Activities of Søren Bo SØNDERGAARD related to 2012/2167(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2011, Section III – Commission and executive agencies PDF (698 KB) DOC (568 KB)
Amendments (44)
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Regrets that the Council continues to refuse to cooperate with Parliament with regards to the Council discharge; believes that this leaves the competent Committee on Budgetary Control with very few instruments and that eventually the Committee is forced to introduce to the Commission its questions and requests for information about the budget of the Council;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading after paragraph 39 (new)
Subheading after paragraph 39 (new)
The Commission as part of the Troika
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Notes with concern the participation of the Commission, together with the IMF and ECB, in the so-called Troika in designing and supervision of the adjustment programs for the European deficit countries;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 b (new)
Paragraph 39 b (new)
39b. Believes it to be deeply undemocratic that the Commission assumes ever greater powers to control national budgets, without any serious oversight by Parliament;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 c (new)
Paragraph 39 c (new)
39c. Points out that the targets of the adjustment programs are unrealistic since they underestimate the implications of the deepening recession especially in Greece where the estimated public deficit will not fall below 3 % of GDP until 2020, while the public debt will reach 186 % of GDP in 2013 and 152 % in 2020 and the reasons offered for these divergences are the 'longer and more severe recession' than expected because the GDP has declined by more than 10 % since the start of the programme and it will continue to decline; notes furthermore that the policy recommendations remain unchanged and in the meantime unemployment has risen from 8,3 % of the labour force in 2007 to nearly 17 % in 2011 and more than 26 % in 2012;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 d (new)
Paragraph 39 d (new)
39d. Is highly concerned that Commissions' austerity policies are also blighting the lives of millions of Europeans, most especially in the Southern and Eastern countries of the periphery; notes that the official unemployment rate in 2011 was in Greece 17,7 % and in Spain 21,7 %; is highly concerned about the increase of the rates in 2012 in Spain to 26,1 % and in Greece to 26,8 % while the youth unemployment rate for the EU was 22,7 % in Spain and Greece it was over 50 %; therefore urgently invites the Commission to change its politics by giving up their austerity orientation in order to fight unemployment;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 e (new)
Paragraph 39 e (new)
39e. Strongly criticises that Commission’s policy on austerity has focussed on expenditure cuts and privatisations resulting in the postponement or cancellation of infrastructure projects as well as reductions in recurrent expenditure in healthcare, education, social provision and welfare benefits; therefore public employment has been reduced significantly in many countries and, due to the recession and the impact of austerity policies, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of the population at risk of poverty; deplores that the poorest sectors have been hit worst but, in the crisis stricken countries, many middle-class citizens have also been affected;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 f (new)
Paragraph 39 f (new)
39f. Notes that historically, social policies in Europe have been provided by managing or removing the market in the provision of services, through food subsidies or the free provision of health services and certain levels of education; deplores that now the de-commodification of public services is being reversed through the introduction of vouchers and user fees for health and education services;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 g (new)
Paragraph 39 g (new)
39g. Criticises that the Commission advocates with their adjustments programs the flexibility of labour markets, pay freezes, cuts in pensions and increased retirement ages, together with an easing of restrictions on layoffs and limits on unemployment benefits; is of the opinion that all these represent a further weakening of the provisions of Europe's vaunted social model;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 h (new)
Paragraph 39 h (new)
39h. Notes with concern the pressure currently exerted by the Troika on Cyprus, Greece and Sweden to privatise the water sector. Recalls that recent water privatisation policies in the United Kingdom and Portugal show that privatisation generally lead to cost increases, rather than cost reductions; is concerned about the potential risks for public health of this development; therefore urges the Troika to reconsider their policies and not to demand the privatisation of the water sector;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. WelcomNotes the entrycoming into force of the European Stability Mechanism but reiterates its warning against the setting-up of that Mechanism outside the Union's institutional framework as this precludes any actual democratic and budgetary control by the institutions of the Union;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 a (new)
Paragraph 67 a (new)
67a. Notes that both the EFSF and the ESM benefit from the service of prominent Union institutions, such as the Commission and the ECB, whilst their respective relationship do not find a sufficient legal basis and control of the institutions according to the procedure laid down in the TFEU; underlines that the creation outside the institutions of the Union represents a setback from the evolution of the Union, essentially at the expense of Parliament, the Court of Auditors and the Court of Justice;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 b (new)
Paragraph 67 b (new)
67b. Criticizes the fact that ESM Treaty lacks sufficient provisions for ensuring effective external audit; regrets that in Article 24 (Board of Auditors) of the by- laws of the Treaty only one member can be nominated by the Court of Auditors while two members upon the proposal of the Chairperson;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 c (new)
Paragraph 67 c (new)
67c. Is worried about news that the German Government is going to claim a permanent seat for a German member from the Federal Court of Auditors in the Board of Auditors of the ESM1;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 d (new)
Paragraph 67 d (new)
67d. Is concerned by the regulation of paragraph 6 of Article 24 of the by-laws of the Treaty with the agreed procedure only to inform Parliament by sending the annual report of the Board of Auditors to Parliament; underlines the right of Parliament to have a debate on the annual report with the Board of Auditors in presence of the Board of Governors of the ESM;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 a (new)
Paragraph 124 a (new)
124a. Is concerned about the fact that regional policy has focussed on the regional and urban level, but this is to the detriment of the national level, which is often more appropriate for promoting development;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 b (new)
Paragraph 124 b (new)
124b. Is of the opinion that the full use of resources requires more democratic participation and not elite planning;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 c (new)
Paragraph 124 c (new)
124c. Is concerned that the 'Smart Specialisation' proposed by the Union whereby every region should be a world leader in some area cannot work as there are not sufficient products to go round and over-specialisation is likely;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 d (new)
Paragraph 124 d (new)
124d. Considers intra-regional trade important and underlines the position that there should be greater attention to promoting more ecologically sustainable forms of production by using local resources for local consumption, for example in the case of food or energy generation;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 e (new)
Paragraph 124 e (new)
124e. Underlines the loud call from journalists and Union officials alike for uniformity in gathering, cataloguing, archiving and reporting of data of the regional policy, to be mandated by the Union institutions and sanctioned for non-compliance;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 f (new)
Paragraph 124 f (new)
124f. Is of the opinion that in line with the Lisbon Treaty investigative journalism needs a clear definition and broad interpretation of what constitutes a document; is of the opinion that a swift implementation of workable FOI (Freedom of Information) laws across the Union is imperative, as is the systematic, proactive and centralised disclosure of data and documents, especially in relation to regional policy;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading after paragraph 124 f (new)
Subheading after paragraph 124 f (new)
Greece
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 g (new)
Paragraph 124 g (new)
124g. Is concerned by criticism of the effectiveness of Regional Policy in Greece, e.g. by the former Greek Minister of Economic Affairs Mr Michaelis Chrysochoidis, including in 2011 when he mentioned that the regional funds in Greece were primarily spent for consumption instead of being invested in advanced and competitive technologies; calls on the Commission to maintain close contacts with critics in order to scrutinise Greece's regional policy and, if necessary, to correct it;1
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124 h (new)
Paragraph 124 h (new)
124h. Notes that one of the important reasons for the current debt problems of Greece can be found in large infrastructure projects of the country that were co-financed by the Union, especially the so called "Megala Erga" projects; notes that the construction of the new Athens airport and of new tramways, railways, highways and the bridge connecting the Peleponnes to central Greece, resulted in high costs and had put pressure on the national budget;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading after paragraph 130 (new)
Subheading after paragraph 130 (new)
Italy
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 130 a (new)
Paragraph 130 a (new)
130a. Is concerned by the fact that the Autostrada 3 in Calabria/Italy for which the Union has paid a huge amount from regional funds, is already under construction since 1997 and has not yet been finished;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 130 b (new)
Paragraph 130 b (new)
130b. Is the concerned by the fact that the first section of the highway was extremely costly in comparison with other highway reconstructions in other parts of Europe and that the price per kilometre was about EUR 848 000 in Calabria, which is ten times higher than usual;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 130 c (new)
Paragraph 130 c (new)
130c. Is deeply worried that apparently some of the enterprises involved in the reconstruction work were bribed by mafia clans for giving up their engagements 1;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading after paragraph 136 (new)
Subheading after paragraph 136 (new)
The European Union Solidarity Fund
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 136 b (new)
Paragraph 136 b (new)
136b. Notes with concern the executive summary of the Special Report No 24/2012 of the Court of Auditors on the European Union Solidarity Fund's response to the 2009 Abruzzo earthquake in which the Court of Auditors criticizes that the CASE project ("Complessi Antisismici Sostenibili Ecocompatibili", seismically isolated and environmentally sustainable housing) did not comply with the objectives of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF);
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 136 c (new)
Paragraph 136 c (new)
136c. Criticises the fact that EUSF grants were used for the CASE project which did not meet the target of accommodation all the affected people before the winter; criticizes, like the Court of Auditors, that the CASE apartments were clearly more expensive than apartments on the market and that additional cost had been avoided if more bidders had participated in tenders and more attention had been paid to economy when evaluating the bids; takes very seriously the reports about the involvement of the mafia and about an alleged connection between the high costs and the mafia;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 136 d (new)
Paragraph 136 d (new)
136d. Underlines the recommendations of the Court of Auditors in its Special Report No 24/2012 that the Commission should clarify the provisions of the Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 in the light of the Aquila case in order to guarantee that the EUSF grants are used in accordance with the principles of sound financial management in future; demands that the Commission shall re-analyse the application for the assistance by the Italian authorities in the light of the eligible criteria in the Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002; calls the Commission to scrutinize the possibility of the reimbursement of the expected revenue of the CASE project to the Union budget; is still waiting for Commission's internal audit on Aquila's earth quake report;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading after paragraph 156 d (new)
Subheading after paragraph 156 d (new)
Eurobarometer
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156 e (new)
Paragraph 156 e (new)
156e. Is concerned about the criticisms, much voiced in scientific publications, of Eurobarometer’s survey methods and calls on the Commission to give a detailed opinion of these;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156 f (new)
Paragraph 156 f (new)
156f. Is critical of the fact that Eurobarometer strategically manipulates results in its surveys by means of suggestive questions, a lack of choice of possible answers and an above-average number of positive answer categories;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156 g (new)
Paragraph 156 g (new)
156g. Is concerned that results obtained in this way might suggest a positive approach to integration which does not in fact exist among EU citizens and that the Commission is thereby deceiving itself, the other EU institutions and the public over the actual desire for integration among the inhabitants of the Member States;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156 h (new)
Paragraph 156 h (new)
156h. Calls on the Commission to arrange for future Eurobarometer surveys to be carried out by a neutral organisation which is independent of the EU institutions, as experience shows that there is often scope for manipulation when a survey involves an identity of object and subject, thus providing an opportunity to put public opinion research to the service of achieving political objectives;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading after paragraph 159 (new)
Subheading after paragraph 159 (new)
Galileo
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 a (new)
Paragraph 159 a (new)
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 b (new)
Paragraph 159 b (new)
159b. Is worried about the Commission's mid-term review of the project from 2011 which said that EUR 3,4 billion would be not enough to complete the infrastructure resulting from the Galileo programme, owing to the increased cost of the development phase, the increased prices of launchers, the lack of competition for the award of some packages;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 c (new)
Paragraph 159 c (new)
159c. Is concerned about reports that the real operating costs of the Galileo system will be much higher than estimated by the Commission which means that it would be necessary to subsidize the project to the tune of EUR 750 million per year;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 d (new)
Paragraph 159 d (new)
159d. Notes that in 2007 the Union stepped in the project after a consortium of eight European companies withdrew their investment for fear that the project's cost would spiral out of control and the revenues would be lower than originally envisaged; is concerned that the now expected revenues of the navigation system will be lower than expected in 2007;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 e (new)
Paragraph 159 e (new)
159e. Notes that in context of the skyrocketing costs of Galileo there are increasing doubts on the sense of this system; notes that even the former CEO of a German company, which has a contract to build 14 satellites for the Galileo global positioning system, was quoted in a diplomatic cable exposed by Wikileaks as calling Galileo a "stupid idea that primarily serves French interests", and a waste of taxpayers' money;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 173 a (new)
Paragraph 173 a (new)
173a. Notes with concern the finding of the Court of Auditors that in 15 out of 28 audited cases, the information available in the Office for Administration and Payment of Individual entitlements (PMO) on the personal and family situation of the staff members was not up to date; recommends to the Commission to follow up the recommendation of the Court of Auditors to request staff to deliver at appropriate intervals documents confirming their personal situation and that it implements a system for the timely monitoring of these documents.