2021/2145(DEC) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the fact that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’) has declared the transactions underlying the annual accounts of the Fundamental Rights Agency (‘FRA’) for the financial year 201920 to be legal and regular in all material respects; welcomes the fact that the budget of FRA increased from EUR 29 million in 2019 to EUR 30 million in 2020 but deplores that this amount is just a return~~ing~~ to the state of 2018; deeply regrets the staff decrease from 114 to 105 (-7.9%) during the same time; repeats its concern that FRA continues to suffer from financial and staff resources constraints; highlights that without adequate financial and staff resources, FRA will not be able to carry out all the tasks assigned to it and fully implement its new mandate; reminds that this can affect the quality of work that FRA provides which has proved to be extremely valuable for Union policy;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the important role of FRA in helping to ensure that the fundamental rights of people living in the Union are promoted and protected; recalls the importance of FRA in promoting a reflection on security and fundamental rights; highlights, in particular, the value of FRA’s studies and opinions for the development and implementation of Union law;deleted

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 13 #

Caterina CHINNICI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the important role of FRA in helping to ensure that the fundamental rights of people living in the Union are promoted and protected; recalls the importance of FRA in promoting a reflection on the proper balance between security and fundamental rights; highlights, in particular, the value of FRA’s studies and opinions for the development and implementation of Union law; recalls FRA's commitment on the protection of vulnerable groups and against any form of discrimination;

Amendment 14 #

Tom VANDENDRIESSCHE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with satisfaction that FRA responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by publishing six bulletins, which provided a timely and comprehensive overview of the fundamental rights implications of national measures adopted across the Union to safeguard citizens from the COVID-19; welcomes that despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, FRA produced 163 079 materials and tools related to awareness-raising activities which is well above target set for 2020; appreciates the increased media presence of FRA;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with satisfaction that FRA responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by publishing six bulletins, which provided a timely and comprehensive overview of the fundamental rights implications of national measures adopted across the Union to safeguard citizens from the COVID-19; recalls, however, that this additional task was not accompanied with additional resources and that, by then, FRA was already suffering from human and financial resources constraints from previous years;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes ~~with satisfaction~~ that FRA responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by publishing six bulletins, ~~which provided a timely and comprehensive~~as an overview of the fundamental rights implications of national measures adopted across the Union to safeguard citizens from the COVID-19; asks about the added value and practical significance of those studies;

Amendment 18 #

Tom VANDENDRIESSCHE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the extension of FRA’s fundamental rights advice to other Union agencies, especially in assisting the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (‘Frontex’) with the deployment of 40 fundamental rights monitors across its operations.deleted

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 2 #

Caterina CHINNICI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the fact that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’) has declared the transactions underlying the annual accounts of the Fundamental Rights Agency (‘FRA’) for the financial year 201920 to be legal and regular in all material respects and that its financial position at 31 December 2020 is fairly presented; welcomes the fact that the budget of FRA increased from EUR 29 million in 2019 to EUR 30 million in 2020 returning to the state of 2018; regrets the staff decrease from 114 to 105 (-7.9%) during the same time;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the extension of FRA’s fundamental rights advice to other Union agencies, especially in assisting the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (‘Frontex’) with ~~the deploy~~completing the recruitment of the 40 fundamental rights monitors across its operations. and with preparing the legal and operational framework for their deployment to the field; considers that other agencies whose competences are being extended, such as Europol, could be usefully assisted by the FRA; points out that missions of assistance require extra-resources;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Welcome~~Regrets the extension of FRA’s fundamental rights advice to other Union agencies, especially ~~in assisting the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (‘Frontex’) with the deployment of 40 fundamental rights monitors across i~~the deployment of fundamental rights monitors to impede and hamper pushback and migration mitigation efforts; rejects this politically motivated effort to turn the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (‘Frontex’) into a welcoming bed and blankets operations.;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Regrets that under the auspices of avoiding the spread of "misinformation, ensure fact-based communication and assist journalists in the coverage of migration issues" the FRA in 2020 launched an e-media toolkit on migration and published a trainers’ manual targeting journalists and editors; questions the ability of the FRA to accurately determine what is and isn't misinformation and fact based communication; rejects outright the concept of Union agencies, in any way, seeking to impact journalists in their coverage of issues in relation to the remit of the agency;

Amendment 23 #

Malin BJÖRK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Underlines the continuos monitoring by FRA of the many fundamental rights challenges that result from collecting, storing and processing data in large-scale IT systems and their interoperability; highlights that FRA stresses the potential fundamental rights risks, with respect to the protection of personal data, protection against non- discrimination, and right to an effective remedy and the need to properly implement safeguards;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Welcomes the intensification of the cooperation between FRA and international organisations such as the Council of Europe and the United Nations; reiterates its appreciation of the launch of the European Union Fundamental Rights Information System (EFRIS) for the more systematic use of assessments of the Union’s and Member States’ international human rights obligations;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Welcomes that FRA successfully implemented its Annual Work Programme in 2020 and managed to accomplish all targets; appreciates FRA’s support to other agencies and welcomes that FRA continues to explore ways of cooperation with agencies of similar interest;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Notes the gender distribution reported for 2020 in senior management is three women (50%) and three men (50%); notes that gender distribution in management board members is 30 women (60%) and 20 men (40%); notes that the staff overall is composed of 53 women (51,96%) and 49 men (49,04%); reminds the Member States to consider gender balance when nominating members to management board;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Welcomes the fact that the Court’s observation regarding e-tendering and e- submission has been acted upon and completed;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Acknowledges the complex nature of the studies carried out by FRA, covering the law and practice of all Member States and the high number of publications produced and trainings delivered to ensure fundamental rights compliance that also contribute and feed into the work of different Union bodies and agencies;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Highlights the commitment of the Agency to the protection of vulnerable groups and on all types of discrimination within the Union; welcomes that the Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights clarifies that the scope of the Agency's activities, covering all the competences of the Union;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Reiterates its regret~~Notes that the levels of commitment carry-overs for operational expenditure remained high and even increased from 60 % in 2019 to 83% in 2020; acknowledges that these carry-overs mainly reflect the nature of FRA’s core activities that include the financing of studies and other activities that span several months and eventually beyond year-end; welcomes that FRA has established a monitoring tool on planned carry overs from one year to the next;

Amendment 6 #

Malin BJÖRK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 7 #