Activities of Thijs BERMAN related to 2011/2073(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on budgetary control of EU humanitarian aid managed by ECHO
Amendments (10)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the opinion of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) in its annual reports according to which the overall ex- ante controls, monitoring and supervision systems, ex-post audit activity, the internal audit functions of DG ECHO are assessed as generally effective; stresses, meanwhilehowever, that in all these aspects there is room for improvement;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the enhanced flexibility and efficiency facilitated by the FPA 2008 as compared to the FPA 2005, such as a more result-oriented approach, the introduction of the A- and P-control mechanisms, simplification and less ambiguity through developing guidelines; calls on the Commission to continue refining the measures which improve the efficiency of cooperation with the FPA partners through the upcoming FPA in 2012; stresses that improving the efficiency of cooperation and reducing the excessive administrative burden, meanwhile, shall should ensure a high level of accountability and transparency;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that thanks to the audit and monitoring mechanisms in place there is higher accountability in terms of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the FPA partners than in the case of the UN partners; however points out that an international organisation such as the UN cannot be compared to FPA partners;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that as a result of the ongoing revision of the Financial Regulation (FR), suggests theat EU funds channelled through the UN and IOs are to be managed in accordance with the provisions of indirect management;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that the control requirements for indirect management of the EU funds must be streamlined withas rigorous as those for shared management; insisexpects that the same level of accountability be established for the indirect management of EU funds by ECHO partners, notably in terms of providing the Commission with the documents mention to parallel that indicated in Article 57(5) of the Commission proposal for the FR; stresses thatand calls for access to the audit reports of ECHO partners is essential in verifying sound financial management of actions financed from the EU budget;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. DeploRegrets the excessively general character of UN reports, with insufficient information on results; points out that because of the single audit principle of the UN and the fact that the scope of the Commission's control is limited to verifications and monitoring, the UN reports are, however, an essential source of information for ensuring accountability and transparency;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to ensure that UN reports contain sufficient information concerning the results, i.e. the output and outcome, of projects within the reporting time scale; stresses that measurable output and impact indicators must be an integral part of the reporting criteria; deplores the fact that over 70 % of ECHO's replies to the ECA's questionnaires for its Special Report 15/2009 reveal that UN reports were late and asks the Commission to indicate the latest situation in this regard;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Recalls the ECA opinion expressed in its Special Report 15/2009 according to which the strategic and legal requirements to select partner in an objective and transparent way are insufficiently translated into practical criteria to support decision making in the case of UN partners; insists that the choice of a UN partner to implement humanitarian action must demonstrate that this approach is more efficient and effective than other ways of delivering aid; calls on the Commission to systematically carry out and document formal appraisals of, and comparisons with, alternative aid delivery mechanismbetween aid delivery mechanisms of the UN and other partners;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. AcknowledgWelcomes that DG ECHO promotes disaster risk reduction (DRR) through the DIPECHO programme and as an integral part of humanitarian actions;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Points out that the Committee on Budgetary Control will undertake a delegation to Haiti in light of the problems reported in connection with the aid allocated to Haiti;