Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-04-21-Speech-2-138"
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"en.20090421.19.2-138"2
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Mr President, Mr Kallas, ladies and gentlemen, my first words will be to thank you, Mr Kallas, and your colleagues at the Commission, for the attention you have paid to the parliamentary work linked to the discharge procedure for implementation of the budget of the European Commission and of the executive agencies for 2007. I extend these thanks to the administrative services.
Furthermore, and pursuant to Article 248 of the Treaty, I propose that cooperation between national audit bodies and the European Court of Auditors be stepped up as regards shared-management controls.
I suggest that we examine the possibility of national audit bodies, in their capacity as independent external auditors, and with due regard for international audit standards, issuing national audit certificates for the management of Community funds. These certificates would be submitted to Member States’ governments with a view to being produced during the discharge process in accordance with an appropriate interinstitutional procedure to be introduced.
Lastly, Mr President, I should like to point out my astonishment that the consolidated annual accounts were presented with net assets in the region of EUR 58 billion, and I propose that consideration be given to establishing a pension fund in order to externalise the EUR 33.5 billion in commitments to staff.
To conclude, I feel that it is time to reform our system, and I sincerely believe that this reform should hinge on an in-depth and sincere dialogue among all those involved with the budget.
I should also like to pay tribute to the huge effort made by the European Court of Auditors under the leadership of its president, Vítor Caldeira. It had limited resources with which to tackle the scale of the task to be accomplished.
I would like to say a few words about the context of this discharge. 2007 was the first year of the new 2007-2013 multiannual financial framework in which a number of new rules were implemented. 2007 was also the year of the last discharge procedure of the current Commission, which, at the start of its mandate, had promised – you will recall, Commissioner, it was through your president – to obtain a positive statement of assurance from the European Court of Auditors.
However, for 14 years the Court has issued a negative statement on the legality and regularity of underlying transactions for the vast majority of spending areas, regarding them, to varying degrees, as being significantly affected by errors, even though – and we should be pleased about this – administrative expenditure and the consolidated accounts are the subject of a positive statement of assurance.
Lastly, 2007 was the year of the last discharge vote before the European Parliament elections. In this particular context, and aside from the numerous reservations that appear in the draft resolution concerning the management of Community funds, my aim, in my report, was to try to analyse the discharge procedure and to make a contribution on this difficult path that must lead us to a positive statement of assurance, whilst being fully aware of the limits of the exercise. That is why I am eager to find out what stance the Commission, the political groups and my fellow Members who are due to speak take on this issue.
With the work on this matter now completed, I have mixed feelings: on the one hand, I firmly believe that things are improving, but not enough and too slowly, and, on the other, there is the fact that, at the same time, it is untenable to remain in a situation where the European Court of Auditors has not issued a positive statement of assurance for 14 years and where the European Parliament votes on discharge regardless.
Europeans are going to end up thinking that Parliament is not performing its monitoring role correctly. That is why I propose that, given the seriousness of the situation, an interinstitutional conference be organised without delay. The latter would involve all those who play a part in the management and monitoring of Community funds, and would be used to start off a comprehensive discussion enabling us to envisage the reforms needed to obtain a positive statement of assurance as soon as possible. I am keen to hear the reasons that are prompting certain political groups to oppose this discussion.
Special attention must also be paid to the role of Member States that manage approximately 80% of the Union’s budget. The fact is, it is in this context of shared management that we have the largest number of problems. While I am on this subject, I regret that the Council’s bench is empty; the Czech Republic’s current political difficulties are not enough to explain the Council’s inconsistent political presence, unless we are to interpret this absence and this silence as indifference or, worse still, disinterest.
In relation to the report on shared management by the Member States, I would emphasise the role not only of national management declarations, but also of annual summaries, which are so many elements enabling us to progress towards a positive DAS."@en1
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