26 Amendments of Bart STAES related to 2017/2137(DEC)
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. WelcomNotes the revision of allowance rates for accredited parliamentary assistants (APAs) incurred in respect of their duty travel between Parliament’s three places of work; notes that for officials and other servants, the hotel ceiling for Strasbourg missions is set at EUR 180 and daily allowance at EUR 192, whereas APAs’ accommodation, meals and ancillary expenses for Strasbourg missions are respectively reimbursed at a flat rate of EUR 137, EUR 160 or EUR 183; asks again the Bureau to take actions for a full alignment between officials, other servants and APAs;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Reiterates its will to find a workable solution for those APAs who, having worked for two parliamentary terms in the end of the current term will not be entitled to access to the European pension rights scheme, when they will reach the pension age, since they will be lacking some time out of the ten years’ service needed, due to early elections in 2014 and the delays in the validation of the APAs new contracts because of heavy workload during the periods after the elections of 2009 and after the elections of 2014; therefore requests two legislative terms to be considered as ten years of active service; requests the Commission to submit a legislative proposal before 1 September 2018;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Calls for a thorough revision of the Internal Rules governing missions and duty travel by officials and other servants in order to ensure a full alignment between officials, other servants and APAs; Notes that some missions’ reimbursements are subject to very long delays and suggests that solutions as to bring them within a reasonable timeframe should be explored;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Is concerned that the relatively low number of harassment complaints brought forward in 2016 both to the Advisory Committee on Harassment for staff and by APAs could imply the lack of appropriate channels; is of the opinion that an external audit should be implemented swiftly in accordance with what was agreed upon in the parliamentary resolution in order to further improve the internal processes; welcomes in this regard the proposal of the Secretary-General to introduce a network of confidential counsellors who can be contacted by APAs, trainees working for Members, group staff and all other staff and trainees; acknowledges that these counsellors would be selected for their expertise and inter- personal skills, and would undergo targeted training; encourages revision of the composition of the advisory committees dealing with harassment complaints, ensuring equal representation of Members, APAs and staff, and gender balance; hopes that an external auditor can be appointed swiftly in order to further improve the internal processes;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 11 a (new)
Subheading 11 a (new)
Voluntary Pension Fund
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Notes that the voluntary pension fund increased its estimated actuarial deficit to EUR 326,2 million at the end of 2016; further notes that at the end of 2016 the amount of net financial assets to be taken into account and the accrued future payments obligations commitment amount to EUR 146,4 million and EUR 472,6 million respectively;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Points out that for the next five years, of the number of MEPs, which will reach the age of retirement and which will be entitled to pay-outs, as they have contributed to the fund and assuming that no beneficiary is (re)elected in 2019 or otherwise takes up a vacant European mandate the number of new pensioners for the years 2018 -2022 will be: 2018: 21; 2019: 74; 2020: 21; 2021: 12; 2022: 17;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Considering the Fund’s current level of financial assets, combined with its future yearly payment obligations and the evolution of the rate of return of its investments on the financial markets, the estimated date of insolvency of the Voluntary Pension Fund is roughly estimated to vary between 2024 and 2026;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Points out that this raises concerns about the possible exhaustion of the fund and that Parliament is the guarantor for the payment of pension rights when and if this fund is unable to meet its obligations;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Calls once again on the Bureau to make an assessment as soon as possible of the current situation of the Pension Fund; Recalls Paragraph 112 of the 2014 discharge resolution that calls for an assessment of the current situation of the pension fund; regrets that such an assessment has not yet been delivered;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Recalls that the Court of Justice ruled in 2013 that the decision to increase the age of retirement for Fund subscribers from 60 to 63 years in order to avoid the early exhaustion of the capital and to align it with the new statute for Members was valid;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)
Paragraph 47 c (new)
47c. Considers that, whereas national pension funds normally have to meet strict standards and are not allowed to have any actuarial deficit at all, the voluntary pension fund is now facing an actuarial deficit of 64 % of the actuarial commitment, calls on the Secretary- General to present the Bureau with a comprehensive plan of action to avoid the early exhaustion of the fund;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Requests the secretary-general to calculate what would happen to the Fund’s actuarial deficit if 25%, 50% or 75% of the current or former Members withdraw from it;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Requests the secretary-general to calculate the impact of possible reductions of the monthly payments, which happens with more pension funds when the return of their investments is decreasing;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Request the Bureau to increase further the retirement age from 63 to 65 or 67, as most of retirement policies and pension schemes in the member states;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 d (new)
Paragraph 47 d (new)
47d. Launches a “moral” call on the existing Members of the Voluntary Pension Fund to withdraw on a voluntary basis whereby the beneficiaries holding entitlements under the Fund’s scheme are invited them to voluntary reduce or relinquish their legally protected rights;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Welcomes the formation of the Bureau’s working group on possible revisions to the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA); reminds the Bureau that the plenary has already appealed for greater transparency and an urgent need to audit the GEA; believes any revision of the GEA should incorporate previously adopted plenary recommendations concerning transparency and financial accountability;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Calls on the Bureau to make the additional concrete changes concerning the general expenditure allowance: 1.A 5% sample checks of the general expenditure allowance spending should be introduced by the Parliament’s internal auditing;the final results and the findings should be part of the annual report published by the Parliament 2. The Members should publish, on an annual basis, an overview of their expenditures by category (communication costs, office rental, office supplies...);
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 a (new)
Paragraph 64 a (new)
64a. Is concerned about the recently identified irregularities which have occurred in relation to the expenditure and own resources of a number of European political parties and foundations;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 b (new)
Paragraph 64 b (new)
64b. Takes the view that Parliament’s internal control needs to be strengthened;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 c (new)
Paragraph 64 c (new)
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 d (new)
Paragraph 64 d (new)
64d. Calls for better auditing of parties’ and foundations’ own resources; own resources derived from membership dues or donations are deemed not to exist and must not be directly or indirectly compensated in any form whatsoever;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 e (new)
Paragraph 64 e (new)
64e. Recommends that, when new applications for grants are submitted or where irregularities have been ascertained, it should be compulsory to obtain a bank guarantee for at least 50% of the amount to be paid;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 f (new)
Paragraph 64 f (new)
64f. Considers that, where people are employed by parties and foundations, the labour law and social legislation of the Member State where the work is carried out must be fully complied with, and calls for internal audits to include analysis of this aspect;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 g (new)
Paragraph 64 g (new)
64g. Does not consider it justified to award grants to political parties and foundations to which parties are affiliated that do not have, or permit, party membership, so that there is no internal democratic decision-making;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 h (new)
Paragraph 64 h (new)
64h. Asks its Secretary-General to what extent and how, in the event of gross abuse of European funds, greater use can be made of the joint and several liability of board members or former board members in order to recover funds that have been used unlawfully;