12 Amendments of Monika HOHLMEIER related to 2023/2130(DEC)
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the increased use of the transparency register as an information and reference tool for interest representation activities at Union level, shown by the rise in applications for registration and increased number of visits to the website year-on-year; notes the continuous improvement in the quality of information on the public database resulting from eligibility and data quality checks of new applicants, increased targeted quality monitoring and as a result of investigations based on complaints or own initiative investigations by the Secretariat; welcomes the regular communication, helpdesk and awareness-raising activities undertaken by the Secretariat among stakeholders both within the institutions and outside, as well as the development of IT solutions to improve the transparency register;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and therefore of Parliament; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, their status over the years has been recognised; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; notes, that since then, APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work; notes that on 11 December 2023 the Bureau adopted amendments to the ‘Implementing Measures for Title VII of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union’, governing the employment of accredited parliamentary assistants (APAs); notes that according to this decision the rules applicable to missions undertaken by officials and other servants of Parliament will apply to APAs mutatis mutandis;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55 a (new)
Paragraph 55 a (new)
55a. Observes that the Bureau Decision on applicable rules on Committee missions outside of the three places of work as amended in November 2011, following discussions in the Conference of Presidents in April 2011 and in the Bureau in November 2011, currently prohibits APAs to accompany Members on official Parliament delegations and committee missions; notes that allowing APAs to participate to EP missions unofficially puts the Parliament in a serious reputational risk and imposes specific challenges with regards to their insurance coverage; reminds that MEPs are already accompanied by representatives of political groups on these missions;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Takes note of the Bureau minutes of the additional meeting of 6 July 2022 where the Bureau took note and endorsed the results of the International Architectural Design Competition for the Renewal of the SPAAK building; notes that 5 laureates were endorsed by the Bureau; notes that no other decision was taken during 2022 on this topic and there were thus no financial consequences; recalls the need for a swift approval of final plans at committee level to begin renovation works given the deteriorating condition of the building; stresses that the current building has a very low energy efficiency rating and lacks much needed flexibility to be fit for purpose; highlights that the European Parliament should be a forerunner with its own building portfolio in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability to safeguard citizen’s support for the objectives of the Green Deal; notes that the renovation would lead to significant cost savings of several million EUR per year and in addition help to comply with the requirements of the future European Energy Efficiency Directive and Building Performance Directive;
Amendment 140 #
89a. Notes that in the year 2022, the amount of 261.891 EUR was recovered by the European Parliament from individual MEPs on revenue budget line 3300 "Repayment of amounts wrongly paid"; notes that large part of this amount is not related to parliamentary assistance allowance; notes that in general, amounts recovered on revenue budget line 3300 (from individual MEPS but also from political groups/parties/foundations, third parties, staff, other individuals, etc.) for the largest part represent technical recoveries such as the regularisation of amounts spent related to contracts evolved or terminated and for a large majority they do not concern APAs; observes that these amounts also include cases which relate to the voluntary reimbursements by a limited number of MEPs and the specific case of corrections, which were due either to administrative errors in the EP calculations or retroactive change of the rules in some Member States and off- set; notes that changes in terms of contracts and potential related recoveries after validated adaptations of the terms of contract are also falling under this category;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 a (new)
Paragraph 91 a (new)
91a. Recalls that long-Covid requires long-term care and is still subject to intensive research activities; notes that there are long-term patients among EU Parliament members, staff and APAs, who require continuous assistance; regrets that the current JSIS rules do not foresee adequate reimbursements leaving those concerned with a huge financial burden; stresses that similar unfavourable conditions apply to many persons with auto-immune diseases, which are not appropriately recognised; calls on DG FINS and PMO to modify the reimbursement rules to better reflect their needs;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96 a (new)
Paragraph 96 a (new)
96a. Notes that in 2022 OLAF investigated 32 cases involving Parliament on issues related to, in particular, Members’ financial and social entitlements, the use of appropriations under budget item 400 and the discharge of professional obligations by staff; highlights that OLAF issued 14 reports, some of which had more than one recommendation, of which 5 included financial recommendations, 5 included disciplinary recommendations, 1 included an administrative recommendations, and 7 did not include any recommendations; takes note that in 2022 the European Public Prosecutor’s office (EPPO) investigated 4 cases involving Parliament on issues related to Members’ financial and social entitlements, and the financing of political structures; notes that none of the investigations conducted by EPPO in 2022 was concluded on the same year;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96 a (new)
Paragraph 96 a (new)
96a. Acknowledges the work of local assistants as an essential part of member’s activities in their constituencies and as first contact point for citizens; stresses that the hiring and contract- signing process for local assistants has been increasingly challenging for some years now due to a myriad of administrational requests resulting in double checks and unclear requirements; stresses that DG FINS should recognise that local assistants are subject to national legislation and therefore requests country-specific desks to deal with the hiring process; further recalls that voluntary and political activities of local assistants, within the rules set by the European Parliament, are often regular occupations, which should not warrant unnecessary checks;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111
Paragraph 111
111. Welcomes Parliament’s zero tolerance policy on harassment and the awareness-raising campaigns carried out; stresses that the Code of Appropriate Behaviour for Members of the European Parliament seeks to ensure that Members behave towards everyone working in Parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect and without prejudice or discrimination; recalls that in 2022, 56 MEPs participated in the training session; notes that, since November 2018, when the first sessions were offered, a total of 324 current MEPs had participated in the training session, plus 56 former Members whose mandate has ended; notes that in 2022, 106 members of staff and APAs had participated in anti-harassment training courses; notes with concern that cases of harassment are still occurring regardless of the activities being carried out to eliminate harassment in the work place; acknowledges that to help build a better working environment in the European Parliament and avoid any abuse of power, on 10 July 2023, the Bureau further approved a training concept on ‘How to create a good and well-functioning team’, recommending that such training should be mandatory for Members as of the beginning of the next parliamentary term; the content of the modules would cover among others the recruitment of assistants, successful team management administrative and financial aspects of parliamentary assistance as well as harassment prevention;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 17 a (new)
Subheading 17 a (new)
Strasbourg
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 a (new)
Paragraph 117 a (new)
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125
Paragraph 125
125. Notes that, in 2022, the Authority gave European political parties and European political foundations the right to be heard as well as the opportunity for corrective measures in 9 cases; further notes that these were cases relating to reporting requirements, rules concerning revenue and joint activities; highlights that the Authority’s early scrutiny indicates that the immediately relevant corrective measures were implemented by the European political parties and foundations concerned in all these cases; takes note that the Authority will continue to monitor that corrective measures with a long-lasting effect will ensure sustained compliance in the areas concerned; welcomes the fact that no sanctions werhad to be adopted in 2022;