17 Amendments of Angelika WINZIG related to 2021/2158(DEC)
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not possible for the Court to carry out on-the-spot visits to EU delegations, thus preventing it from carrying out certain audit procedures, in particular verifying contract implementation for the transactions selected, and therefore the Court’s audit work was mainly limited to desk reviews of transactions and projects by means of remotely connecting with auditees; notes, nevertheless that desk reviews are a predominantly common tool when carrying out an audit procedure and evaluating data; invites ECA to resume the on-the-spot visits as soon as possible once the COVID-19 situation would allow so;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls on the Commission to proceed with a pre-established format for communication between partner countries, EDF beneficiaries and the Union with a view to reducing the errors found by the Court;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is worried about, notwithstanding the positive analysis by DG INTPA in its Annual Activity Report on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for 2020 (14 KPIs scoring better than in 2019), the Court’s observation, as in previous years, that the frequency of identified errors, including some contained in final claims which had been subject to ex-ante external auditchecks and expenditure verifications, still points to weaknesses in those checks; reiterates its expectation that the control system be more rigorous and calls on DG INTPA to continue efforts to improve the assessment of both the effectiveness and efficiency of its control system by identifying KPIs for both, by setting realistic and ambitious targets and by monitoring and improving its control system; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to set up a platform covering EDF-funded projects by country, focusing on the final recipients, general and specific project goals and, above all, their practical results in terms of the desired increase in development indices; suggests that developing such an integrated, interoperable information and monitoring platform would increase control reliability and would contribute to enhanced effectiveness and visibility of EU development aid; in this regard, invites the Commission to consider also launching a dialogue with the beneficiary countries with reference to a possible use of a single risk-scoring tool in the future;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that DG INTPA’s ninth residual error rate (RER) study, carried out by an external contractor on its behalf in 2020, estimated the overall RER to be below the 2 % materiality threshold set by the Commission for the fifth year in a row (0,95 % in 2020, compared to 1,13 % in 2019); ; 1,13% in 2019; 0,85% in 2018; 1,18% 2017; 1,67% 2016);19a _________________ 19a https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADoc uments/annualreports- 2020/annualreports-2020_EN.pdf para 32.
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that in 2020 DG INTPA developed a new draft anti-fraud strategy, the adoption of which was delayed to 2021; notes, furthermore, that the anti-fraud strategy is based on the DG INTPA survey to assess risks and controls, a risk analysis to be linked to the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)2 , the new implementation modalities and the Commission’s anti-fraud strategy, adopted in 2019; emphasises also the role of the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) as an essential tool to sanction fraud and encourages further DG INTPA to make known the use of this system; _________________ 2 Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1).
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Underlines that such a new set-up entails new institutional responsibilities and tasks, in particular for Parliament as one arm of the budget authority for the annual budget; expects budgetary transparency, policy coherence and democratic accountability to benefit from those new arrangements; notes with satisfaction the increased role of the Parliament in the area of international partnerships under Global Europe including through the High-level geopolitical dialogue;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Considers that needs assessments in connection with NDICI-Global Europe programming should take into account countries’ debt situations and how those situations influence the possibility of pursuing the SDGs; stresses the need for crowding in private financing to achieve the SDGs and the need for donors to prioritise grant-based financing as the default option, especially to the least developed countries, and not favour blending, guarantees or any loans that could inchighlights the increased efforts to leverage EU funds with a view to providing more ase the burden of debt over grants; sistance to partners including through blending and de- risking mechanisms; discourages the UnCommission and othe Member States to develop, as a first step, and in addition to its pledges on a debt moratorium, a new debt relief initiative regarding heavily indebted poor countries; calls, more broadly, for the creation of a multilateral debt workout mechanism to address both the impact of the crisis and the financing requirements of the 2030 Agendar European institutions from setting up new financial aid instruments and rather encourages them to assure greater visibility of the existent instruments in their respective area of operation and in the European Union and strengthening partner countries capacity to monitor and manage their debt;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Notes with concerns that, as of 12 NovemberAcknowledges the overall positive impact of COVAX to ACP countries despite several implementation challenges and weaknesses throughout the process; notes that by mid-February 20212, COVID- 19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) has delivered only 476 697 161ver 1 billion doses to 144 countries, of which 160265 million doses were donations; notes that EU Members States have provided 48shared 352 million doses; regrets that the impact of COVAX is pretty poor, having missed its own targets for 2021; call on the Commission to stop sending vaccines which are about to expire; (by early February 2022); notes that the impact of COVAX is below its optimal performance with regards to its own targets for 202151a; _________________ 51a COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard, UNICEF Supply Division https://www.unicef.org/supply/covid-19- vaccine-market-dashboard
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Calls for close monitoring and thorough policy dialogue with partner countries regarding objectives, progress towards agreed results and performance indicators; calls once more on the Commission to better define and measure expected development impact and, especially, to improve the control mechanism with regard to the conduct of beneficiary countries in the areas of corruption, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and democracy; remains deeply concerned about the use that could be made of Union budget support in recipient countries where there is no or only limited democratic controlstresses the need to include the private sector in that strategic dialogue; notes the importance of democratic control over the use of Union budget support in recipient countries;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Regrets the factNotes that, as in 2019 report, the Court did not include the performance of the EDFs in Chapter 6, entitled ‘Global Europe’, of its report on the performance of the Union budget; regrets, moreovernotes, that the Court has not yet carried out a horizontal and detailed performance evaluation of the EDFs; calls on the Court to resume that practiceacknowledges that with the budgetisation of the EDF, the Court will be also auditing the new EDF as part of the long-term Union budget;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Takes notes of the EDFs’ contribution to DG INTPA objectives 14 (human development) and 12 (sustainable jobs); recalls that health, gender equality, education and decent jobs should remain, employment and improving the living conditions are at the core of the Union’s external action, in particular for the most vulnerable, populations, including for migrants and for refugees; acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted societies in many ways, reversing the human development progress achieved in recent years, putting pressure on the most vulnerable populations, exacerbating inequalities and leading to limitations to the civil and democratic space in fragile democracies;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. Recalls that 2 EUTFs were created under the EDF, namely the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (the ‘EUTF for Africa’) and the European Union Trust Fund Bêkou for the Central African Republic (the ‘EUTF Bêkou’); recalls Parliament’s regular stance that the Commission should ensures that any trust fund established as a new development tool must always be in line with the Union’s overall strategy and development policy objectives, i.e. the reduction and in the long term eradication of poverty as enshrined in Article 208 TFEU, and must, in particular, ensure that the security interests of European countries do not override the needsrecipient countries receive support in tackling the root causes of irregular migration flows as security is essential for the stability of the recipient populations; encouragnotes ,the Commission to reconsider financial aid to EUTF projects deflecting from that centreline; proposal for the establishment under the CFSP of a European Peace Facility (EPF) for the financing of military and defence-related cooperation with third countries and IOs that will enhance the ability of the Union to respond more rapidly and effectively to security challenges together with the NDICI;63a _________________ 63a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/IDAN/2021/691520/IPOL_IDA(20 21)691520_EN.pdf p. 28.
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Notes that EDF contributions to the EUTFs increased from EUR 600 million in 2019 to EUR 800 million in 2020, with additional EDF funds to the EUTF for Africa used to address specific areas of concerns in the Sahel and Lake Chad and Horn of Africa regions, including security challenges, essential stabilisation efforts and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic; recalls the fact that EUTF for Africa’s funding lines must not be used for security measures, which would jeopardise migrants’ rights; calls on the Commission the Commission to continue mon ito put in place tangible guarantees that migration-related EUTF projects are not used by the implementing authorities to violate migrants’ basic human rightring migration-related EUTF projects and inform the discharge authority on their outcomes;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Expresses concerns aboutNotes the financial contribution of the EDF to the EUTF Bêkou to support the Central African Republic’s exit from the COVID- 19 crisis and its reconstruction and development, due to the control exercised by mercenaries from; expresses concerns about the influence of the Wagner Group over the Central African Armed Forces; echonotes the concerns that mercenaries from the Wagner Group were commanding units that the Union had trained and notes the CommissiCommission's decision to temporarily suspend its military training mission due to concerns referring to activities of the Wagner Group; in this regard, notes, that in December 2021 the EU has decided to impose restrictive measures against the Wagner Group; welcomes EU’s strong decision to temporarily suspend its military training mission;termination to stand up for its interests and values in its worried by reports of systematic and serious human rights violations by the Wagner Group andneighbourhood and to take decisive action against threats to the international peace and security; calls on the Commission to checkmonitor that no funds weare paid out directly or indirectly to the Wagner GroupRussian contractors or sub-contracts especially in view of the current war on Ukraine;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Notes that the mid-term evaluation of the EUTF for Africa was concluded in 2020; notes the main findings of the evaluation report and expresses concerns about some of the critical aspects highlighted therein, namely the fact that despite significant resources allocated for addressing irregular migration, the most appropriate means for addressing it, which is the main objective of the EDFs, was not well defined, leading to a situation in which the EUTF for Africa has focused on migration to Europe rather than the broad migration and development agenda; is worried by one ofhose purpose is to provide with an objective assessment of the strategic approach and operationalisation of the EUTF from 2015 to 2019 was concluded in 2020; notes the main findings of the evaluation report, namely that the EUTF for Africa, as a short-term instrument, is not an appropriate vehicl has a too wide mandate for addressing the root causes of major societal problemsigration; notes the need to better address challenges related to intra-African migration that makes up almost 90% of migration flows in Africa; requests the Commission to continue responding to thatese concerns in the remaining implementation period, making sure to have more focused activities to eradicate poverty in line with the EDFs’ main objective and to work towards an approach limiting the dependencies on external intervention;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Is also worriedNotes that the EUTF for Africa has managed to make modest contributions to increased economic opportunities and employment; supports the recommendation, set out in the evaluation report, to request that Union support to economic opportunities and employment creation be integrated where possible with local labour market dynamics and actors; and also with private sector investment;68a _________________ 68a https://ec.europa.eu/info/system/files/ann ual-activity-report-2020-international- partnerships-annexes_en.pdf p.731.