11 Amendments of Eva JOLY related to 2015/2128(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas Member States are primarily responsible for the collection of own resources, inter alia in the form of VAT and customs duties;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the diversity of legal and administrative systems in the Member States presents a challenging environment in which to overcome irregularities and combat fraud; whereas any incorrect use of EU funds entails not only individual, but also collective, losses;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Encourages the Council to give a new impetus to the negotiations on the PIF Directive in order to strengthen the existing legal framework by establishing common minimum rules for the definition of offences affecting the Union’s financial interests with VAT included in the scope, and by laying down sanctions and time limitsrules on prescription for such cases, particularly in view of the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Taricco case reminding that VAT is a traditional own resource;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its call to the Council to keep the Parliament informed of and closely involved in the current negotiations for the establishment of the EPPO and recalls the recommendations made in its resolutions of March 2014 and April 2015; stresses that the EPPO Regulation should be adopted swiftly and demands that the Council explain its reasons for delaying the negotiations;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expresses its concern about the estimated losses on VAT collections in the EU, amounting to EUR 168 billion in 2013; underlines the fact that in many Member States VAT fraud and avoidance remains at a continuously high level; reiterates that the Commission has the competence to control and supervise measures taken by the Member States; calls on the Commission to make full use of its executive powers in order to both control and help the Member States in their fight against VAT fraud and tax avoidance;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes with concern that the number of irregularities reported as fraudulent in 2014 dropped by only 4 % after a 76 % increase in 2013; urges the competent authorities to take all necessary measures to decrease the number of fraudulent irregularities, although not at the expense of control standards;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Invites the Commission to develop a system of strict indicators and easily applicable criteria based on the requirements set out in the Stockholm Programme to measure the level of corruption in the Member States; is concerned about the reliability and quality of data coming from the Member States; calls on the Commission, therefore, to work closely with Member States to guarantee comprehensive, exact and reliable data; invites the Commission to work out a corruption index to categorise Member States;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to swiftly promote legislation on the minimum level of protection for whistle- blowers in the European Union; calls on the European institutions to amend the Staff Regulations to ensure that these not only formally oblige officials to report irregularities, but also lay down adequate protection for whistle-blowers; calls on the European institutions that have not done so and other bodies to implement Article 22(c) of the Staff Regulations without delay;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Reiterates that, according to Article 325(2) TFEU, Member States ‘shall take the same measures to counter fraud affecting the financial interests of the Union as they take to counter fraud affecting their own financial interests’; is of the opinion that this provision is not met in the EU; is of the opinion that the Commission should develop a horizontal policy on the fight against fraud and corruption; emphasises that the Commission is also responsible for the effective spending of funds, and calls therefore on the Commission to put in place internal performance requirements;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Notes that the comprehensive prosecution of crime, including fraud and corruption or money laundering or related organised crime and other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the EU, is a conditio sine qua non for the effective functioning of the EU; emphasises the need for a systemic follow- up to OLAF recommendations; is of the opinion that following up those recommendations requires procedural rights for OLAF in national legislations to make sure that recommendations are respected and taken into account by national authorities;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Underlines the importance of access to information and the transparency of lobbying, and of using EU funding to support the work of independent organisations in this area, inter alia to establish financial support for cross- border investigative journalism;