Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-28-Speech-3-137"

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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by expressing my warm thanks to Mrs Avilés Perea, who mastered her difficult task as rapporteur with great diligence and thoroughness. The Committee of the Regions is the newest EU institution, and it is also a small one. In terms of its composition, it is extremely heterogeneous, at least as regards the political status and rank of its members in their home states. Could this be why we had so many difficulties with the 2001 discharge? Shortcomings and even irregularities were drawn to the attention of the Committee on Budgetary Control as it was about to vote last spring on the resolution giving discharge to the Committee of the Regions for 2001. The rapporteur, Mrs Avilés Perea, put on the brakes and recommended the postponement of the discharge and an audit of the practices being undertaken in the COR, preferably by the European Court of Auditors – a recommendation which the plenary took up. In the meantime, the rapporteur and the committee have carried out detailed work and are now proposing that discharge be granted to the Committee of the Regions for 2001. Yet this does not mean that the dubious incidents in the COR are forgiven and forgotten. They are likely to come to light again in the context of the 2002 discharge, especially as the Court of Auditors proposes to undertake a more detailed audit, something it felt unable to do in 2001. Mrs Avilés Perea’s report takes account of a number of recommendations by OLAF and makes clear demands of the COR. There are no indications of personal enrichment or the loss of financial resources. The incorrect calculation of travel allowances has now been regulated through recoveries, although in future, the maintenance of presence lists and the calculation of members’ allowances must be carried out scrupulously and be verifiable. Payment procedures must be in line with the financial regulations. There must be respect for the institutional role of the Internal Auditor. The President of the Committee of the Regions has announced the implementation of an action plan to improve administration and management, and this includes rules on dealing with whistleblowers. Whether or not there are to be disciplinary proceedings is something for the COR itself to decide. Overall, the Committee on Budgetary Control is very concerned about the extent to which an amateurish improvisatory approach has prevailed in the administration to date. We will monitor the improvements which have been called for, and which have been pledged, benevolently but with close attention so that the 2001 discharge is right and proper, thus encouraging the COR to keep to the rules in future."@en1

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