Activities of Bas EICKHOUT related to 2019/2098(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union agencies for the financial year 2018: performance, financial management and control
Amendments (21)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- Having regard to the European Court of Auditors Rapid case review “Reporting on sustainability: A stocktake of EU Institutions and Agencies”
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority stresses the importance of further strengthening the efficiency, effectiveness, economy and accountability of Union institutions, and of implementing the concept of performance-based budgetingconcept of performance- based budgeting, accountability of Union institutions and good governance of human resources;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the agencies are highly visible in the Member States and have significant influence on policy, decision making and programme implementation in areas of vital importance to European citizens, such as security, safety, health, research, economic affairs, freedom and justice; reiterates the importance of the tasks performed by the agencies and their direct impact on the daily lives of Union citizens; reiterates also the importance of the autonomy of the agencies, in particular of the regulatory agencies and those with the function of independent collection of information; recalls that the main reasons for establishing the agencies were for the purpose of operating Union systems, facilitating the implementation of the European Single Market and making independent technical or scientific assessments; welcomes in this regard the effective overall performance of the agencies, and the progress made in enhancing their visibility to European citizens;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with satisfaction that, according to the annual report of the European Court of Auditors’ (the 'Court') on Union agencies for the financial year 2018 (the 'Court’s report'), the Court issued an unqualified audit opinion on the reliability of the accounts of all agencies; notes in addition that the Court issued an unqualified opinion on the legality and regularity of the revenue underlying the accounts for all agencies; observes that the Court issued an unqualified opinion on the legality and regularity of the payments underlying the accounts for all agencies, except for the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); points out with regret that for EASO’s payments for the financial years 2016 and 2017, the Court issued a qualified opinionthat the Court and the Commission have recognised an improvement in EASO’s management and introduced corrective measures after the appointment of the new management team in the summer 2018;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with satisfaction that according to its report, the Court considers the overall risk to the reliability of accounts to be low for all agencies, since the agencies’ accounts are, based on internationally accepted accounting standards, and considering the factto be low, and that only a few material errors arose in the past; notes, however, that the increasing number of delegation agreements with the Commission assigning specific additional tasks and revenue to agencies represents a challenge in terms of the consistency and transparency of the agencies’ accounting treatment;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that according to its report, the Court considers the overall risk to the legality and regularity of revenue underlying the agencies’ accounts to be low for the majority of agencies, and to be medium for the partly self-financed agencies where specific regulations are applicable to charging and collecting fees and contributions from economic operators or cooperating countries; notes that the Court’s considers the overall risk to the legality and regularity of transactions underlying the agencies’ accounts to be medium, varying from low to high for specific budget titles; notes that the risk for Title I (staff expenditure) is generally low, for Title II (administrative expenditure) the risk is considered to be medium, and for Title III (operational expenditure) the risk is considered to be low to high, depending on the agencies and the nature of their operational expenditure; points out that high risk sources usually derive from procurement and grant payments which should be taken into account when the Court decides on a sample of future checks and audits;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Observes that according to the Court’s report the risk to sound financial management is medium and is mainly identified in the areas of information technology (IT) and public procurement; regrets that IT and public procurement remain areas prone to error; reiterates its call on the Commission to provide for additional training and the exchange of good practices for Agencies' procurement teams;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that the need to have separate administrative structures and procedures for all agencies constitutes an inherent risk to administrative efficiency; calls on the agencies to make additional efforts into widening the scope of their shared services thus improving the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their procedures;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Encourages the agencies and the Commission to applyfurther develop and implement the principle of performance- based budgeting, to consistently seek the most effective ways to provide added value, and to further explore possible improvements in efficiency in relation to resources management; notes the Court’s suggestion that a publication of agency budgets by activity would allow linking resources to the activities they are used for;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes from the Court’s report that in 2018, some progress was made in relation to the introduction of SYSPER II, the human resources management tool developed by the Commission, with five additional agencies signed up for it in 2018; notes, however, that the progress in its implementation varies, the project being complex and each agency having its own specificities, thus invites the Commission to further assist and help making good use of the tool developed; notes furthermore that good progress was made in relation to the introduction of e- procurement;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Expresses its concern that only one EU agency, the European Union Intellectual Property Office, publishes a sustainability report; calls on all agencies to fully integrate sustainability in their reporting information; to publish sustainability reports covering both the running of the organisation and the operations carried out; and to ensure the credibility of sustainability reporting through auditing;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Acknowledges the improvement of gender balance in the presidents, members and executive heads of agencies in recent years from 25% of women in 2012 to 34% in 2018; expresses its concern that gender imbalance is still very high in some agencies; calls on agencies to further improve the gender balance in management and board positions;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to review how the salary coefficient for staff working in different Member States is calculated with the aim of providing for a better geographical balance of the staff in agencies;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Recognises the steps towards establishing of the harassment-free environment taken by the Agencies, such as the additional training for the staff and the management as well as the introduction of the confidential councillors; encourages the agencies which have not yet introduced such steps to do so and agencies which have received harassment related complains to treat these as a priority;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17 c. Stresses the importance of a staff well-being policy; stresses that agencies should provide for decent, high quality working conditions for all staff;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes from the Court’s report that payments in its audit samples indicate a trend towards compensating shortages of own statutory staff by external staff, particularly IT consultants working in the premises of the agencies on times and means contracts and interim staff; notes that five agencies engaged in the use of interim workers provided by registered temporary work agencies, but did not respect all the rules laid down in both the Directive 2018/104/EC6 and in the respective national law, for instance as regards working conditions for interim workers; notes that three agencies used contracts on the provision of IT and other consultancy services which were formulated and/or implemented in a way that, in practice, might result in the assignment (‘mise à disposition’) of temporary agency workers instead of the provision of clearly specified services or products and as required by Directive 2008/104/EC7 , Staff Regulations and social and employment rules, exposing these agencies to legal and reputational risks; hereby reiterates its call on the Agencies to significantly lower their dependency on external staff in IT consultancy roles, hired through temporary work agencies, to limit any potential risks; _________________ 6Directive 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). 7Directive 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 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Notes the very low number of whistleblower cases in EU agencies; calls to bring whistleblower protection policies of all EU agencies in line with Directive(EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on all agencies to disclose their level of annual staff turnover, average absence from work due to a sick leave and to clearly indicate the positions which are effectively occupied byon 31 December of the relevant financial year, in order to ensure inter- agency comparability;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes from the Court’s report that shortcomings were found related to excessive dependency on contractors, external consultancy and interims, to the use of inadequate award criteria and the conclusion of contracts with abnormally low tenderers without reasonable justification; notes that several agencies have outsourced, extensively, regular activities and occasionally core business activities, which weakens the internal expertise and control over contract execution, with some weaknesses in the procurement process which may impair fair competition and the achievement of best value for money procurements; notes that for six agencies the framework contract terms for the provision of IT maintenance and equipment were weak, as they allowed the purchase of items not specifically mentioned therein and not subject to an initial competitive procedure, and it also allowed the contractor to charge uplifts on the prices of items purchased from other suppliers; notes that although agencies have no power to change the basic contractual arrangements, their related ex - ante controls did not check the accuracy of the up-lifts charged by the contractor; asks the Commission and the Agencies to address the necessary improvements in procurement teams as a matter of urgency, taken into account that the problem is persisting and needs to be addressed systemically;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Reiterates its concern that agencies which receive a large part of their revenues as fees paid by the industry are more prone to the risk of the conflict of interests and their professional independence; calls on the agencies and the Commission to reduce the dependency on industry fees;