13 Amendments of Raffaele FITTO related to 2020/2140(DEC)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that more than half of EU expenditure in 2019 may be considered as high-risk, including reimbursement-based payments for investments in the areas of cohesion and rural development; notes that the increase in the estimated rate of material error from 4,5 % in 2018 to 4,9 % in 2019 can result in auditors giving an adverse opinion on EU expenditurthe estimated error rate for the section 'Cohesion' drops from 5% (for 2018) to 4.4%, which is in line with the downward trend of the error rate in this area (in 2015 and 2016 it was 5.2% and 4.8% respectively); recalls that for the 2000-2006 programming period, this section of the EU budget recorded a double digit error rate;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Is of the opinion that the level of error estimated by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) for 2019 expenditure in this area should be assessed in the context of the multiannual nature of the programmes, in which case further corrections are exercised at a later stage which would lead to a significant reduction of the risk at the programme closure;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Addresses the European Court of Auditors with a request to produce a report with an estimated error rate after the closure of the 2007-2013 Cohesion Policy programmes;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the main reasons for this error rate are project ineligibility, infringement of internal market rules, and ineligible expenditure; recalls that these areas have high inherent risk of error and that checks by managing authorities and audit institutions are not always effective;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes efforts to simplify requirements to be made of project managers and management authorities in the Member States under the 2021-2027 programming period of the Common Provisions Regulation; however, as also noted by the European Court of Auditors, a number of provisions lack clarity as to their implementation and many procedures risk being complex depending on the rules of the different Member States. To this end, the Commission is invited, in a structured dialogue with Member States, to analyse administrative practices and procedures at Member State level in order to eliminate inefficiencies and to disseminate examples of effective administrative practices and procedures to all competent authorities of the Member States;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Shares the Court's conclusions stating that the change in the rules for the implementation of ESI Funds (Cohesion Policy and Agriculture / Fisheries), due to the crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic, should further accelerate the implementation process;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concern that, at the end of the sixth year of implementation, absorption rates for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF) are 6,6% lower than at the same stage in the previous programming period; and draws attention to the risk that, as the eligibility period draws to an end and given the circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis, Member States may prioritise spending over performance and regularity.
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concern that, at the end of the sixth year of implementation, absorption rates for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF) are 6,6% lower than at the same stage in the previous programming period; and draws attention to the risk that, as the eligibility period draws to an end and given the circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis, Member States may prioritise spending over performance and regularity.; stresses, however, that the absorption rate of ESI Funds in 2019 was higher than in any other year of MFF 2014-2020 period;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Calls on the Commission to identify the regions have a low funding take-up rates and to help them to improve it through the identification of the rules that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Cohesion Funds;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Urges the Commission to propose clear and easily applicable definitions and criteria for monitoring the funds available to fight the consequences of the COVID- 19 crisis;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7 d. Invites the Commission to interrupt or suspend payments in case of fraud, but where serious deficiencies in management and control systems have been identified, to use the block as last resort, when all other options have been exhausted, because suspending payments could have serious consequences for the regions severely hit already by the COVID-19 crisis;