12 Amendments of Tamás DEUTSCH related to 2015/2154(DEC)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes, that the Annual report of the Court of Auditors ("the Court") of 10 November 2015 on the implementation of the 2014 budget of the European Union found the error rate in Cohesion Policy to be estimated at 5,7%, which represents an increase as compared to 2013 (5,3%); expresses its concern at this increase, which is especially significant as far as errors with financial implications and serious negative effects on the budget are concerned; highlights that the majority of errors stem from a failure to comply with public procurement rules and this is mainly caused by complexity, inconsistent interpretation of legislation and lack of administrative capacity;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the implementation of Cohesion Policy in Member States involves substantial national procedures and rules, which constitute an additional layer and in turn lead to irregularities; calls on the Commission to contribute to simplification of implementation at the level of Member States; underlines that SMEs are particularly likely to commit errors due to the complexity of rules and stresses therefore the necessity of further simplification.
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 a (new)
Paragraph 69 a (new)
69a. Welcomes the Commission's decision to increase transparency by improving its system of expert groups, particularly as regards the procedure for selecting experts, through the development of a new conflict-of-interest policy for experts appointed in a personal capacity, implying the possibility for Parliament to exercise direct control over such appointments; takes note of the requirement for experts to be registered in the transparency register where relevant; urges the Commission, however, to take into account the recommendations both of the European Ombudsman concerning the composition of the expert groups and of the study 'Composition of the Commission's expert groups and the status of the register of expert groups' when drafting amendments to the current horizontal rules governing expert groups, in order to create a more systematic and transparent approach; requests that the Commission engage in a dialogue with Parliament before the rules are formally adopted, especially in relation to the upcoming report of the Committee on Budgetary Control and the Committee on Legal Affairs on this matter; encourages the European agencies to consider reforms in a similar sense;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 b (new)
Paragraph 69 b (new)
69b. Considers the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to be a key actor in the fight against corruption and therefore believes that it is of the utmost importance that this institution work effectively and independently; recommends, in accordance with the OLAF Regulation, that the OLAF Supervisory Committee be given access to the information needed for effective execution of its mandate with regard to oversight of OLAF activities and that it be given budgetary independence;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71 a (new)
Paragraph 71 a (new)
71a. Reiterates its request that the Commission report biannually to Parliament and to the Council on the implementation by the Union institutions of their internal anti-corruption policies, and is looking forward to reading the next report in early 2016; asks the Commission to add a chapter on the performance of the Union institutions in fighting corruption and is of the opinion that the Commission's future anti-corruption reports should always cover all the Union institutions and bodies;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. Considers the Commission's first biennial anti-corruption report to be a promising attempt to better understand corruption in all its dimensions, to develop effective responses with a view to tackling it, and to pave the way for enhanced accountability of the public sphere to Union citizens; reaffirms, in this context, the importance of the Union's zero-tolerance policy on fraud, corruption and collusion; considers it regrettable, however, that this report did not include the anti-corruption policies of the Union institutions themselves;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 b (new)
Paragraph 72 b (new)
72b. Demands that in its second anti- corruption report, at the latest, the Commission carries out further analysis at the level of both the Union institutions and the Member States of the environment in which policies are implemented, in order to identify inherent critical factors, vulnerable areas and risk factors conducive to corruption;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 c (new)
Paragraph 72 c (new)
72c. Calls upon the Commission to fulfil without delay its reporting obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 264 a (new)
Paragraph 264 a (new)
264a. Requests that all Union institutions and agencies implement Article 16 of the Staff Regulations by publishing, on an annual basis, information about senior officials who have left the Union administration, as well as a list of conflicts of interest; requests that the aforementioned independent structure assess the compatibility of post-Union employment or the situation whereby civil servants and former Members of the Parliament move from the public to the private sector (the 'revolving door' issue) and the possibility of a conflict of interest, and define clear cooling-off periods, which should cover at least the period for which transitional allowances are granted,
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 266 a (new)
Paragraph 266 a (new)
266a. Demands that all those Union institutions and agencies that have not yet done so urgently adopt internal rules on whistle-blowing and take a common approach to their obligations, focusing on the protection of whistle-blowers; requests special attention for the protection of whistle-blowers in the context of the Directive on the Protection of Trade Secrets; calls on the Commission to promote legislation on a minimum level of protection for whistle-blowers in the Union; calls on the institutions and agencies to amend the Staff Regulations to ensure that they not only formally oblige officials to report irregularities of all kinds but also lay down adequate protection for whistle-blowers; calls on the institutions and agencies to implement Article 22(c) of the Staff Regulations without delay;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 270 a (new)
Paragraph 270 a (new)
270a. Encourages the Union institutions and agencies to better raise awareness of the conflict-of-interest policy among their officials, alongside ongoing awareness- raising activities and the inclusion of integrity and transparency as an obligatory item to be discussed during recruitment procedures and performance reviews; considers that a distinction should be made between elected representatives and public officials in the legislation on conflicts of interest; believes that there should also be such regulations in the Member States for public officials and civil servants involved in the administration and monitoring of Union subsidies; calls on the Commission to submit a draft legal basis on this matter;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 271 a (new)
Paragraph 271 a (new)
271a. Requests that the Commission pay particular attention in this regard to the prevention of conflicts of interest and corruptive practices in the case of decentralised agencies, which are particularly vulnerable considering the fact that they are relatively unknown to the public and are also located throughout the Union;