Activities of Benedek JÁVOR related to 2017/2137(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016, Section I – European Parliament PDF (724 KB) DOC (110 KB)
Amendments (40)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that Parliament’s final appropriations for 2016 totalled EUR 1 838 613 983, or 19,39% of heading V of the Multiannual Financial Framework8 set aside for the 2015 administrative expenditure of the Union institutions as a whole representing a 2,4 % increase over the 2015 budget (EUR 1 794 929 112); stresses that the increase was higher than the inflation rate (0,3% in the Union and 1,8% in Belgium): _________________ 8 Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020.
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls that the political groups are responsible to the Parliament for managing the funds allocated to them, within the powers conferred upon them by the Bureau; notes with concern that the Court found weaknesses in checks on the authorisation and settlement of expenditure related to one politicalthe Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group and that the payments were being made without being covered by contracts resulting from a procurement procedure; highlights that the Court issued a qualified opinion on the ENF group; highlights that the external auditor ‘‘Ernest and Young’’ issued a qualified opinion as well; calls on the Bureau of the Parliament to take the appropriate measures, including possible reimbursement, concerning the ENF group;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Endorsestakes note of the responses given by the Parliament in the adversarial procedure with the Court;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Recalls that both Parliament’s 2014 and 2015 discharge resolutions, asked for a technical solution that allows Members to use their individual page in the Parliament’s website for the voluntary publication of meetings with interest representatives; urges the Parliament’s Bureau and the Secretary-General to make this possible without further delay;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Encourages the Secretary-General to negotiate with the Belgian Railways to offer more direct trains between Gare Luxembourg and Zaventem Airport in peak arrival and departure time for Members in order to save travelling time and lower the carbon footprint for Members at the same time, and ask the secretariat to promote train travel for Members;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls that openness to the public is a hallmark of the Parliament; supports the reorganisation and improvement of entrances to all Parliament buildings at the three places of work on the basis of a new security concept which guarantees a safe working environment for parliamentary activities while retaining Parliament’s openness; notes that these entrances, modernised in 2015, were equipped with new access control systems and have been incorporated into the new central integrated physical access control system; stresses that the entrance of the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg (LOW) is one of the most used entrance by the Members, the Union staff and the visitors during the plenary sessions; stresses it is de facto the most visible entrance in Strasbourg; regrets that the ‘‘temporary’’ security check at entrance of the LOW building has become de facto permanent; urges the Secretary-General to propose an alternative to make facilitate the entrance in the LOW building while keeping the level of security and the attractiveness of this entrance;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. WelcomNotes the revision of allowance rates for accredited parliamentary assistants (APAs) incurred in respect of their duty travel between Parliament’s three places of work; notes that for officials and other servants, the hotel ceiling for Strasbourg missions is set at EUR 180 and daily allowance at EUR 192, whereas APAs’ accommodation, meals and ancillary expenses for Strasbourg missions are respectively reimbursed at a flat rate of EUR 137, EUR 160 or EUR 183; asks again the Bureau to take actions for a full alignment between officials, other servants and APAs;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Reiterates its will to find a workable solution for those APAs who, having worked for two parliamentary terms in the end of the current term will not be entitled to access to the European pension rights scheme, when they will reach the pension age, since they will be lacking some time out of the ten years’ service needed, due to early elections in 2014 and the delays in the validation of the APAs new contracts because of heavy workload during the periods after the elections of 2009 and after the elections of 2014; therefore requests two legislative terms to be considered as ten years of active service; requests the Commission to submit a legislative proposal before 1 September 2018;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Calls for a thorough revision of the Internal Rules governing missions and duty travel by officials and other servants in order to ensure a full alignment between officials, other servants and APAs; Notes that some missions’ reimbursements are subject to very long delays and suggests that solutions as to bring them within a reasonable timeframe should be explored;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25c. Asks the Secretary-General to transmit to the Commission the Report on the evaluation of the new Statute for APA drawn up following the resolution adopted on 28 April 2016 on the discharge for the financial year 2014 and referred to in article 3 of Regulation 160/2009;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 d (new)
Paragraph 25 d (new)
25d. Encourages the Bureau, when assessing the new rules on visitors’ groups introduced last year, to delete the possibility to appoint APAs as head of a group as it poses professional, juridical, ethical and data protection concerns;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Is of the opinion that in order to receive more independent and reliable opinion and studies there is a need to create rules on conflict of interest for experts hired by the Parliament’s Committees;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Regrets that the number of women holding posts at the level of director- general fell from 33,3 % in 2015 to 16,7% in 2016; notes the number of women at director level remained steady from 2015 to 2016 at 29,2 % and 29, 8% respectively; considers this move in contradiction with the road map for “Gender Equality in the European Parliament Secretariat”;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. is of the opinion that in reaction to the #metoo-campaign, the Parliament should achieve zero-tolerance towards violence in any form be it structural, sexual, physical or psychological; therefore it demands: - a complete accountability of the perpetrators with full exhaustion of available penalties and sanctions; - a creation of a central complaints office for reporting harassment cases; - to ensure access to an independent harassment committee in the Parliament that does not reproduce the internal structures of power by having Members on board; - to grant victims and those reporting a whistleblower status and protection with full anonymity and discretion with their demands; - the Parliament to provide psychological support for victims: the Parliament must have a central office with doctors, social workers, and counselors; - a mandatory training on sexual harassment and mobbing for Members and officials in positions of power; - training and to offer information for staff to recognise sexual harassment and to know their rights;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Is concerned that the relatively low number of harassment complaints brought forward in 2016 both to the Advisory Committee on Harassment for staff and by APAs could imply the lack of appropriate channels; stresses that there are two kind of harassment recognized by the staff regulation (psychological and sexual harassment); is of the opinion that the fight against any kind of harassment should be one of the utmost priorities of the Secretary-General; welcomes in this regard the proposal of the Secretary- General to introduce a network of confidential counsellors who can be contacted by APAs, trainees working for Members, group staff and all other staff and trainees; acknowledges that these counsellors would be selected for their expertise and inter- personal skills, and would undergo targeted training; encourages revision of the composition of the advisory committees dealing with harassment complaints, ensuring equal representation of Members, APAs and staff, and gender balance; hopes that an external auditor can be appointed swiftly in order to further improve the internal processes;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Is concerned that the relatively low number of harassment complaints brought forward in 2016 both to the Advisory Committee on Harassment for staff and by APAs could imply the lack of appropriate channels; is of the opinion that an external audit should be implemented swiftly in accordance with what was agreed upon in the parliamentary resolution in order to further improve the internal processes; welcomes in this regard the proposal of the Secretary-General to introduce a network of confidential counsellors who can be contacted by APAs, trainees working for Members, group staff and all other staff and trainees; acknowledges that these counsellors would be selected for their expertise and inter- personal skills, and would undergo targeted training; encourages revision of the composition of the advisory committees dealing with harassment complaints, ensuring equal representation of Members, APAs and staff, and gender balance; hopes that an external auditor can be appointed swiftly in order to further improve the internal processes;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Is concerned that the relatively low number of harassment complaints brought forward in 2016 both to the Advisory Committee on Harassment for staff and by APAs could imply the lack of appropriate channels; welcomes in this regard the proposal of the Secretary-General to introduce a network of independent confidential counsellors who can be contacted by APAs, trainees working for Members, group staff and all other staff and trainees; acknowledges that these counsellors would be selected for their expertise and inter- personal skills, and would undergo targeted training; encourages revision of the composition of the advisory committees dealing with harassment complaints, ensuring equal representation of Members, APAs and staff, and gender balance; hopes that an external auditor can be appointed swiftly in order to further improve the internal processes;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Reiterates the vulnerable position accredited parliamentary assistants and Members interns hold in respect to internal whistle-blower protection rules; cautions the Secretary-General of potential financial consequences for the Parliament’s continued failure to provide the requisite whistleblower protection for APAs who report wrongdoing of Members; urges the Secretary-General to immediately address this situation;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)
Paragraph 37 b (new)
37b. Expresses the need to establish an independent disclosure, advice and referral body with sufficient budgetary resources, in order to help whistleblowers use the right channels to disclose their information on possible irregularities affecting the financial interests of the Union, while protecting their confidentiality and offering needed support and advice;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Urges the responsible services to make transparent its planning to conform with the statement by the Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the exemplary role of their buildings in the context of the Energy Efficiency Directive1 given the approaching 2020 deadline;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 11 a (new)
Subheading 11 a (new)
Voluntary Pension Fund
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Notes that the voluntary pension fund increased its estimated actuarial deficit to EUR 326,2 million at the end of 2016; further notes that at the end of 2016 the amount of net financial assets to be taken into account and the accrued future payments obligations commitment amount to EUR 146,4 million and EUR 472,6 million respectively;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Points out that for the next five years, of the number of MEPs, which will reach the age of retirement and which will be entitled to pay-outs, as they have contributed to the fund and assuming that no beneficiary is (re)elected in 2019 or otherwise takes up a vacant European mandate the number of new pensioners for the years 2018 -2022 will be: 2018: 21; 2019: 74; 2020: 21; 2021: 12; 2022: 17;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Considering the Fund’s current level of financial assets, combined with its future yearly payment obligations and the evolution of the rate of return of its investments on the financial markets, the estimated date of insolvency of the Voluntary Pension Fund is roughly estimated to vary between 2024 and 2026;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Points out that this raises concerns about the possible exhaustion of the fund and that Parliament is the guarantor for the payment of pension rights when and if this fund is unable to meet its obligations;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Calls once again on the Bureau to make an assessment as soon as possible of the current situation of the Pension Fund; Recalls Paragraph 112 of the 2014 discharge resolution that calls for an assessment of the current situation of the pension fund; regrets that such an assessment has not yet been delivered;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Recalls that the Court of Justice ruled in 2013 that the decision to increase the age of retirement for Fund subscribers from 60 to 63 years in order to avoid the early exhaustion of the capital and to align it with the new statute for Members was valid;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)
Paragraph 47 c (new)
47c. Considers that, whereas national pension funds normally have to meet strict standards and are not allowed to have any actuarial deficit at all, the voluntary pension fund is now facing an actuarial deficit of 64 % of the actuarial commitment, calls on the Secretary- General to present the Bureau with a comprehensive plan of action to avoid the early exhaustion of the fund;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Requests the secretary-general to calculate what would happen to the Fund’s actuarial deficit if 25%, 50% or 75% of the current or former Members withdraw from it;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Requests the secretary-general to calculate the impact of possible reductions of the monthly payments, which happens with more pension funds when the return of their investments is decreasing;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)
Paragraph 47 e (new)
47e. Request the Bureau to increase further the retirement age from 63 to 65 or 67, as most of retirement policies and pension schemes in the member states;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 d (new)
Paragraph 47 d (new)
47d. Launches a “moral” call on the existing Members of the Voluntary Pension Fund to withdraw on a voluntary basis whereby the beneficiaries holding entitlements under the Fund’s scheme are invited them to voluntary reduce or relinquish their legally protected rights;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 11 a (new)
Subheading 11 a (new)
General Expenditure Allowance
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Welcomes the formation of the Bureau’s working group on possible revisions to the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA); reminds the Bureau that the plenary has already appealed for greater transparency and an urgent need to audit the GEA; believes any revision of the GEA should incorporate previously adopted plenary recommendations concerning transparency and financial accountability;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Calls on the Bureau to make the additional concrete changes concerning the general expenditure allowance: 1.A 5% sample checks of the general expenditure allowance spending should be introduced by the Parliament’s internal auditing;the final results and the findings should be part of the annual report published by the Parliament 2. The Members should publish, on an annual basis, an overview of their expenditures by category (communication costs, office rental, office supplies...);
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Reminds the Parliament to fulfil its responsibility as a public institution to contribute to the security, reliability, and dependability of the common infrastructure of the Internet; calls on the Parliament to build up an Open Source Strategy similar to the one of the Commission; and to strengthen the use, reuse and sharing of software procured and produced by the Parliament and its services, taking into account existing Source Code Policies in the Union and abroad; reminds the Parliament to promote and implement the Tallinn Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment; is of the opinion that such an Open Source Strategy should comprise legal clarity for Parliament’s civil servants when they make use of, or build upon existing software from Open Source projects, or when they create new software, how they can contribute back to these Open Source projects (Source Code Policies);
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Commends the Parliament’s commitment to green public procurement; notes that the “EP Implementation Guide on Green Public Procurement”, which is designed to help authorising officers at the Parliament to successfully launch green purchasing policy and procedures, was approved in June 2016; welcomes the installation of the inter-institutional Green Public Procurement (GPP) Helpdesk; calls for an evaluation of the introduction of criteria for a mandatory consultation of the GPP for public tenders above a certain financial threshold and/or for specific product categories;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
54a. Welcomes the installation of water fountains and the new system of re-usable glass jars; notes that water fountains are poorly advertised and not yet installed in office areas; regrets, despite tender specifications to reduce plastic waste, an increased number of meals in disposable packaging was sold by Parliament catering facilities and calls for transparency on plastic waste evolution generated by catering facilities; notes that the brand of bottled drinking water distributed in Parliament meetings has changed for three times in less than two years, which does not seem in line with earlier announced tender durations and is still plastic based; recognises that the Commission has scrapped plastic bottles for drinking water and calls on the Parliament to lay out a plan to follow it, especially given its exemplary role and in the light of a European Plastic Strategy policy initiative;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Notes with satisfaction that the Bureau endorsed a road-map, proposed by the Secretary-General, to move towards an electric car fleet; acknowledges that by the end of 2017, half of all cars and minibuses for the Parliament’s car fleet should be electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as that from 2018, any car newly acquired for the Parliament’s car fleet should be a plug-in hybrid or electric; notes that in 2020, all cars in the Parliament’s car fleet should be electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles, while in 2021 this should also apply to all of the Parliament’s minibuses; acknowledges moreover that a cost-benefit analysis should be conducted before every major renewal of the car fleet; calls for increased efforts for the promotion of active mobility, including by offering more attractive, accessible and secured bike parking spaces;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55 a (new)
Paragraph 55 a (new)
55a. Notes that the Parliament has to conform with regional and local laws applicable and calls on the Parliament services to detail how it has implemented the Brussels regional COBRACE law, especially in the area of car parking spaces offered to employees;