11 Amendments of Raffaele FITTO related to 2018/2176(DEC)
Amendment 2 #
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 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of public diplomacy and strategic communications as an integral aspect of the EU's external relations, as an instrument to communicate its values and interests and to enhance the EU’s visibility; recalls that the procedures undertaken by the European External Action Service must necessarily support and complement those of the Member States; calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) to continue its efforts to modernise its approaches and to invest in new skills and capabilities;
Amendment 4 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of continuing to improve the rationalisation, transparency and sound financial management, together with a better budgeting of the expenditure for individual EU election observation missions; asks the EEAS to engage in a reflection to reform the current system;
Amendment 12 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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;