Amendment 16 #
2014/2083(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recommends that the CoR continues to develop a regular screening of the budgetary savings resulting from the implementation of the new administrative cooperation agreement with the EESC; requests detailed information on the results of this cooperation;
Amendment 22 #
2014/2083(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Points out that the Committee members are democratically legitimated local and regional representatives performing political activities; believes that they should thus be submitted to the same rules as other national or European politicians where it concerns their access to the European Commission and its services.
Amendment 14 #
2014/2082(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Requests to be informed aboutTakes note of the information provided on the new insurance contract which entered into force on 1 July 2012, covering the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change delegates;
Amendment 14 #
2014/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 26 #
2014/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. InvitesTakes note of the clarification provided by the Court of Auditors to clarifyon the competences of the Chamber for coordination, evaluation, assurance and development; asks to be informed of the measures taken to improve the Chamber's performance;
Amendment 12 #
2014/2080(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 2 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones its President discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Parliament for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 21 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes with concern the decline in turnout in the 2014 European elections to 42,54 % (2009: 43 %), in spite of the considerable efforts made to reinforce Parliament's institutional election campaign, which cost EUR 17 800 000 over the period 2013 to 2014Is deeply worried that the European Parliament allocated EUR 17 800 000 to promotional activities described as institutional election campaign over the period 2013 to 2014 while turnout in the 2014 European elections declined again to 42,54% (2009: 43%);
Amendment 31 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Reiterates that maintaining the security of Parliament's buildings and their immediate surroundings must be given the highest priority; requests that as part of this work security in the car parks should be improved, and the access to the parts of the buildings containing Members' offices in Parliament should be controlled;
Amendment 47 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Working places of Parliament (subtitle) 33b. Notes that the European Council whilst justifiably calling for austerity on the part of Parliament, continuous to deny in the opportunity to make the considerable savings that would arise from ceasing to hold meetings in Strasbourg;
Amendment 56 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Reminds that the budget for the EuroparlTV was EUR 8 000 000 in 2013 and EUR 5 000 000 in 2014 while the performance of the service has been improved with a number of new activities and projects; notes that between 2012 and 2014 the average monthly number of videos watched has gone up from 53 000 to 400 000; remarks that the cost of this project is still very high;
Amendment 61 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Notes with concern that mission expenses in 2013 of the Information Offices amounted to EUR 1 839 696, with missions to Strasbourg accounting for EUR 1 090 290; regrets that the cost of missions from Information Offices to Strasbourg increased by around 7 % from 2012, with a further 2 % increase being due to the creation of the new Information Office in Croatia; insists that priority should be given to the use of videoconferences, making both structural cost reductions to the Parliament's budget and environmental improvements, which do not detract from Parliament's work;
Amendment 91 #
2014/2078(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48a. Notes that the property portfolio of Parliament has substantially increased over recent years; insists that no additional buildings be purchased or leased during the next multiannual financial framework period;
Amendment 1 #
2014/2077(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth and tenth European Development Funds for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 2 #
2014/2077(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth and tenth European Development Funds for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 3 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 6 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 9 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (formerly the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (formerly the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 12 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (formerly the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (formerly the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 15 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 18 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 21 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (formerly the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (formerly the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 24 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 8
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2013;
Amendment 138 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Calls therefore also on the Commission and the Council to take concrete and meaningful steps to enable the necessary progress in sound financial management, including the increased use of the instrument of national declarations which in practice do not require much extra effort (reportedly less than 1 fte on a yearly basis per member state) while it is of great importance that member states take political responsibility for the use of European funds by a public document; calls on the Commission and the member states to publish not only the national declarations, but also the annual summaries and management declarations in order to give more insight in and achieve a real improvement of the financial management;
Amendment 455 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 204 a (new)
Paragraph 204 a (new)
204a. Recalls the Parliament's proposal for a full-time Commissioner for Budgetary Control and welcomes comments made by the new Budget Commissioner that she should also be treated as Commissioner for Budgetary Control - suggests that this be reflected in her official title;
Amendment 457 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 204 b (new)
Paragraph 204 b (new)
204b. Requests that the Commission submit to Parliament's competent committee by September 2015 a comprehensive report on its activities to encourage whistle-blowing by the wider public;
Amendment 7 #
2013/2256(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Supports the Commission’s main objectives as set out in the Roadmap, in particular, achieving a more balanced governance, especially the objective of enhancing the agencies’ efficiency and accountability and introducing greater coherence in the way they function; welcomes the actions proposed thereon, in particular regarding the streamlining of management boards, efforts to seek synergies between agencies and the possibility of merging some of them;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2256(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Urges the agencies to examine their internal administrative processes with a view to reducing administrative costs, which are generally too high across the agencies;
Amendment 19 #
2013/2256(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Acknowledges that the results of a survey conducted by agencies about services shared between them show that they already cooperate and that awareness- raising could help develop those good practices further; welcomes the good example set by, for instance, the European Maritime Safety Agency (based in Lisbon) which shares its Internal Audit Capability with the European Fisheries Control Agency (based in Vigo), whereas European Railway Agency (based in Valenciennes) is preparing an agreement for sharing the services of the Accounting Officer with the European Securities and Markets Authority (based in Paris); proposes, furthermore, that some smaller agencies which may not be suitable for outright mergers be relocated in the same city – possibly even in the same building – so that they can benefit from common central resources and reduce overhead costs;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2252(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2252(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2251(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the IMI Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2251(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the IMI Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2250(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the Artemis Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2250(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Artemis Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2249(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2249(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2248(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2248(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2247(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2247(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2245(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2245(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 8 #
2013/2245(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes withExpresses serious concern that a carry- over of EUR 2 000 00 was not covered by a legal commitment (contract) and was therefore irregular; calls on the Office to inform the discharge authority on the steps taken to prevent similar situations in the future;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2242(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2012 / Grants the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2242(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2012 / Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2242(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets the factExpresses concern that budgets for grant agreements signed in 2010 and 2011 were not sufficiently specific, which resulted in payments in 2012; observes that there was no link between the approved funds and the activities to be implemented and that grant agreements did not set individual thresholds for specific cost categories (i.e. staff costs, sub-contracting, legal services, etc.) and did not include rules for the procurement of goods and services by the Knowledge and Innovation Communities and their partners;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2242(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes with concernIs appalled that the Institute did not have an internal auditor for the entire calendar year 2013, as the previous auditor left the Institute on 31 December 2012, and the current auditor took over the task only on 1 January 2014; believes that such a situation should have been avoided, especially given the problems shown to exist in the Institute as regards the 2012 discharge;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Management Committee of the Office discharge for implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2012 / Refuses to grant the Management Committee of the Office discharge for implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Manager of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Body's budget for the financial year 2012 / Grants the Administrative Manager of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Body's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovRefuses the closure of the accounts of the Office for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications for the financial year 2012 / Approves the closure of the accounts of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 20 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes withExpresses serious concern that there is considerable room for improvement regarding the preparation, execution and documentation of procurement procedures; notes in particular that award procedures did not give sufficient attention to the price-quality ratio and that general award criteria had not been broken down further into sub criteria to allow a clear and comparable evaluation of the offers;
Amendment 24 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. RegretsDeplores the fact that the Body does not have a treasury policy; notes that as a result, at the end of 2012, all cash held by the Body (EUR 1 600 000) was held in one bank, which has a BBB credit rating;
Amendment 34 #
2013/2241(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the office toDemands that the Body remedy the situation and to report on its progress by 1 September 2014;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2240(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2240(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2240(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes from the Court of Auditors' report that regarding the three comments made in 2011, two corrective actions taken in response to the previous year's comments are still marked as 'ongoing' and one as 'completed';
Amendment 3 #
2013/2239(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2239(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Securities and Markets Authority for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2239(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes withExpresses serious concern that the Authority made 22 budget transfers amounting to EUR 3 200 000, representing 16 % of total 2012 budget, which indicates serious weaknesses in budget planning;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2239(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RegretsExpresses serious concern that according to the Court of Auditors’ annual audit, there is considerable room for improving the timeliness and documentation of procurement procedures; demands that the Authority address these concerns as a matter of priority and inform the discharge authority on the results of the measures taken;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2239(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes withExpresses serious concern that according to the Court of Auditors’ annual audit, the level of transparency of the Authority's recruitment procedures needs to be improved; calls ondemands that the Authority to implement corrective measures and to inform the discharge authority on the results of measures taken;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2238(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2238(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2238(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Regrets that one contract related to the design of a financial database was subdivided into four lots of EUR 60 000 each, which were all directly awarded to two companies; is strongly of the opinion that given the total value of the services to be procured for the same project (EUR 240 000), an open or restricted procedure should have been applied and that the related commitments and payments are thus irregular;
Amendment 16 #
2013/2238(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets that while a physical verification of assets was carried out in May and June 2012, no physical verification report was produced; regrets, moreovexpresses serious concer,n that the Authority has not adopted any procedures or guidelines on physical checks on tangible assets;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2237(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2237(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Banking Authority for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2237(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with concern that in order to cover higher school fees, the Authority grants staff whose children attend primary or secondary school a top-up allowance, which amounted to some EUR 76 000 in 2012, in addition to the education allowances provided for in the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities (‘the Staff Regulations’);notes that these allowances are not covered by the Staff Regulations and are, therefore, rightly considered irregular by the Court of Auditors; acknowledges, however, that this situation is due to the lack of European Schools in the city the Authority is based in and that the purpose of these top-ups is to ensure equal treatment of the Authority’s employees under the Staff Regulations; but questions if this level of additional expenditure is justifiable;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2237(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes withExpresses concern that carry-overs of committed appropriations were high for title II (45 %); acknowledges that this was mainly due to reasons beyond the Authority’s control, such as the unsuccessful attempt to find new premises and delays in the implementation of some IT projects for which it was difficult to obtain the information needed from the predecessor organisation;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2237(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with satisfaction that according to the annual activity report, as well as the Court of Auditors' audit findings, the level and nature of transfers in 2012 have remained within the limits of the financial rules and commends the Authority for its good budgetary planning;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to consider merging the Fundamental Rights Agency with the Institute; is of the opinion that such a merger could result in greater administrative and operational efficiency as well as, in the long run, save costs to Union taxpayer;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Institute to urgently address the shortcomings identified by the Court of Auditors in the Institute's documentation of recruitment procedures; notes in particular that there was no evidence that questions for written tests and interviews, as well as their respective weightings, were prepared before the examination of the applications;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concernDeplores the fact that the Institute does not have a formalised procurement planning and monitoring procedure; notes in particular that its annual work programme does not include a procurement schedule linked to the planned activities that would define the optimal scope and timing of procurements;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges from the Institute that in order to improve the planning and monitoring of the procurement, the Institute is in process of creating a monitoring tool to follow up the expected dates of each step of the annual procurement proceedings; calls on the Institute to inform the discharge authority ifwhen it succeeds in fully implementing this tool or, if that is not the caseand up until then, to keep it informed of the state of play regarding its creation and implementation;
Amendment 16 #
2013/2236(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges from the Institute that in 2012, the Commission's Internal Audit Service (IAS) carried out audit work in accordance with the Institute's strategic audit plan; notes that this work included an audit on budget execution, which identified good practices, but also led to four very important recommendations; takes note of the Institute's action plan to address the risks and notes that the IAS considered this to be adequate; notes that no critical recommendations were open as of 31 December 2012; but expresses great concern, however, that the implementation of two very important recommendations from 2011 hasve been delayed;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2235(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Police Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Police Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2235(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Police Office for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Police Office for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2235(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes withIs concerned that the Office carried over EUR 1 200 000 for changes to its premises in connection with the setting up of the European Cybercrime Centre; notes that although the Office agreed upon those changes with the host state in July 2012, the contract for the works required was only signed in April 2013; notes, in addition, that the Office carried over EUR 100 000 related to the introduction of a new human resources system; expresses concernis appalled that both of those carry-overs did not correspond to legal commitments made at the end of the year and were thus irregular; calls on the Office to urgently take steps in order to prevent similar situations in the future and to report on this within the framework of the 2012 discharge follow- up;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2234(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2234(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2233(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2233(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2233(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with satisfaction that according to the annual activity report as well as the Court of Auditors’ audit findings, the level and nature of transfers in 2012 have remained within the limits of the financial rules; commends the Agency for its good budgetary planning;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2233(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RegretsExpresses concern that physical inventory results show serious weaknesses in the safeguarding and tracking of fixed assets and that there is no tracking procedure for software and internal components (2 370 items out of the 5 878 ICT fixed assets recorded); expresses concernis appalled, moreover, that 306 items could not be found, of which 93 were laptops and 29 were computers; calls ondemands that the Agency to remedy this situation and to duly follow this up before initiating the 2013 discharge procedure;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2232(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2232(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2232(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Acknowledges that in response to the Court of Auditors' 2011 report, the Agency took corrective action in June 2012 to improve the transparency of recruitment procedures; noteregrets that in 2012, the Court of Auditors still identified weaknesses related to three audited recruitment procedures that were initiated prior to the Court’s 2011 report, namely that vacancy notices did not provide information to the candidates on complaint and appeal procedures, that candidates were given a global score instead of one score for each of the selection criteria and that there was no evidence that the questions for interviews and written tests had been set before the date of the examinations;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2231(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2231(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2231(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the carry-over of committed appropriations was relatively high for title II (administrative expenditure) at EUR 1 700 000 (38 %); acknowledges that this was partly due to events beyond the Authority's control, such as the relocation of its seat to Prague in September 2012 (EUR 400 000) and the setting-up of the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (EUR 400 000) which necessitated the provision of certain goods and services in the last quarter of the year; notes, moreover, that several contracts relating to IT and legal services included in the 2013 work programme were signed in December 2012;
Amendment 6 #
2013/2230(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2229(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Police College discharge in respect of the implementation of the College's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Police College discharge in respect of the implementation of the College's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2229(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Police College for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2229(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with concern that discussions about the College's future, which have been ongoing for several years, have created a situation of uncertainty which continues to hamper business planning and implementation;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2228(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Railway Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Railway Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2228(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Railway Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Railway Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2228(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores the fact that using two locations (Lille and Valenciennes) to carry out its activities exposes the Agency to additional costs; acknowledges the efforts made by the Agency to minimise the negative impact of the decision on the Agency's seatnd represents a waste of European taxpayers' money; demands that this issue be addressed in order to restore value for taxpayers' money and operational efficiency, while also avoiding needless indirect costs such as "wasted" working hours due to travelling or additional administrative work;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2222(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Network and Information Security Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Network and Information Security Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2222(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Network and Information Security Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Network and Information Security Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2220(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2220(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2220(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that the procedure for assessing possible conflicts of interests at the Authority, where declarations of interest are screened by Heads of Unit and are generally assessed on a case by case basis, is overly burdensome and is subject to criticism, raising questions aboutserious concerns regarding its credibility and effectiveness; notes withexpresses serious concern that even a revised procedure has not helped dispel fears about the Authority’s expert impartiality; calls ondemands that the Authority to come up with a simplified procedure with less uncertainty which would validate and streamline the process and save both human resources and money;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2219(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2219(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes withExpresses great concern that carry-overs of committed appropriations were high for title III at 46 %; stresses that, although this is partly justified by the multiannual nature of the Agency’s operations and by the duly justified carry-overs included in the Court of Auditors' sample, nevertheless such a high level is at odds with the budgetary principle of annuality;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2219(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Regrets that the Agency continues to have high administration costs and fails to understand how the Agency can justify such a situation, given an increase in revenue from the fees charged to outside businesses for its services; acknowledges that the large increase in revenue stems from an increase in the number of certification applications received, rather than as a result of an increase in tariffs;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2218(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2218(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2218(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with concern from the Court of Auditors’ report that the status of one corrective action taken in response to the previous year's comments is marked as 'ongoing', one is marked as 'completed' and one is marked as partially 'completed' and partially 'outstanding';
Amendment 10 #
2013/2218(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes with concernDeplores that the Court of Auditors’ annual audit has found a budget commitment amounting to EUR 800 000 which was not related to an existing legal commitment and was thus irregular;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2218(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reminds the Agency that it has a duty to ensure that through the use of all possible efficient savings and the intelligent use of existing administrative structures, it can carry out its newly assigned competences without an undue budget increase, being mindful of the fact that the Agency must avoid the unnecessary duplication of the work of national authorities;
Amendment 15 #
2013/2218(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that accounting procedures and information in respect of costs for internally generated intangible assets are not fully reliable; expectsdemands that the Agency to implement corrective measures and inform the discharge authority on the results;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2217(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2217(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2217(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges from the Court of Auditors' report that in 2012, the overall level of committed appropriations was 99,9 %, indicating that commitments were made in a timely manner; notes, however, that the level of committed appropriations carried over to 2013 was high for title II (administrative expenditure) at EUR 600 000 (36,8 %); appreciatcknowledges that one of the main reasons for such a high level wereas the late receipt of invoices for building- related services delivered in 2012 (EUR 300 000) and a number of IT hardware and software purchases ordered as planned during the last months of 2012 (EUR 300 000) but not delivered until 2013;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2217(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges from the Foundation that as of 23 May 2013, the Commission's Internal Audit Service (IAS) has formally closed 12 out of the 14 recommendations from the 2011 IAS audit on communication and that the Foundation does not have any outstanding open recommendations ranked as ‘very important’; notes however, that there are still two open IAS audit recommendations from the 2011 IAS audit on external and internal communication, both ranked as ’important’, one of which is considered to have been implemented by the Foundation and is currently pending IAS review and closure, while the other is in the process of implementation and was expected to be fully implemented in 2013 in line with planned actions;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2216(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2216(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2216(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes from the Court of Auditors’ report on the annual accounts that out of four comments made in 2011, two corrective actions taken in response to the previous year's comments are still marked as 'outstanding' and two as 'completed';
Amendment 11 #
2013/2216(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Draws the attention of Eurojust to the needRequires Eurojust to improve the transparency of recruitment procedures; notes that there was no evidence that questions for tests and interviews were set before the examination of the applications by the Selection Board and there is no evidence that the weighting between written tests and interviews was set before candidates’ screening; calls on Eurojust to follow this up within the framework of discharge 2012 follow-up report;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2215(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2215(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2215(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes with concern that in 2012, the Agency issued multiple framework contracts for the provision of services; expresses concern that the procurement procedure presented some irregularities affecting the principle of transparency and demands that the Agency address this issue;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2214(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2214(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2214(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concernIs appalled that according to the Court of Auditors’ report, the Centre held cash and short term deposits amounting to EUR 35 million at the end of 2012; notes that the Centre cannot adjust prices during the year in order to balance income and expenditure, although it has occasionally refunded its clients in order to reduce the surplus; calls ondemands that the Centre, together with the Commission, to propose a remedy to this situation as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2213(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2213(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2213(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes withExpresses concern that EUR 3 200 000 (22 % of the budget) have been carried over to 2013 and that the level of committed appropriations carried over is high for both Title II at 36 % and Title III at 33 %; acknowledges that for Title II, this was mainly caused by the renewal of annual IT contracts concluded as planned in the fourth quarter of 2012; acknowledges that for Title III, the high level was a result of both the multiannual nature of major projects and of delays in the awarding of specific contracts;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2212(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2212(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2212(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets that for the year 2012, the mission expenses of the Executive Director of the Agency were remarkably higher than those of the executive directors of other agencies and considers this level of discrepancy unacceptable; calls on the Agency to provide further explanation for this situation to the discharge authority in the framework of the 2012 discharge follow-up;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2212(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. RegretsNotes with concern that existing controls provide only limited assurances to the Agency’s management as to the eligibility and accuracy of the costs claimed by beneficiaries; believes that a random verification of supporting documents for staff expenses and a higher coverage of beneficiaries by means of on- the-spot verifications could considerably increase assurances; calls on the Agency to take steps to that effect and to report to the discharge authority on its progress;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2211(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2211(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2211(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concernRegrets that no ex post verifications were carried out for any transactions made after 2008, except for grants; calls ondemands that the Centre to address the issue and to report to the discharge authority, within the framework of the 2012 discharge follow- up, on the steps taken;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2211(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with concern from the Court of Auditors’ annual audit report that the Centre currently bears the annual cost of about EUR 200 000 for unused office space in its former building and in the new headquarters; calls on the Centre to continue,, as a matter of priority, to work in cooperation with the Commission and national authorities, to seek adequate solutions for this unused office space and to report to the discharge authority, within the framework of the 2012 discharge follow-up, on the steps taken;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2210(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2210(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2210(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that the IAS identified a number of strengths during the audit and that it believes that the Foundation's internal control system in place provides reasonable assurances regarding the achievement of those objectives; notes, however, that 12 recommendations were made, one of which was classified as ‘very important’; notes that those recommendations are still only in the process of being implemented;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2209(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2209(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2209(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – indent 1
Paragraph 1 – indent 1
– for the 2012 financial year, the Court of Auditors already noted satisfactory rates of the implementation of payment appropriations for Titles I and II (98 % and 89 %, respectively); acknowledges that for Title III, the rate of payment implementation of 49 % was well justified and carry forwards of this level are unavoidable and are not the result of delays in the planning and implementation of the Agency’s annual work programme,
Amendment 10 #
2013/2209(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern that in 2012, the Agency procured cleaning services via cascading framework contracts to two suppliers and due to a clerical error during the evaluation of offers,that the ranking of the contractors was incorrect; notes that as a result of thisan error, one specific contract for EUR 56 784 was awarded in 2012 and that the related payments are irregular; acknowledges that following the Court of Auditors' audit, the Agency has amended the ranking of the contractors accordingly;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2209(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with satisfaction that according to the annual activity report, as well as the Court of Auditors' findings, the level and nature of transfers in 2012 have remained within the limits of the financial rules; and commends the Agency for its good budgetary planning;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2209(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges from the Agency that in 2012, the Commission's Internal Audit Service (IAS) carried out an audit on procurement within the Agency and made two very important and seven important recommendations; notes that the Agency proposed an action plan which was accepted by the IAS and regrets that by the cut-off date of 31 December 2012, eight of thoseone important recommendations were closed; not had still not been closed; acknowledges that the one remaining important recommendation was closed in 2013;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2208(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2208(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2208(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with satisfaction that according to the annual activity report, as well as the Court of Auditors’ audit findings, the level and nature of transfers in 2012 have remained within the limits of the financial rules and commends the Centre for its good budgetary planning;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2208(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concernIs appalled that according to the Court of Auditors’ findings, members of the pre- selection committee did not sign a declaration as regards the absence of conflicts of interests for the two recruitment procedures for the post of the Centre’s Director, which had been launched in 2010 and 2011 and had been declared unsuccessful; expresses concern that questions for interviews and their weightings, as well as the threshold scores for inclusion in the list of suitable candidates, were set after the screening of candidates;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the European External Action Service's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy discharge in respect of the implementation of the European External Action Service's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that in the 2012 annual report, the Court of Auditors did not identify any significant weakness in respect of the topics audited for the European External Action Service ('EEAS'); takes noteexpresses concern that some weaknesses still persist in the management of social allowance and regrets that the same problems which occurred in 2011 were repeatedly reported in the 2012 Annual Report of the Court of Auditors;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recognises that efforts have been made to reduce the top-heavy EEAS administration; is extremely concerned, however, that the EEAS has the biggest proportion of high graded staff out of all Union institutions, having 514 individuals employed in AD 12 or grades above (over 50 % of all EEAS AD staff), making it difficult to achieve significant reductions in the top-heavy administration; considers that the reversion of this situation cshould be achieved in the coming years through efficient management policies;
Amendment 27 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. FindsExpresses concern at the excessive the number of officials being promoted after two years in the grade, especially the quick promotions in the higher grades; invites the EEAS to establish stricter criteria for the quick promotion in higher grades especially taking into account the high number of posts at high grades and additional costs this entails in real terms;
Amendment 46 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. InviteAsks the EEAS to explain why it was necessary to create the post of Deputy Head of Delegation for Afghanistan;
Amendment 50 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. SupportDemands the EEAS' intensify its efforts towards increasing savings with regards to housing policy of staff employed in the Union Delegations; considers that there is room for significant savings in this field as in year 2012 the housing costs paid for the accommodation of 675 officials in Union Delegations had a total cost of EUR 30 million;
Amendment 51 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Welcomes the fact that the EEAS could immediately impose savings of EUR 4 million in the 2014 budget with the new Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union entering into force; points out, however, the extremely high costs of employment in Union Delegations, as all entitlements, allowances, weightings coefficients, rest leaves and annual travel costs, moving and housing expenses add up to over EUR 8 000 per month per employee above the monthly salary of the individuals working in the Union Delegations and questions whether the level of additional benefits can be justified to the European taxpayer;
Amendment 59 #
2013/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Asks forDemands that the EEAS's building policy to be attached to the annual activity report., especially given that it is important that such costs are properly rationalised and that such costs are not excessive;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2204(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Data Protection Supervisor's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the European Data Protection Supervisor discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Data Protection Supervisor's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Ombudsman's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the European Ombudsman discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Ombudsman's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2200(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the Court of Auditors' budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Secretary-General of the Court of Auditors discharge in respect of the implementation of the Court of Auditors' budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2199(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge for implementation of the Court of Justice's budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Registrar of the Court of Justice discharge in respect of the implementation of the Court of Justice's budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants itsPostpones its decision on granting the President discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Parliament budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Subtitle and paragraph 1 a (new)
Subtitle and paragraph 1 a (new)
- Added value of Parliament's discharge procedure 1a. Highlights the added value of the parliamentary procedure leading up to the annual Parliament discharge; 1b. Points out that this resolution remains principally focussed on the budget implementation and discharge for the financial year 2012 and that its main goal is to ensure that taxpayers' public money is used in the best possible way while highlighting where improvements can be made; encourages the Parliament's responsible bodies to continue to improve, at all possible levels, efficiency in Parliament's daily work; 1c. Repeats its call on the Bureau to distribute more 'White Papers' regarding the policy matters to all Members which would allow for the policy items to be discussed within the political groups in advance to a final decision;
Amendment 8 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out the highexcessive level of carry- overs into 2012 (EUR 244 600 38423 ) and calls for the improved planning of expenditure; __________________ 23 Automatic carry-overs: EUR 222 900 384, non-automatic carry-overs: EUR 21 700 000.
Amendment 26 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes the Secretary-General’s reply indicating that the cost for the LUX prize was reduced, as proposed by the Committee on Budgetary Control and voted in plenary in the 2010 discharge report, and that a series of concrete measures have been taken in order to minimise the LUX Prize expenditure, in particular cutting costs related to promotional activities at international festivals and within Parliament premises; takes note that the expenditure of LUX Prize in 2012 was EUR 434 421, which represents a reduction of 24 % as compared to 2011 (EUR 573722); calls for further efficiencies to be found;
Amendment 82 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Takes note that co-financing from the Commission for the running costs of the House of European History has been secured with EUR 800 000 in commitment appropriations in its 2014 draft budget, assigned to Heading 3 of the Multiannual Financial Framework; notes further that the amount corresponds to 30 % of the budgeted running costs for that year and is also intended to cover the expenditure allowing a seventh opening day every week; regrets that Parliament persists with this project and calls for the possible abandonment of further plans regarding the House of the European History to be reconsidered;
Amendment 88 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 a (new)
Paragraph 60 a (new)
60a. Suggests that the current buildings strategy be urgently re-examined, with a view to halting expansion;
Amendment 89 #
2013/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 b (new)
Paragraph 60 b (new)
60b. Notes the opening in April 2010 of the EP Liaison Office (EPLO) in Washington; calls for a review of its structure, activities and costs to be presented to the Bureau with copies to the relevant competent committees;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge/Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 8 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (formerly the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency (formerly the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency (formerly the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 16 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its Decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (formerly the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 20 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 8
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovesPostpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 90 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. ObservesExpresses concern that in the 2012 financial year the error rate rose for the third time in succession;
Amendment 158 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Calls for further investigation of the policies in question in order to clarify political reservations and considers such clarifications as a necessary condition to granting discharge;
Amendment 183 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Deeply regrets that payments remain materially affected by error; reminds the Commission that the Parliament has a zero-tolerance approach to errors;
Amendment 220 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Requests that the Commission submit to Parliament's competent committee by September 2014 a report on its activities to encourage whistle-blowing by the wider public;
Amendment 221 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 b (new)
Paragraph 70 b (new)
70b. Recalls the Parliament's proposal for a full-time Commissioner for Budgetary Control;
Amendment 294 #
2013/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 141
Paragraph 141
141. Agrees with the Court of Auditors that Member States bear primary responsibility forhave a duty to preventing or detecting and correcting irregular expenditure and reporting on this subject to the Commission; observes that the administrative and certification authorities in the Member States therefore have a key role to play in ensuring the regularity of the expenditure reimbursed by the Commission (Paragraph 5.12 of the Annual Report);
Amendment 1 #
2012/2253(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Executive Director of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2253(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2221(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2221(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 4 #
2012/2220(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2220(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2219(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the IMI Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2219(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the IMI Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 4 #
2012/2218(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2218(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 4 #
2012/2217(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2217(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2216(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2216(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 4 #
2012/2215(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking's budget for the financial year 2011,
Amendment 8 #
2012/2215(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 17 #
2012/2214(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Urges the Agencies to examine their internal administrative processes with a view to reducing administrative costs, which are generally too high across the Agencies;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2212(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2212(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2211(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Administrative Manager of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications discharge in respect of the implementation of the Body's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2211(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2209(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2207(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Banking Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 5 #
2012/2207(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes from the Court of Auditors that weaknesses as regards three legal commitments made in advance of budget commitments (EUR 742 000) were noted; calls onrequires the Authority to inform the discharge authority of the actions it has taken to address this deficiency;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2206(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. …Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2206(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. …Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2205(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. …Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Police Office discharge in respect of the implementation of the Office's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2205(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. …Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Police Office for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 12 #
2012/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges from the Court of Auditors' report that in 2010, more than EUR 1,6 million had to be cancelled and in 2011, EUR 1,9 million (9 % of the appropriations carried over from 2010) were cancelled; notes, moreover, that in 2011 the level of carry-overs of commitment appropriations was also high, with EUR 4,2 million (41 %) for Title II ‘administrative expenditure’ and EUR 10,6 million (46 %) for Title III ‘operational expenditure’; calls onrequires the Office to inform the discharge authority of the actions taken to address that deficiency, as the high carry-over and cancellation rates indicate difficulties in the planning and/or implementation of the Office's activities;
Amendment 15 #
2012/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges from the Court of Auditors' report that weaknesses were found as regards the physical verification and recording of assets before and after the move to the new headquarters; in addition, notesis concerned that insurance contracts do not reflect the value of the Office's assets: before the move, net assets were over- insured by about EUR 17 million and at the moment of audit they were under-insured by about EUR 21 million;
Amendment 23 #
2012/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 1 #
2012/2204(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2204(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the Community Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2202(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the Community Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Railway Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2198(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Railway Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2198(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges that the level of payments against budget appropriations improved for all titles, but remained low for Title III with 47 % (39 % in 2010); calls ondemands that the Agency to take further actions to address this deficiency as the situation is at odds with the budgetary principle of annuality and report back to the budgetary authority forthwith;
Amendment 9 #
2012/2198(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates that using two locations (Lille and Valenciennes) to carry out its activities exposes the Agency to additional costs; for this reason one location should be urgently reconsidered; notes, moreover, that this observation has been made since 2006 and that no action has been taken by the Council to change the Decision of 13 December 2003*1 obliging the Agency to have a double seat;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Executive Director of the European Network and Information Security Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2197(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the European Network and Information Security Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority discharge in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2196(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 9 #
2012/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes, from the Court of Auditors' report and the Authority's annual activity report (AAR), that in 2011, 13 budgetary transfers were made; notes that, in particular, EUR 2,46 million was transferred from Title I to the infrastructure and IT budget lines of Title II, aiming to provide the resources for the adaptation of IT systems and financial systems related to the reorganisation and the migration to the accrual-based accounting financial system, and to reinforce the resources available for the move to the final seat and equipment for the final seat; notes, moreover, that transfers were carried out within Titles II and III; notes with concernpoints out specifically the Court of Auditors' remark that the situation indicates weaknesses in budget planning and implementation and is at odds with the principle of specification;
Amendment 19 #
2012/2196(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes with concern that the Authority was criticised for a lack of transparency with respect to the publication of annual declarations of interest and the absence of training on conflicts of interest and demands that this matter be remedied forthwith;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2195(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concernIs appalled that the Court of Auditors' remarks, in particular ‘the Centre concluded a framework contract (FWC) in 2009 for a maximum amount of EUR 9 million, allowing it to sign specific contracts with selected suppliers up to this amount. [..] Subsequent amendments increased these contracts’ values to EUR 14, 9 million. By the end of 2011 payments made totalled EUR 12, 2 million, of which EUR 3, 2 million in 2011. Commitments and payments above the EUR 9 million ceiling set in the framework contract are irregular‘;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2195(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges fromExpresses serious concern that the Court of Auditors' report showed that, as in the previous year, a high level of carryover was reported for 2011; notes that out of the total budget for 2011, EUR 11 million (20 %) was carried over to 2012, including 38% of Title III ‘operational expenditure’ appropriations; calls on the Centre to inform the discharge authority of the actions taken to address this deficiency as this high level of carryover, coupled with a low level of accrued expenditure (EUR 5,4 million), is at odds with the budgetary principle of annuality;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2194(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 9 #
2012/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Acknowledges from the Court of Auditors' report that the decrease in the country coefficient for Germany in June 2010 caused a significant surplus in the Agency's Title I ‘Staff Expenditure’ appropriations for 2011 and that about EUR 3 million (7 % of the appropriations) were transferred from Title I to various budget lines in Title III ‘Operational Expenditure’, despite their low implementation rate in terms of payments; notes, moreover, that this significant cross title transfer, which changed the structure of the budget considerably, was not put to the Agency's Management Board for approval; calls ondemands that the Agency to inform the discharge authority of the actions taken as this situation is at odds with the budgetary principle of specification;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes note that the transfer increased Title III appropriations to EUR 13,7 million and that at the end of 2011, EUR 7,8 million was carried over to 2012; calls onrequires that the Agency to inform the discharge authority of the actions taken to reduce the high level of carryovers as this is at odds with the budgetary principle of annuality;
Amendment 15 #
2012/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Remarks that the budgetary authority is concerned by the high administrative costs at the Agency and is strongly dissatisfied with the answers regarding them that were given by the Executive Director of the Agency in the hearing of the Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control because they did not adequately address members' questions;
Amendment 36 #
2012/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – subparagraph 2
Paragraph 13 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 3 #
2012/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2193(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2193(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern the Court of Auditors' finding that budget commitments amounting to EUR 0,9 million were not related to existing legal commitments and the Agency should have decommitted and paid back the amount to the Commission at the beginning of 2012; notes, however, that the Agency initiated the process too late and as a result, due to restrictions imposed by the IT system, the funds will be blocked for one year and will only be decommitted and paid back at the end of 2012; considers that this is unacceptable;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2193(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that the Court of Auditors identified the need to improve the Agency's asset management; it found, in particular, unexplained differences between the recorded annual and cumulated depreciation and that for internally created intangible assets, accounting procedures and information on costs were not reliable; notes that evidence of a physical inventory of administrative equipment within the required period was lacking; remarks that until the serious problems in the Agency are resolved no further extension of the Agency's competency should be considered;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2193(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with concern the Court of Auditors' finding that when the Agency sold two sets of sweeping arms systems for at-sea oil recovery services in December 2011, aiming to obtain at least the equipment's net book value of EUR 319 050 , as a result of the minimum price being wrongly set below net book value, the equipment was sold at a loss of EUR 93 950; considers that this is unacceptable and shows lack of regard for taxpayers money;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. …Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of Eurojust discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2191(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. …Postpones the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2190(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2190(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Medicines Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2189(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ....Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2187(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Environment Agency for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2187(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes from the Court of Auditors' report that the Agency made a payment to an international environmental organisation amounting to EUR 6 061 which was related to the participation of Agency staff in expeditions organised by that organisation in February and May 2011; notdeplores that no procurement procedure had taken place and no contract had been drawn up for those expeditions ; notes that the Agency bore the travel costs, amounting to EUR 11 625; notes the Court of Auditors' finding that the Agency's Executive Director was a member of the international environmental organisation's board of trustees until April 2011 and that this could constitute a conflict of interest;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2186(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2185(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ...Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 17 #
2012/2185(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is concerned by the fact that in December 2012, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) opened an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Agency as a result of allegations made by one of the applicants in the above-mentioned court cases; requestires that the Agency inform the discharge authority on the results of both the OLAF investigation and the Ombudsman case;
Amendment 22 #
2012/2185(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Is convinced that merger of the European Institute for Gender Equality and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights should be urgently considered in order to avoid duplication of tasks and to reduce overhead costs;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2184(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GrantPostpones the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned that non-compliance with the rules has lead to a number of incorrect payments to staff members, legal uncertainty for temporary staff and for the EEAS, failure to respect the Financial Regulation and unrecovered VAT and a breach of the procurement rules which all Union institutions are bound to comply with; notes that the EEAS has stated it has taken the necessary steps to avoid the recurrence of non-compliance; requests that the EEAS, in the context of the 2012 discharge procedure, informs Parliament of the results;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants its President discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Parliament budget for the financial year 2011; / Postpones its decision on granting its President discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Parliament budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Bureau to schedule as a specific agenda item a discussion of the discharge report in May or June, shortly after its adoption by plenary;
Amendment 15 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Reiterates its proposal that the Bureau should circulate more 'White Papers' on policy items of general interest to all Members so they can be thoroughly discussed within political groups prior to a final decision being taken;
Amendment 55 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. Notes that 192 members of staff report to the Directors General without going through a Director; asks the Secretary-General to review this situation to ensure that 'cabinets' for Directors- General are not being created unofficially; asks the Secretary-General to include in the review an assessment of the grades, powers and responsibilities of these staff;
Amendment 71 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Takes note of the fact that the contract with the current travel agency expires on 31 December 2013 and that the preparations of a new call for tenders have started; regrets that, while the possibility of a financial audit was provided for in the contract, this is not the case for an audit of the structure and performance of the travel agency; insists that a future contract should include the possibility of intermediary and final financial and performance audits; as requested by the Committee on Budgetary Control, welcomes the fact that the administration will also have recourse to external expertise when establishing tender documentation and throughout the selection procedure, thereby ensuring that Parliament chooses the best solution, resulting in major simplifications and cost- savings; stresses that the new contract should take into account the best quality/price ratio and the best value for money with competitive prices; reiterates its proposal for exploring the possibility of having two travel agencies operating within Parliament, in direct competition, and whether this might provide a cost- neutral way of increasing efficiency and achieving best value for money;
Amendment 79 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Regrets that the audience of Europarl TV, although greater in 2011 as compared with 2010*2, continues to be very low in the case of direct individual users (excluding viewers through partnership agreements with regional TVs) despite the considerable financing that it still received in 2011, amounting to some EUR 8 000 000 (item 3 2 4 6); regrets furthernotes that in its resolution on the discharge 2010 Parliament called "on the Secretary-General to present proposals to its competent committee for the closure of the operation"; regrets that the Bureau decided to ignore Parliament's decision; notes with grave concern that no cost- benefit evaluation of Europarl TV has being made, despite the fact that this was requested by Parliament in its resolution on the discharge 2010; welcomes, however, the decision of the Bureau of 12 December 2012 to implement a set of reforms in order to achieve significant savings; 1 2 en Direct visits per month on the website: 2010: 30 000; 2011: 39 559. Direct visits per month on the website: 2010: 30 000; 2011: 39 559. made, despite the fact that this was requested by Parliament in its resolution on the discharge 2010; insists that a cost- benefit evaluation should be initiated immediately, explicitly considering the possibility of shutting the project down in its entirety;
Amendment 83 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Is concerned at the increased cost of the Lux Prize in 2011*1; calls for a more cost- efficient management of this prize and therefore suggests the Internal Auditor might consider reviewing its administration to achieve this goal;
Amendment 89 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Notes that a business plan for the House of European History in Brussels was approved by the Bureau on 26 September 2011 and that the Commission has declared its willingness to participate in the running costs of the project and will communicate to Parliament before the end of the summer 2013 the terms of such contribution; ; deplores the decision to persist with this project, which is not only highly controversial and costly but also superfluous in light of the success of the visitor's centre; notes that pushing ahead with current plans will likely enforce negative public perceptions of Parliament, as it will be seen to be a costly and unnecessary vanity project in these times of financial difficulty; requests that all construction and associated works should be immediately halted, while the possibility of abandoning plans for a House of European History altogether is reconsidered by Parliament;
Amendment 96 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)
Paragraph 50 a (new)
50a. Insists that the time has finally come to end all subsidies to the catering service, as it is no longer tenable that officials and staff pay anything other than market prices; expects to this end that catering services will be required to be self- sufficient; reiterates its suggestion that the possibility be explored for the existence of two or more service providers, in direct competition, so as to encourage increased quality of service and best value for money;
Amendment 98 #
2012/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Points out that any property and buildings strategy must also take account of the rising costs of maintaining the buildings purchased; suggests that the current buildings strategy should be urgently re-examined, with a view to halting all expansion;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 4 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 5 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/(postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants/postponesPostpones its decision on granting the Director of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2011;
Amendment 25 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) collect information from Member States concerning the degree to which national rules render Union legislation on budget management unnecessarily complicated (‘gold-plating’) and report to Parliament by October 2013; recalls that an infringement of those national rules represents an error in budget management and that the Commission is ultimately responsible for errors in implementing the Union budget (Article 317 TFEU);
Amendment 50 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph under sub heading 'Revenues and traditional own resources'
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph under sub heading 'Revenues and traditional own resources'
In order to ensure proper protection of the Union's financial interests, and with a view to equipping the Union with sufficient own resources for growth, the Commission should:
Amendment 58 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the amount of structural funds implemented through FEIs has continued to increase over the period 2007-2013, in particular for instruments targeting enterprises, and points out that more than 90% of the amounts actually disbursed to final recipients went to enterprises; asks the Commission to clarify what percentage of the amounts actually dispersed went to truly private enterprises as opposed to majority publicly owned enterprises;
Amendment 63 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recalls the Parliament's proposal in the 2010 discharge resolution for a full- time Commissioner for Budgetary Control in the 2014-2019 Commission;
Amendment 71 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Emphasises that errors should not necessarily be considered as fraud and considers that, in the vast majority of cases, errors stem from administrative mistakes which can be corrected; reminds the Commission, however, that the current error rate is still unacceptably high and that Parliament has a zero-tolerance approach to errors;
Amendment 73 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notices that there are differences of opinion between the Court of Auditors and the Commission with regard to the way in which errors should be calculated, in particular as to whether pre-financing should be included or excluded, as to the handling of quantifiable and non- quantifiable errors, and as to the way in which recoveries and financial corrections should be considered in the error calculation; is of the opinion that the differences of opinion mirror the different roles respectively played by the institutions, namely the role of auditor on the one hand and manager on the other;
Amendment 78 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recalls that the most likely error rate for payments in the financial year 2010 was estimated at 3,7% and in the financial year 2009 at 3,3%; is particularly worridismayed about this increase because it reverses the positive trend observed in the years 2007, 2008 and 2009; therefore calls on the Commission to take the necessary steps to achieve a trend that shows a consistent decrease in the error rate; underlines that Parliament is of the opinion that ‘(...) reaching this target is an essential part of getting full value for EU expenditure in the future and progressing towards a positive DAS’*1 ; 1Or. en Paragraph 4 of Parliament's above mentioned resolution of 5 May 2010 on the 2008 discharge.
Amendment 96 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes, however, that neither the Court of Auditors nor the Commission considers the annual summaries at this stage to be a valuable source of information for the purposes of assessing compliance by, or the performance of, beneficiaries, reiterates its request that the Commission should analyse the strengths and weaknesses of national control systems on the basis of the annual summaries received; considers that this situation is unacceptable and demands that the Commission take immediate action to ensure that the next annual summaries are useful for assessing the performance of beneficiaries;
Amendment 101 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a Notes the details set out on the following scoreboard regarding the two initiatives relating to the contributions of Member States in improving the effectiveness of shared management: SCOREBOARD National management Declarations 'Overall level of assurance statement' in the Annual Summaries for structural actions Austria No No Belgium No No Bulgaria No Yes Cyprus No Yes Czech Republic No Yes Denmark Yes Yes Estonia No Yes Finland No Yes France No Yes Germany No No Greece No Yes Hungary No Yes Ireland No No Italy No No Latvia No No Lithuania No No Luxembourg No No Malta No No Netherlands Yes No Poland No No Portugal No Yes Romania No Yes Slovakia No Yes Slovenia No Yes Spain No No Sweden Yes Yes United Kingdom Yes Yes
Amendment 114 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Regrets nevertheless that the Court of Auditors found weaknesses in those instructions and their implementation, in particular as regards the residual error rate, and calls onurges the Commission to adapt its guidance in consequence, as an immediate priority;
Amendment 123 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Is particularly worried byDeplores the fact that in 62% of the audited regional policy transactions affected by error, and in 76% of the ESF audited transactions, sufficient information was available for the Member State authorities to have detected and corrected at least some of these errors before claiming reimbursement from the Commission, and that in rural development, the Court of Auditors found that on-the-spot checks had not always been carried out properly; therefore calls on the Member States and the Commission to urgently reinforce first-level checks to address this unacceptably high level of mismanagement;
Amendment 128 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. Urges the Member States to identify and report to Parliament, in coordination with the Commission and the Court of Auditors, those unnecessarily complex national rules in order to simplify them;
Amendment 133 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Once again requestires the Commission to name the Member States responsible for the cumulative quantifiable errors identified; understands the constraints imposed on the Court of Auditors by its statistical sample method, which effectively prevents the Court from naming Member States with the highest error rate; encourages the Court to compare its audit findings with those of the Commission in order to identify those Member States or regions most affected by the level and/or occurrence of errors;
Amendment 143 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Is worried about the significant increase in outstanding budgetary commitments from EUR 13 billion in 2010 to EUR 207 billion, mostly in cohesion policy, for the programming period 2007- 2013, and notes that this could be explained in particular by the introduction of the mechanism of prior approval of Member States' management and control systems before any interim payments is made;
Amendment 150 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78
Paragraph 78
78. Underlines that the Court's findings in its Special Report No 13/2011 were corroborated by the conclusions of the fact- finding mission of Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, which took place on 19 and20 September 2012; notes that Rotterdam, the largest European port, attracts a lot of ships thanks to the simplified Dutch data processing system; stresses that simplification of customs procedures should not lead to less effective control systems in European ports and that ‘simplified procedures’ should be effectively controlled by the Member States; notes that reduced controls could translate into major economic advantages for a port, points out, however, that seeking such competitive advantages may seriously harm the financial interests of the Union and its Member States;
Amendment 158 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90
Paragraph 90
Amendment 176 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 120
Paragraph 120
120. NotDeplores that the Court estimated the most likely error rate in this spending area at 6%; underlines at the same timewhich is unacceptably high, but notes that this error rate remains below of those reported by the Court for the period 2006- 2008 due to reinforced control provisions and a strict policy of interruptions and suspensions when deficiencies were detected, in line with the Commission's 2008 Action Plan;
Amendment 224 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156
Paragraph 156
156. WelcomesFollowing the creation of the European External Actions Service (EEAS); asks for a clear allocation and coordination of roles and responsibilities of the Commission and the EEAS as regards programming and implementation of the budget in third countries;
Amendment 269 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 184 a (new)
Paragraph 184 a (new)
184a. Calls on the Commission, in an annex to each annual Evaluation Report, to publish a detailed schedule of all planned performance audits and evaluations for the foreseeable future; calls on the Commission to ensure that during the course of a MFF period, all programme areas are evaluated and the results published as annexes to the Evaluation Report;
Amendment 270 #
2012/2167(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 184 b (new)
Paragraph 184 b (new)
184b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that evaluations are conducted independently; notes that the resulting reports should be shared as soon as possible with the relevant committees of Parliament;
Amendment 51 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas violations of freedom of religion or belief, perpetrated by governments and non-state actors alike, are increasing in many countries of the world, namely in Pakistan as exposed by the Blasphemy Law, resulting in discrimination, intolerance and violence against certain individuals and religious communities, including religious minority representatives;
Amendment 199 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Reiterates its concern, however, with the persistently disappointing lack of progress in a number of human rights dialogues, and the lack of transparent benchmarks to genuinely assess improvements or deterioration in human rights; notes the continued EU difficulties to negotiate improved modalities for the dialogue with China and, Russia and Pakistan; calls on the newly appointed EUSR on Human Rights to inject new momentum into these and other dialogues;
Amendment 211 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Remains disappointed that there has been no systematic involvement of Parliament in the assessments of the human rights dialogue, including for Russia and China, China and Pakistan; calls for Parliament's access to these assessments to be formalised, and recalls that the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Dialogues state that ‘'civil society will be involved in this assessment exercise’';
Amendment 245 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Notes with concern the worrying trend of increased attacks and intimidation against journalists and media workers in the OSCE area and in third countries like Pakistan; calls for a stepping up of EU efforts to promote their safety in dialogues with the Union's partners and other countries;
Amendment 262 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Regrets that persecution and marginalisation of human rights defenders remain a widespread tendency in China, Russia, Pakistan and all other countries that still mistake high human rights standards for an imposition of the EU, the UN and global human rights organisations; regrets that disbarred lawyers in China and politically persecuted journalists and media workers are regarded as an internal affair; regrets that social tolerance of religious minorities in Pakistan is extremely low;
Amendment 267 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Regrets the general assessment in the EU Annual Report that in many countries like Pakistan, there is a contraction of democratic space, and civil society in general and human rights defenders (HRDs) in particular are increasingly becoming victims of repression, and fundamental freedoms are still massively violated;.
Amendment 278 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. Welcomes the assessment by human rights organisations that the use of the death penalty in 2011 broadly confirms the global trend towards abolition; regrets, however, that there was a significant increase in executions in Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia; expresses serious disappointment at the refusal of China to disclose credible information about its use of death penalty and executions that, according to Amnesty International, number in the thousands; welcomes the abolition of the death penalty in the US state of Illinois but regrets that the United States continues to execute people despite being the only G8 country to do so in 2011; recalls with concern that Belarus is the only European country to continue use the death penalty; urges the Pakistan Government to remove the Blasphemy Law; urges the EU and its Member States consistently to bring this issue up in their dialogues with these countries;
Amendment 359 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. Remains deeply concerned that discrimination based on religion or belief continues in many regions of the world, and that persons belonging to particular religious communities, including religious minorities, continue to be denied their human rights; is particularly concerned by the situation in Pakistan where a reform of education to incorporate themes of religious tolerance is critical for the development of a tolerant Pakistani society which values religious freedom and religious diversity for all its citizens; is particularly concerned by the situation in China where individuals who practise their religion outside officially sanctioned channels, including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Falun Gong practitioners, often face persecution; urges China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as it has promised; urges the Chinese authorities to suspend and subsequently amend, through genuinely consultative processes with Tibetans, the policies that most negatively impact Tibetan Buddhism, culture and tradition;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2138(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, at the same time, threats to global security are growing because of uncertainties linked to the attitudes of States engaged in programmes which dangerously encourage nuclear proliferation, the harbouring of terrorist organizations such as exposed in the evolution of the Afghan-Pakistan area in view of the prospect of the withdrawal of NATO troops the escalation of local crises in the EU's neighbourhood with major regional implications, such as the current Syrian conflict, the vagaries of the transition process in the Arab countries and its security dimension (Libya, Sinai ...), the evolution of the Afghan-Pakistan area in view of the prospect of the withdrawal of NATO troops[...] and increased terrorist threats in Africa, in particular in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and Nigeria,;
Amendment 116 #
2012/2138(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Welcomes the EUPOL Afghanistan mission which aims to establish a civilian police force and a judicial system to allow Afghans to shoulder most of the responsibility for these tasks in the context of the reconstruction of the Afghan State; stresses that this mission, which is due to remain there until 31 May 2013 and c[...] should be extended untilbeyond 31 December 2014, and forms part of the overall efforts by the international community to allow Afghans to take control of their destiny, after the withdrawal of NATO troops in 2014; calls on the High Representative / Vice- President of the Commission and the Council to carry out in-depth discussions, also involving the European Parliament, on the progress of the Union's comprehensive arrangements and the EUPOL mission, especially in the context of post-2014 Afghanistan;
Amendment 76 #
2012/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the importance of policy coherence and coordination in order to attain the objective of poverty reduction and to increase the impact of EU external assistance, particularly in Pakistan;
Amendment 80 #
2012/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reiterates that budget support to partner countries should be more closely linked to the human rights and governance situation of the partner countries, particularly in Pakistan;
Amendment 92 #
2012/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Urges governments to take all the necessary measures to reduce extremes in income inequality and put in place conditions that will enable those currently living in extreme poverty to fully realise their potential and live in dignity, particularly in Pakistan;
Amendment 19 #
2012/2131(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. It is important to explicitly address immigration of members of extremist and terrorist organisations, as well as the concerns regarding immigration and forced marriages from countries such as Pakistan.
Amendment 108 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the Republic of Cyprus joined the EU, on 1 May 2004, as a divided island due to the rejection of the UN comprehensive settlement plan by the Greek Cypriots, and that pursuant to Article 1(1) of Protocol 10 of the Act of Accession 2003 the application of the acquis is suspended in the areas of the Republic of Cyprus in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control;
Amendment 109 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
Amendment 110 #
2012/2107(DEC)
4. Recalls that the existing de facto division of Cyprus dates back to 1963, when the inter-communal conflict erupted followed with a UN decision to send a peace keeping force to Cyprus in March 1964 and Turkey’s military invasion oftervention in the Northern part of the island in July 1974;
Amendment 111 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that as a result of the 1974 events of the period 1963 to 1974, the vast majority of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live separately on the respective sides of the buffer zone and that the resulting property issue has been one of the most difficult problems to solve as part of the ongoing efforts to reach a settlement;
Amendment 112 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Acknowledges the fact that an estimated 78% of privately owned land in the northern part of Cyprus legally belongs to Greek Cypriots, whose consent is required for EU-funded infrastructure investments on their land;there is an island wide unresolved property issue where both communities on both sides of the island are similarly affected from this issue.
Amendment 113 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 114 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note that the programme has assisted a great number of different beneficiaries across the Turkish Cypriot community and some important results have already been achieved, where the developing and restructuring of infrastructure constitutes a large portion of EU’s financial assistance to Turkish Cypriots and covers a number of projects which have mostly resulted with great success, but that the construction of a Kumkov seawater desalination plant, which is the programme’s largest bi- communal project (€27.5 million), ended in failure due to unacceptable restrictions;
Amendment 115 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that the programme has assisted many different beneficiaries across the Turkish Cypriot community; but observes nevertheless that it has not been possible to implement the single largest bi-communal project, the construction of a seawater desalination plant (27,5 million euro) due to resthe withdrawal from the contriactions imposed by the Turkish army of the Greek Cypriot sub-contractor. This represents a significant setback for the programme;
Amendment 116 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls here that the ultimate objective of the instrument is to support economic and social development of the Turkish Cypriot Community with a view to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus;
Amendment 117 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Regrets the loss of the seawater desalination plant project which was an unfortunate setback; recalls that this project was not only the main project in the water sector but also the largest bi- communal project funded under the instrument and that the plant was intended to provide 23 000 m3 of clean drinking water per day covering the needs of an estimated 100 000 people and recalls that water supply is becoming an increasingly critical issue for the island following a 40 % decrease in the mean annual rainfall in the past 30 years; is deeply concerned thaabout the cancellation of the project due to the restrictions, imposed by the Greek Cypriot contractor by the Turkish army means that this serious environmental issue will not be addressed;withdrawal from the contract of the Greek Cypriot sub- contractor.
Amendment 118 #
2012/2107(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Emphasizes that the main objective of Regulation (EC) No 389/2006 is to support economic and social development of the Turkish Cypriot Community with a view to facilitateing the reunification of the island; recommends reviewing once againthat the distribution of the aid to the TCc and this to continue under the five objectives obstacles related to the sustainability of the projects; suggests considering whether large scale bi-communalf Regulation (EC) No 389/2006 (which are developing and restructuring of infrastructure, programs should still be pursued or a focus on smaller scale bi-communal projectsmoting social and economic development, fostering reconciliation, confidence -building measures, the and support tof the civil society, the missing persons' related activities, the youth mobility,bringing the Turkish Cypriot community closer to the EU and preparing for the introduction and implementation of the acquis communautaire upon the preservunification of historical sites should be considered instead;Cyprus) and will be sustained in accordance with the suggestions underlined in the Court of Auditors’ special report.
Amendment 3 #
2011/2207(DEC)
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions/Postpones discharge in respect of the implementation of the Committee of the Regions budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2207(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Committee of the Regions (CoR), as a body designed to offer a relatively small number of bodies privileged access to the Union's legislative and policy-making processes, to fund its activities by means of subscription for those local and regional institutions that believe it serves a valuable purpose;
Amendment 9 #
2011/2207(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the CoR to undertake a comprehensive spending review based on the principle of zero-based budgeting to identify savings, rather than simply adding a nominal percentage increase for inflation to existing budgets during each budget cycle;
Amendment 19 #
2011/2207(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union highlights the importance of the subsidiarity principle, thus strengthening the role of the CoR; in this context, congratulates the CoR, in particular for its work on the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy and on multi-level governance;
Amendment 2 #
2011/2206(DEC)
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee/Postpones discharge in respect of the implementation of the Economic and Social Committee budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 7 #
2011/2206(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the EESC, as a body designed to offer privileged access to the Union's legislative and policy-making processes, to fund its activities by means of subscription for those few bodies that have secured representation;
Amendment 9 #
2011/2206(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Reiterates the call made in its resolution1 on discharge to the EESC for the financial year 2009 to undertake with urgency a comprehensive spending review of all areas of activity to ensure all expenditure is delivering value for money in order to identify savings which will reduce the pressure on the budget in this period of austerity; calls on the EESC to adopt the principle of zero-based budgeting to identify savings, rather than simply adding a nominal percentage increase for inflation to existing budgets during each budget cycle; 1 OJ L 250, 27.9.2011, p.98.
Amendment 16 #
2011/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Also notes that the Court of Auditors undertook a total of 376 audit missions – 351 to Member States and 25 elsewhere (France: 52, Germany: 38, United Kingdom: 32, Italy: 30; Spain: 26, Netherlands: 23, Sweden: 15, Portugal: 14, Greece: 13, Denmark: 12; Luxembourg: 11, Hungary: 10, Poland: 10) and that just less than half of the Member States were therefore visited;
Amendment 17 #
2011/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Asks the Court of Auditors, whilst recognising resource limitations and the reality of a sampling methodology, to seek to ensure it covers all Member States over a relatively short time frame;
Amendment 18 #
2011/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on the Court of Auditors to publish Annual Reports on each Member State when possible, to bring together all their research across different programme areas related to a single Member State;
Amendment 19 #
2011/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Notes that a traditional sampling method works best when auditing a single programme and a single management & control system but when both the selection of transactions/procedures and the selection of Member States is part of the sampling process it is harder to establish a clear understanding of the situation; requests that the Court of Auditors think in terms of occasional 'matrix' audits which sample transactions within a programme but cover all 27 Member States in order to reach conclusions about both the programme and the individual Member States;
Amendment 20 #
2011/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Suggests that as part of any review of the Court of Auditors' operations, consideration be given to allocating to Court Members, responsibilities for specific Member States in addition to their programme responsibilities; notes that this would give Members of the Court of Auditors the opportunity to develop closer relationships with national/regional audit authorities, and locally-appointed auditors for specific programmes;
Amendment 22 #
2011/2205(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 f (new)
Paragraph 12 f (new)
12f. Requests the Court of Auditors to incorporate into its future work programmes a systematic follow-up of specific past audits, following a sufficient time lapse, to assess progress;
Amendment 1 #
2011/2203(DEC)
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Secretary-General of the Council discharge for implementation of the Council's budget for the financial year 2010 / Postpones the discharge to the Secretary- General of the Council for implementation of the Council's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 16 #
2011/2203(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Reiterates its view that the European taxpayers have every right to expect that the entirety of the Union budget, including all the funds managed autonomously by its separate institutions and agencies, should be subject to full public scrutiny;
Amendment 18 #
2011/2203(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Deplores the fact that the Council believes that it - uniquely amongst the institutions of the European Union - is not accountable for its use of the funds put at its disposal;
Amendment 19 #
2011/2203(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Notes the flaw in the Council's argument that granting discharge to the Commission should be interpreted as granting discharge to the entirety of the Union budget, including parts of the budget used by the Council, is demonstrated by its inconsistent adherence to the position that the Commission should not have the power to oversee and manage its budget; believes that the only logical resolution of this conflict is for Council either to invite the Commission to take control of its finances or to participate fully in a standard discharge procedure;
Amendment 29 #
2011/2203(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that the efficiency and stability of the discharge procedure between Parliament and the Council would benefit from an agreement between the two institutions on the key aspects of this procedure which must necessarily follow mutatis mutandis the full procedures followed for all the other institutions of the European Union;
Amendment 35 #
2011/2203(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls therefore on the Committee on Budgetary Control to draw up a list of the key aspects that might be included in such an agreement which shall include inter alia a list of documents to be submitted, the use of a questionnaire to seek further information, and participation in a public hearing of the Committee.
Amendment 13 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the year saw consolidation and further modernisation of the administration, with a stronger focus on core activities, restructuring of services, better use of modern technologies and increased interinstitutional cooperation which together ensured; that budgetary and staffing resources were used in the most cost-effective way;
Amendment 21 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that this overall high level of implementation is partly due to two targeted transfers made before the end of the financial year 2010 (EUR 9 240 000 for the purchase of a Europe House in Sofia and EUR 10 923 000 for four major IT projects); welcomes the fact that no mopping-up transfers took place between 2010 and 2011; encourages, however, its administration to pursue the objective of better and clearer budget planning and discipline in the future and notes that to put buildings, IT or any other important expenditure in the budget would provide more financial clarity; believes that all significant expenditure should be fully planned for in the annual budget and not arise as a result of a need to mop-up underspends;
Amendment 64 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Insists that reinforcing the security of Parliament's buildings and their immediate surroundings must be given the highest priority; requests that as part of this work security in the car parks should be improved, and that the access to Members' offices in Parliament should be controlled;
Amendment 73 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Notes that the communications budget consists of three main strands: 'legislative', 'values' and 'elections'; believes that the public will be better able to come to a view about the importance of voting with reference to real issues; proposes that in the run-up to the 2014 European elections all possible resources should be diverted to the 'legislative' strand so that the public might be given the maximum information about the actual work of Members of the European Parliament;
Amendment 84 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 d (new)
Paragraph 42 d (new)
42d. Believes that Parliament should not be in the business of running museums; proposes that if this House of European History is established it be made an independent body with full responsibility for its activities and resources;
Amendment 85 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 e (new)
Paragraph 42 e (new)
42e. Believes that the House of European History project should be put on hold, especially given the current economic and financial climate;
Amendment 92 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Regrets that EuroparlTV cannot be considered to be a success story in view of its very low number of direct individual users (excluding viewers through partnership agreements with regional TVs) in spite of the considerable financing that it received in 2010, amounting to some EUR 9 000 000 (item 3 2 4 6); welcomes the efforts made to reduce this budget by 14 % (to EUR 8 000 000) in 2011 and in the subsequent years; calls however for a cost- benefit evaluation of Europarl TVbelieves that the time has come to admit that this project has not met expectations and that the resources would be better deployed elsewhere; proposes that the Parliament should focus on using the independent media;
Amendment 95 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Notes that the costs relating to the LUX Prize in 2010 were EUR 380 666,18; is concerned that the costs rose for the event in 2011 to EUR 573 722,08 (by over 50 %) and looks forward to a sharp reverse in this trend from 2012 onwards; specifically requests that the following activities be curtailed in order to contain costs: - expensive internal promotion within the buildings of Parliament, - promotional activities at international film festivals, - the large expenditure associated with the costs of organising 'mini-LUX' events in the Member States;
Amendment 98 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45a. Notes the expenditure of the prizes for the period 2009-11: 2009 2010 2011 Journalists prize €105 000 €118 059 €154 205 Sakharov Prize €300 000 €645 542 €652 348 Charlemagne Youth €24 000 €34 000 €35 000 Prize LUX prize €320 000 €380 666 €573 722 Totals: €749 000 €1 178 267 €1 415 276
Amendment 99 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 b (new)
Paragraph 45 b (new)
45b. Believes that the 89 % increase in the expenditure on the prizes between 2009 and 2011 used funds that could have been better deployed elsewhere; calls for future expenditure on prizes to be brought back down to the levels of 2009;
Amendment 100 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 c (new)
Paragraph 45 c (new)
45c. Calls on the Bureau to cancel the LUX prize on the grounds that Parliament is a political not a cultural institution and so is not an appropriate body to judge creative activities such as art, books, music, or films;
Amendment 105 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)
Paragraph 47 c (new)
47c. Believes that there is an inherent contradiction between having a highly centralised communications strategy and budget as well as a large expenditure on the buildings and staff of the information offices in the Member States; proposes consideration be given to two options to end this contradiction: 1) a substantial reduction in the number/costs of the information offices; or 2) a substantial decentralisation of the communications budget to the information offices, under the supervision of a cross-party panel of local members in each Member State, in order to be well adapted to the diverse information needs of the public and to be more closely in touch with the national political and media situation;
Amendment 106 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Notes the opening in April 2010 of the EP Liaison Office (EPLO) in Washington and the system of one-year missions for four officials put in place in October 2010; observes that, although the creation of the Washington Office has not entailed the creation of any new posts, other costs have inevitably been incurred; calls for a review of its structure, activities and costs to be presented to the Bureau with copies to the relevant competent committees;
Amendment 109 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51a. Notes that staff numbers have increased dramatically over recent years; calls for staff numbers to be immediately frozen at their current levels and subsequently reviewed to identify where reductions can be made;
Amendment 111 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Points to the difficulties in recruiting officials or agents from certain Member States such as Germany, the UK, Austria or the Netherlands for which the proportion of staff in Parliament's Secretariat is significantly lower than the ‘demographic weight’ of the given country within the Union and observes the relatively high numbers of staff of holding the nationality of Belgium (13,6 %) or Luxemburg (2,3 %), as a result of the working places of Parliament; asks the Bureau to review recruitment procedures and requirements to ascertain what part they may play in creating difficulties to recruit staff from these Member States;
Amendment 114 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Notes that, in 2010, there were 33 200 missions (official trips) representing a total of 98 629 mission days, most of them involving travel between Parliament's three places of work; reiterates the need to avoid unnecessary missions between the three working places and the costs they entail with more systematic and documentary justifications and better monitoring; requests that the Secretary General report, as part of the discharge procedure, on any savings made as a result of further rationalisation; asks the Secretary-General specifically to review the posts based outside of Brussels, particularly for those staff members who undertake repeated missions to Brussels, to ascertain if they need to be relocated; suggests that the agreement with the Luxembourg authorities, which fixes the number of Parliament staff based in Luxembourg without regard to any evolving needs of Parliament, may need to be revised;
Amendment 122 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
Paragraph 57 a (new)
57a. Notes that the European Council, whilst justifiably calling for austerity on the part of Parliament, continues to deny it the opportunity to make the considerable savings that would arise from ceasing to hold meetings in Strasbourg;
Amendment 123 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63 a (new)
Paragraph 63 a (new)
63a. Notes that the property portfolio of Parliament has substantially increased over recent years; insists that no additional buildings be purchased or leased during the next multiannual financial framework period;
Amendment 127 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 c (new)
Paragraph 64 c (new)
64c. Notes the decision to purchase the Trebel building which will become available in 2017; proposes however that no further building(s) be leased to substitute for this building during the redevelopment project even if this means that refurbishments and non-urgent maintenance on existing buildings must be delayed until its completion;
Amendment 130 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 f (new)
Paragraph 64 f (new)
64f. Reiterates its call for more diverse catering options within the buildings of Parliament by ceasing to offer a monopoly to a single catering provider when current contracts reach the end of their term;
Amendment 138 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Notes that final appropriations for the Travel Agency amounted to EUR 1 438 000 in 2010, with a high commitment rate (94 %); further notes that it obtains negotiated prices from airlines, which means that there is an average price for the best service; stresses however that this does not mean that, for a specific day or journey, it is not possible to get better prices by booking directly with travel operators; calls on the existing travel agent contractor to make better efforts to ensure that the cheapest options are always proposed to Members and staff; further calls on the appropriate directorate to monitor service levels provided by the Travel Agency and whether this represents value for money and to report back to the appropriate parliamentary committee by the end of 2012;
Amendment 140 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Believes that Parliament should cease awarding monopolistic contracts wherever possible and that reduced costs and a better service for Members and staff would result from having more than one travel agency at their disposal;
Amendment 150 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Notes the Bureau decisions of 17 June 2009 and of 18 October 2010 to extend the areas with wireless network access (Wi-Fi) in Parliament covering the Chamber, committee rooms, Members' offices and public spaces both in Brussels and Strasbourg but expresses concern at the high cost of this project (1st phase of the project: EUR 7 878 000);
Amendment 166 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 c (new)
Paragraph 87 c (new)
87c. Calls on the Conference of Presidents to schedule a debate on Parliament's discharge at a different time than the debate on the other discharge reports in order to give Members the opportunity to give it the exclusive attention the discharge of their own institution deserves;
Amendment 167 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 d (new)
Paragraph 87 d (new)
87d. Suggests to the Bureau that it should put on its agenda a discussion on the discharge resolution following its adoption by plenary;
Amendment 168 #
2011/2202(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 e (new)
Paragraph 87 e (new)
87e. Reiterates its call for the Bureau to issue 'green papers' to all Members on key policy areas regarding matters within its competence before taking any definitive decisions in order to stimulate a wider debate within political groups and the house as a whole;
Amendment 2 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ......Postpones the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ......Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 11 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ......Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 16 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. .......Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 21 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. .......Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 26 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ......Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 31 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ......Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 35 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 8
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ......Postpones its decision on the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2010;
Amendment 62 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Insists the Commission take a position of zero tolerance in all cases of mismanagement and incompetence;
Amendment 63 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls for the Commission to take immediate action when any problems of mismanagement and incompetence are discovered including the full and unhesitating use of the sanctions available including payment interruptions and suspensions;
Amendment 134 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
New subheading after "Specific issues" heading
New subheading after "Specific issues" heading
The role of the Commissioner responsible for budgetary control issues
Amendment 135 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph - 64 a (new)
Paragraph - 64 a (new)
Amendment 144 #
Amendment 145 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 f (new)
Paragraph 72 f (new)
72f. Emphasises the vital role transparency plays in ensuring accountability for the use of public funds; Reiterates its call for all grant payments from Union funds to be recorded in a user-friendly online database; believes that the payment of Union funds should be explicitly conditional on the acceptance by the beneficiaries that the basic details - including the amount, recipient's name, and purpose - be a matter of public record;
Amendment 146 #
Amendment 147 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 g (new)
Paragraph 72 g (new)
72g. Requests that the Commission submit to Parliament's competent committee by September 2012 a report on its activities to promote whistle-blowing both amongst its staff and the wider public;
Amendment 148 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 h (new)
Paragraph 72 h (new)
72h. Reiterates its call for the Commission to review the briefing and training given to staff regarding 'Title II: Rights and Obligations of officials' of the Staff Regulation so as to ensure that all staff are fully conversant with its terms and particularly with the obligations under Article 22a of the Staff Regulations;
Amendment 161 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Believes that payments are resumed too quickly and calls on the Commission to make this power of sanction more effective by only resumeing payments only ifwhen sufficient appropriate audit evidence gathered on the spot proves that weaknesses were remedied;
Amendment 171 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 – indent 3 a (new)
Paragraph 88 – indent 3 a (new)
- ensuring that a full range of sanctions (interruptions, suspensions, financial corrections, and penalties) are available for all funds with minimal scope for discretion when breaches of the rules are discovered;
Amendment 211 #
2011/2201(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
Oa. Deplores the fact that the Court of Auditors has yet again been unable to give a positive Statement of Assurance regarding the legality and regularity of the implementation of the budget;
Amendment 28 #
2011/0454(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation complies with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. The Hercule III programme facilitates cooperation between the Member States and between the Commission and the Member States in order to protect the financial interests of the Union, without however impinging on Member States‘ responsibilities, and using resources more efficiently than could be done at national level. Action at EU level is necessary and justified as it clearly assists Member States collectively to protect the EU and national budgets and encourages the use of common EU structures to increase cooperation and information exchange between competent authorities.The Programme must not however impinge on Member States' responsibilities.
Amendment 41 #
2011/0454(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a – indent 2
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a – indent 2
– ensuring the necessary support and facilitating investigations, in particular the setting up of joint investigation teams and cross border operations, whilst respecting the distinct traditions of each Member State;
Amendment 45 #
2011/0454(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 2
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 2
– exchanging experience and best practices between the relevant authorities in the Member States, and third countries as referred to in Article 6(2) as well as representatives of international organisations as mentioned in Article 6 (3), including specialised law enforcement services;
Amendment 218 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) On the basis of the Common Strategic Framework adopted by the Commission, each Member State should prepare, in cooperation with its partners, as stipulated by Art. 5, and in dialogue with the Commission, a Partnership Contract. The Partnership Contract should translate the elements set out in the Common Strategic Framework into the national context and set out firm commitments to the achievement of Union objectives through the programming of the CSF Funds.
Amendment 391 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Part 2 – article 4 – paragraph 7
Part 2 – article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The part of the Union budget allocated to the CSF Funds shall be implemented within the framework of shared management between the Member States and the Commission, in accordance with Article 53(b) of the Financial Regulation, with the exception of the amount of the CF transferred to the Connecting Europe Facility referred to in Article 84(4) and innovative actions at the initiative of the Commission under Article 9 of the ERDF Regulation, and technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission.
Amendment 552 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Part 2 – article 13 – paragraph 1
Part 2 – article 13 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall, in compliance with Art. 5, prepare a Partnership Contract for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020.
Amendment 1292 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Part 3 – article 84 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Part 3 – article 84 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 61 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) In order to address the specific needs of the ERDF, and in line with the Europe 2020 strategy12 that cohesion policy should support the need to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, it is necessary to set out within each thematic objective laid down in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR] the ERDF-specific actions as ‘investment priorities’. This list of investment priorities should not be interpreted as rules of eligibility but as areas where the focus of support should be directed, thus setting the objectives of the ERDF at a more specific level.
Amendment 319 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The ERDF shall supportfocus its assistance on the following investment priorities within the thematic objectives set out in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]:
Amendment 44 #
2011/0274(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – point a – introductory part
Article 3 – point a – introductory part
(a) supporting the shift towards a low- carbemission economy in all sectors by:
Amendment 209 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
(iv) promoting legal and administrative cooperation and diverse cooperation between citizens and institutions, including necessary infrastructure (within the thematic objective of enhancing institutional capacity and an efficient public administration);
Amendment 327 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 13 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) where appropriate, progress in implementation of actions to reinforce the capacity of authorities and beneficiaries to administer and to use the ERDF;
Amendment 62 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Efficient and effective implementation of actions supported by the ESF depends on good governance and partnership between all relevant territorial and socio- economic actors, in particular local and regional authorities, the social partners and non-governmental organisations. It is therefore necessary that Member States encourage the participation of social partners and non-governmental organisations in the implementation of the ESF.
Amendment 214 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. The involvement of the relevant public authorities, social partners and other stakeholders, in particular non- governmental organisations, in the implementation of operational programmes, as referred to in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No […], may take the form of global grants as defined in Article 113(7) of Regulation (EU) No […]. In such a case, the operational programme shall identify the part of the programme concerned by the global grant, including an indicative financial allocation from each priority axis to it.
Amendment 22 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading -1 (new) (under heading "Main remaining challenges")
Subheading -1 (new) (under heading "Main remaining challenges")
Cost control
Amendment 23 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Insists that, in a time of austerity, Parliament must lead by example, by controlling its costs and by carefully managing its resources; request specifically that funds for any additional expenditure that is required for enlargement of the Union or to respond to changing priorities be found by making savings elsewhere;
Amendment 83 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Notes that Article 12(9) of the Parliament's Internal Rules for the implementation of the budget, adopted on 27 April 2005, provide that the Internal Auditor's area of competence does not include the appropriations from Parliament's budget managed by political groups; further notes that the specific rules on the use of those appropriations require each political group to establish its own internal financial rules and to implement an internal control system but no mention is made of the internal audit function;
Amendment 84 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Observes that only the rules of one out of seven political groups provide for the appointment of an internal auditor; agrees with the Court of Auditors that the functional independence of groups does not justify the non-application of regulatory provisions on the inStresses that all political groups have to have a yearly external audit and have to present an external audit functioncertificate;
Amendment 85 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Stresses that it is the responsibility of the political groups to put in place their internal auditcontrol system and that this should not be the responsibility of Parliament's Internal Auditor and calls on the Bureau to integrate, as a matter of priority, this obligation in the rules following after consulting the political groupsconsult the political groups on how further audit provisions can be developed;
Amendment 120 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 a (new)
Paragraph 69 a (new)
69a. Believes the Parliament, as a public institution, is not competent to judge the artistic merit of film productions; insists the LUX prize be discontinued in 2011;
Amendment 121 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 b (new)
Paragraph 69 b (new)
Amendment 122 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 c (new)
Paragraph 69 c (new)
69c. Opposes attempts to expand the prize by organising events in the member states which would imply substantially increased costs relating to publicity and promotion, venues and translation;
Amendment 135 #
2010/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 a (new)
Paragraph 78 a (new)
78a. Believes that, with such a wide variety of locations available within the buildings of Parliament for canteens, bars, and retail space, a variety of competitive catering outlets, including established high street brands (coffee shops, sandwich outlets, restaurants, and so forth),could, if allowed to establish themselves inside Parliament, offer a better service to staff; calls for a plan to be prepared to indicate how the different catering facilities, could be offered for tender separately when current contractual arrangements come to an end;
Amendment 49 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that in the present understanding of ‘shared management’ most of the management functions are carried out by national bodies not directly accountable at Union level and over which the Commission has no authority; insists that this does not absolve the Commission of its responsibility for the implementation of the budget but, on the contrary, requires it to take a hard line with any Member States not fulfilling their responsibilities under shared management;
Amendment 71 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls its repeated invitations to the Commission to present a proposal for the introduction of mandatory national management declarations (NMDs) issued and signed at ministerial level and duly audited by an independent auditor so as far as such declarations are a necessary and indispensable first step to improve the efficiency of national systems and to enhance national accountability for the use of Union money; reiterates1 that for Member States with federal systems or substantial decentralisation such national declarations could take the form, in whole or in part, of a collation of regional declarations , provided that each component declaration has been audited and signed by an elected political office- holder; __________________ 1 For example paragraphs 23 and 24 of the European Parliament decision of 24 April 2007 on the discharge for implementation of the European Union general budget for the financial year 2005, Section III – Commission (OJ L 187, 15.7.2008, p. 23).
Amendment 81 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Further notes the important difference between 'recovery' (sums incorrectly received are repaid by the recipient) and 'financial correction' (addressing weaknesses in the system the financial consequences of which are borne by the national taxpayer); emphasises that the 'financial correction' mechanism should not be used as an easy way of avoiding the use of a 'recovery' procedure and that whenever possible a 'recovery' procedure should be pursued to ensure that those who have benefitted from sums paid 'incorrectly' do not retain such funds;
Amendment 106 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Invites the Commission to publish in the Synthesis Report an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of individual Member States' management and control systems on the basis of the audit work it already performs as well as other relevant available information and to establish a ‘scoreboard’ on the quality of controls per Member State and policy area according to the following matrix model:
Amendment 114 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. reiterates its call for the Court of Auditors to work with Member-State authorities to develop a matrix system of control in line with its resolution of 27 April 20061; suggests that the Court of Auditors conduct a number of 'matrix audits' annually on the same basis as the matrix scoreboard so that the control systems for a given policy area overall and of each Member State in respect of that policy area can be judged; further suggests that such 'matrix audits' be repeated periodically so progress can be clearly and authoritatively assessed; 1 Paragraph 24 of the European Parliament resolution with comments forming an integral part of the decision on the discharge for implementation of the European Union general budget for the financial year 2004, Section III – Commission.
Amendment 123 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Believes that control systems cannot aim at zero risk in all spending areas, not only because it would be extremely expensive, but also because it is unlikely that zero risk in all spending areas will ever be achieved; accepts that a certain risk of error will always exist when implementing Union spending programmes; emphasises that tolerating risk is not the same as tolerating error and reaffirms that the Commission must pursue a zero-tolerance approach to all cases of mismanagement and fraud;
Amendment 145 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Recalls the opinion expressed in its resolution of 27 April 2006 that called for "national audit bodies to assume responsibility for controlling the local use of EU funds, so as to make any consideration of establishing national offices of the Court of Auditors unnecessary"; believes that if national audit bodies are not willing for public bodies within their Member States to take over the control of expenditure from the Union budget, that consideration should be given to reorganising the Court of Auditors so that some of its members have responsibility for defined policy areas whilst others have responsibility for groups of Member States; notes that as the number of members of the Court of Auditors has virtually doubled in recent years, whilst the number of policy areas has not, this should be within the capacity of the Court of Auditors to manage;
Amendment 150 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 c (new)
Paragraph 45 c (new)
45c. Reiterates its belief that transparency is one of the main instruments in achieving 'legal and regular' expenditure; believes that the objective should be the creation of a single, comprehensive, multilingual online system which can be accessed easily by any individual and would therefore allow the public to have easy access to full and complete information about the expenditure of the Union by budget line and by beneficiary; calls therefore on the Commission to publish online details of all items of Union expenditure above a de minimis threshold and to pursue the establishment of a user-friendly online system recording all beneficiaries;
Amendment 156 #
Amendment 157 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 f (new)
Paragraph 45 f (new)
45f. Emphasises that for the public to have confidence in the Union budget, three objectives must be pursued: - that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' of the financial position of the Union, - that all expenditure is 'legal and regular' and receives a positive statement of assurance from the Court of Auditors, - that all expenditure delivers the outcomes for which it was intended, and notes that even if the first two objectives are secured, considerable resources could still in fact be wasted unless sufficient attention is also given to the third;
Amendment 158 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 g (new)
Paragraph 45 g (new)
45g. calls on the Commission to review its systems for evaluating the effectiveness of expenditure programmes to assess whether they are adding value, delivering value for money, and achieving the objectives for which they were established; insists that such evaluations should be both conducted and then assessed independently; calls therefore for independent evaluations to be submitted to Parliament and its relevant committees for scrutiny;
Amendment 159 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 h (new)
Paragraph 45 h (new)
45h. calls on the Commission to investigate the creation of an independent central evaluations office, perhaps within or alongside the IAS and reporting to the Commissioner responsible for budgetary control affairs, to manage all programme evaluations to ensure that they are commissioned and conducted independently of the Directorates-General concerned and can therefore provide impartial analysis and assessment of the expenditure programmes of the Union; suggests that consideration could be given to asking such an office to also oversee the commissioning of impact assessments to ensure they are independent, of a high quality, and undertaken systematically so as to provide assurance both pre- and post-legislation;
Amendment 162 #
Amendment 163 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Calls on the Commission to review the briefing and training given to staff regarding 'Title II: Rights and Obligations of officials' of the Staff Regulations so as to ensure that all staff are fully conversant with its terms and particularly with the obligations under Article 22a(96); asks that the Commission provide details to Parliament's competent committee of the work undertaken in this area;
Amendment 168 #
2010/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Notes that, since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the Ordinary Legislative Procedure applies to the Staff Regulations; invites the Commission to modernise the staff Regulations and to adapt the working conditions for the institutions' staff in such a way that Union's institutions will continue to be attractive places to work and pursue a career in; is worried that the number of candidates from certain Member States has already decreased dramatically and believes that possibilities for personal and professional development shall play a major role in this modernisation process; suggests that the language competences required of applicants be reviewed to ensure that they match the real needs of the institutions and do not exclude candidates who in all respects would be effective officials but who may be deterred by unnecessarily stringent conditions;
Amendment 34 #
2010/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a new
Paragraph 14 a new
14 a. Stresses that transport is an essential element of the European economy, enabling the mobility of persons, goods and knowledge across borders; underlines that transport is a vector of equality and social mobility, for young people in particular, since it opens up opportunities and improves exchanges in the field of knowledge and training;
Amendment 55 #
2010/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines that the priorities for 2011, in view of the EU 2020 strategy, will be financed mainly from this heading, and that the Lisbon Treaty's extension of EU competences (for example in space policy and tourism) is likely to have budgetary implications;
Amendment 56 #
2010/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a new
Paragraph 25 a new
25a. Refers to Title XII, Article 195 on 'Tourism' of the Treaty of Lisbon, and demands that full and close attention should be paid to the promotion and networking of cross-border sustainable tourism initiatives that contribute to soft mobility, climate protection and the creation of a favourable environment for the development of small and medium enterprises;
Amendment 60 #
2010/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a new
Paragraph 26 a new
26a. Recalls that, in the context of Europe's economic recovery, investment in transport particularly via investment in the TEN-Ts, has a crucial role to play in driving forward growth and employment as well as in advancing Europe's economic and environmental interests;
Amendment 61 #
2010/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b new
Paragraph 26 b new
26b. Attaches high importance to transport safety in all modes and considers, particularly after the recent tragic railway accidents and the continuing high level of road fatalities, that the EU should boost co-funding efforts within the TEN-Ts and other financing instruments for improving safety systems;
Amendment 1 #
2009/2070(DEC)
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ________Grants the Council’s Secretary- General discharge in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2008;
Amendment 2 #
2009/2070(DEC)
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ________Postpones its decision on granting the Council’s Secretary- General discharge in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2008;
Amendment 10 #
2009/2070(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets that, unlike other institutions, the Council does not submit an annual activity report to Parliament, referring, again, to the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1970, as well as to the absence of any corresponding requirement in the Financial Regulation; reiterates its call on the Council, in order to be more accountable to the general public and taxpayers1, to reconsider the practice and to publish the Council’s activity report and transmit it to Parliament, as suggested in Parliament’s resolution of 19 February 2008 on transparency in financial matters (paragraphs 44 and 45)2;
Amendment 12 #
2009/2070(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reminds the Council of its resolution of 25 November 20091, which requires it to verify progress on the following matters: - the closing of all the Council’s extra- budgetary accounts in accordance with the recommendations of the Council’s internal auditor, - the improvement of the verification of invoices following the recommendations of the Council’s internal auditor, - the publication of all administrative decisions when they are used as the legal basis for budget items, - 1 competent committee of the Council’s annual activity report, required to be drawn up under Article 60(7) of the Financial Regulation, in accordance with the practice now adopted by all other institutions, - a full explanation of the need to transfer money from one item to another within the Council’s budget, - the provision ofAcknowledges that the Council met its requests for a meeting between the Chairman, the rapporteur and the coordinators of Parliament’s responsible committee with representatives of the Spanish Presidency and of the General Secretariat of the Council to discuss the Council’s budget implementation for 2008, provided written answers to relevantthe questions asked by Parliament’s competent committee and its rapporteur, the availability and willingness of the Council to provide an oral explanation to Parliaput forward in its resolution of 25 November 20091 and published the relevant document’s competent committee, on the basis of these written answers, should they require further clarification;on the Council’s website; the transmission to Parliament and its P7_TA(2009)0085._
Amendment 13 #
2009/2070(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 - introductory part
Paragraph 11 - introductory part
11. RemindsCalls on the Council of its resolution of 25 November 20091, which requires it to verify progress on the following mattersto report on the progress on the questions put forward in its resolution of 25 November 20091, in particular:
Amendment 23 #
2009/2070(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its Resolution of 25 November 2009 with observations forming an integral part of the Decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the European Union general budget for the financial year 2007, Section II – Council1,