Activities of Michèle RIVASI related to 2020/2190(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2019
Amendments (28)
Amendment 1 #
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 3 #
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2019 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh European Development Funds for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas it is crucial to ensure that development aid is used in accordance with its original purpose, meaning to reduce and ultimately to eradicate poverty, as stated in Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, with due consideration for aid and development effectiveness principles;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the alignment of Union development cooperation with partner countries’ own development priorities should be always and fully respected and is a key element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas policy coherence and complementarity of various external policies should be carefully looked at, especially when several policies are being implemented in a single partner country, with the view to promoting synergies and trade-offs between existing policies and to avoiding possible damaging consequences of one single EU policy on an area otherwise dealt with by another policy and, as much as possible, unnecessary administrative burden;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas budget support, while playing a key role in driving change and in addressing the main development challenges, carries a considerable governance risk and should be granted only if the beneficiary state is able to demonstrate a sufficient level of transparency, accountability, respect for the Rule of Law and human rights prior to receiving budget support assistance, followed by thorough ex-post checks;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned that the estimated level of error surpassed the materiality threshold, with 3,5 % of expenditure affected for the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh EDF (compared to 5,2 % for 2018, 4,5 % in 2017, 3,3 % in 2016, 3,8 % in 2014 and 2015, 3,4 % in 2013 and 3 % in 2012); notes that the growing trend of the estimated level of error has temporary stopped; expects, nevertheless, that the Commission reflect on the root causes of the succession of adverse opinions and take all steps necessary to further reduce the estimated level of error;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. NotesIs worried about 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 audits and expenditure verifications, points to weaknesses in those checks; notes with concern that this is not only problematic in terms of the effectiveness of the checks but also in terms of the efficiency of the management and control system because the checks performed did not prevent or correct the error; reiterates its expectation that the control system should be more rigorous and calls on DG INTPA to continue efforts to improve the assessment of both effectiveness and efficiency of its control system by identifying key performance indicators for both, to set realistic and ambitious targets and to monitor and improve its control system;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes DG INTPA’s eighth RER study, which resulted in an RER of 1,13 % , up from 0,85 % in 2018 and below the 2 % materiality threshold fixed by the Commission; notes the Court’s observation that four major factors distort the RER, contributing to the underestimation of the residual error rate, namely the insufficient coverage of certain aspects of procurement procedures, the very low number of on- the-spot-checks in the country of project implementation, which is deemed insufficient to detect errors that are not apparent in documents, the method for determining the RER, which results in a rate that does not necessarily reflect the actual residual errors, and possible overreliance on previous control work, which is contrary to the purpose of the RER study, namely to identify the errors that have evaded precisely those controls; calls on DG INTPA, as in previous years, to liaise with the Court and to address those issues in an update of the methodology and in a more thorough performance of next year’s RER study;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with concern the Court’s statement that the absence of reservations in the 2019 annual activity report is unjustified; further notes the Court’s consideration that it results partly from the limitations of the RER study and partly from the introduction of a ‘de minimis rule’, which states that a reservation is not needed if the individual spending area it would cover represents less than 5 % of total payments and has a financial impact of less than EUR 5 million; consequently, reservations are no longer made in some cases where they were made in previous years, even if corresponding risks remains and the errors remain the same; recalls that a reservation is a keystone in the accountability construction and therefore constitutes a preventive and transparency instrument within the assurance building of DG INTPA, reflecting ongoing challenges or remaining and recurring weaknesses faced at headquarters or within Union delegations;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes with satisfaction the continued commitment of the United Kingdom to pay all its obligations under the current multiannual financial framework and previous financial perspectives as if it were still a Member State, as expressed in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (the ‘Withdrawal Agreement’); notes furthermore that the Withdrawal Agreement states that the United Kingdom is to remain party to the EDF until the closure of the eleventh EDF and all previous unclosed EDFs, and is to, in this respect, assume the same obligations as the Member States under the Internal Agreement by which it was set up, as well as the obligations resulting from previous EDFs until their closure and that the United Kingdom may participate, as an observer, without voting rights, in the EDF Committee;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Recalls on the Commission to: - strictly respect and make applicable in contribution and framework agreements the aforementioned responsibilities of entities implementing Union funds and the obligation to provide the Court and OLAF with any requested document needed for audit completion; - pay regular attention to the pillar assessment requirements and reports of the international organisations and NGOs concerned by this lack of cooperation to review the appropriateness of their accountability tools; to reconsider related provisions or terms of reference when the pillar assessment methodology is to be reviewed to comply with the EDF Financial Regulation; calls for an adaptation, where necessary, of the existing delegation agreements in force with those international entities;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Notes that there is still a need for a more systematic approach to the communication of Union´s grant-funded activities to enhance Union´s visibility, and to strengthen transparency, accountability and human rights due- diligence along the chain of funding; calls on the Commission to introduce in the framework agreements the obligation for the leading Agency to ensure the visibility of the Union in multi-donor projects; calls on the Commission to carry out sample-based on-the-spot controls years after the completion of the co- financed projects to check the continued impact of the EDF interventions and to take the necessary steps to ensure the long-term impacts of its operations;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes with appreciation that sub- Saharan Africa is still the largest recipient of budget support with a share of 36 %; observes furthermorewith concern that the share of low income countries decreased to 32 % (compared to 38% in 2018) and that lower middle income countries, with 47 % of the total ongoing commitments, represent the largest beneficiaries of budget support;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Recalls that budget support aims at strengthening the partnership with the Union partner countries, to promote sustainable development, eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and consolidate peace and democracy, ultimately to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals; notes that the Union budget support shall be guided by the internationally agreed Busan effectiveness principles such as Ownership by partner countries, Results focus, Inclusiveness and accountability; highlights that, as it fosters transparency and good governance, budget support contributes also to the fight against corruption and fraud;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Recalls on DG INTPA, however, to strictly assess in its policy dialogue the risks related to corporate tax avoidance, tax evasion and illicit financial flows affecting particularly developing countries; encourages DG INTPA to assess the fiscal impact and to help to the definition of oriented investment objectives;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to carry out an evaluation on a country-by-country basis of the long- term on-going EDF financed projects in order to demonstrate the true impact of decades-long Union investment on the ground and how it has effectively helped beneficiary countries’ economic, social and sustainable development;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5 a (new)
Subheading 5 a (new)
The European Union Trust Fund for Africa
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35 a. Is concerned that as a follow-up to the EDF’s 2018 discharge report the Commission hasn’t properly implemented Parliament’s numerous recommendations related to the EUTF;
Amendment 52 #
35 b. Recalls Parliament’s regular stance that the Commission should ensure 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 eradication of poverty, and must, in particular, ensure that the security interests of European countries do not override the needs of the recipient populations; encourages the Commission to consider limiting financial aid to EUTF projects deflecting from this centreline;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)
Paragraph 35 c (new)
35 c. Stresses that in order to meet the policy objectives, the EUTF must address the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration by promoting resilience, economic opportunities, equal opportunities, security of populations, and human and social development; observes with great concern that to the opposite of helping to address these causes of destabilisation, the EU funds in 2019 were increasingly being spent to help close borders, stiffen migration and push for returns of migrants back to Africa;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 d (new)
Paragraph 35 d (new)
35 d. Recalls that EUTF funding lines must not be used for security measures jeopardising migrants’ rights; calls the Commission to put in place tangible guarantees that migration-related EUTF projects are not used by the implementing authorities to violate migrants basic human rights; in that respect is appalled to learn that 91,3million EUR were paid for a border control project in Libya, which is planned to run until end of 2021, and includes training and the equipment for the Libyan Coast Guard which recently was accused1a of sending migrants to detention centres and subject them to torture, abuse and extortion;[1] _________________ 1aComplaint to the ECA concerning the mismanagement of EUTF funds IBM Libya Programme, Global legal action network, Association for juridical studies on immigration, Italian recreational and cultural association.
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 e (new)
Paragraph 35 e (new)
35 e. Reiterates its calls on the Commission to follow-up on the 2018 EDF Discharge report regarding the project “Reconnecting Eritrea and Ethiopia through rehabilitation of the main arterial roads in Eritrea”, funded by the EUTF and managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services, which finances Eritrean national construction companies using forced labour via national service; notes with great concern that EUTF paid their first tranche of EUR 20 million in 2019, followed by additional EUR 60 million 2020 despite the clear opposition by the Parliament; also notes the answer by the commissioner responsible for international partnerships from 15 September 2020 where she informed the parliament that the Commission adopted the “no more roads” approach for Eritrea and has reallocated the remaining funds to other programs; demands that the Commission presents the full report on the case to the discharge authority;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 f (new)
Paragraph 35 f (new)
35 f. Considers that due care is needed to ensure better communication among the Commission, Parliament and Member States concerning the implementation of the EUTF and sufficient public reporting, oversight and audit of their operations and performance; invites the Court to consider an audit of the impact of the implementation of the EUTF for Africa on Union development policy both from a budgetary and results point of view; calls therefore on the Commission to draw conclusions from the audit and ensure that EUTF projects that have been inefficiently implemented are terminated or greatly limited in funding;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 g (new)
Paragraph 35 g (new)
35 g. Risks and challenges related to the EDF aid implementation
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 h (new)
Paragraph 35 h (new)
35 h. Recalls that good governance, the rule of law and the respect for human rights are unavoidable preconditions concurring to the effectiveness of aid; calls upon the Commission to set the rule of law and the respect for human rights as the ultimate precondition for approving financial aid; invites the Commission to make more stringent use of the clause included into the financial agreements with partner countries that enables the Commission to suspend or to terminate the agreement in case of breach of an obligation relating to respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law e (art. 26.1 of the General conditions);
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 i (new)
Paragraph 35 i (new)
35 i. Is concerned by the Commission rejection of Parliament recommendation to include in the next annual activity report a structured assessment of the impact of the activities of the EDF; invites the Commission to revise its position and respond positively to the Parliament specific request;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 j (new)
Paragraph 35 j (new)
35 j. Reiterates its concerns about the inconsistency between the budgetary process of the EDF where the EP is not involved in establishing and allocating EDF resources, and the necessary accountability process where the Parliament is the discharge authority, except for the Investment Facility, which is managed by the EIB and therefore outside the scope of the audit;