Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-04-21-Speech-3-044"
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"en.20100421.3.3-044"2
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"Mr President, this debate is about us, as EU parliamentarians, taking responsibility not only collectively, but also individually, for how the EU’s funds were used in 2008. When the debate is over and the votes have been cast in May, it is us that our citizens will hold accountable.
Let me state one thing straightaway: our group is critical of the way in which the EU administered our taxpayers’ money in 2008. Of course, there are a lot of good things that need no further comment. In some areas, there has even been some progress compared with 2007. However, there are still too many areas for which we must say that things are not acceptable. One example is the Commission’s accounts. Where the structural funds are concerned, the Court of Auditors concludes that at least – I repeat, at least – 11% of disbursements from the funds were contrary to the rules. Part of this is due to errors and omissions; part to fraud and misappropriation. That does not change the fact that billions of euro in this area alone should not have been paid out.
Is this acceptable? We know all the excuses. The Commission says it is the fault of the Member States, because they are responsible for control. The Member States say the Commission is to blame, because the rules are far too complex. The blame is passed from pillar to post.
The question we must ask ourselves is as follows: would we approve the accounts of a sports club, a trade union or a political party where 11% of the expenditure in a central area had been paid out in contravention of the rules? I agree with those who say that fundamental structural changes are needed to change this situation. We must therefore use the discharge to push through such changes. Such pressure must also be exerted on the Council.
In April last year, Parliament refused to discharge the Council’s accounts for 2007 by a large majority. We said that we could not accept responsibility for the accounts before the electorate until the Council agreed to meet formally with the relevant committees in Parliament and to answer our questions publicly. Nonetheless, to demonstrate our goodwill, we voted in November to grant discharge to the Council’s accounts – on the clear condition that changes would be made this year.
Today, we have to state that these changes have not taken place. Let me give a specific example. Year after year, the Council transfers millions of euro from the translation account to the travel account. In other words, in addition to the funds already in the travel account. We must therefore ask the Council the obvious questions. Why are you doing this? What is all this travel money spent on? Which countries are benefiting from it? The Council is happy to answer informally, off the record. Up until today, however – though this may change – the Council has refused to answer openly and publicly. That is simply not good enough. We are therefore of the opinion that any discharge must await an interinstitutional agreement that clearly sets out the Council’s obligations in respect of transparency and cooperation with Parliament.
Our criticism of the Council and the Commission is clear. It is shared by many of our fellow Members in other political groups. Precisely because our criticism is so clear, however, we also have a duty to be critical of ourselves as regards our own – Parliament’s – financial administration. I therefore find it regrettable that the report by the Committee on Budgetary Control ended up being less critical than it had been in the Chair’s original version. We therefore also support the re-insertion of the critical passages. I hope that at the vote in May, there will be broad support for the fact that our willingness to take a critical view of ourselves is precisely what gives our criticism and demands of the Council and Commission added strength and authority.
Finally, I would simply like to thank all my fellow members of the Committee on Budgetary Control, who this year have once again worked towards greater transparency and responsibility in the way the EU looks after its citizens’ money."@en1
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