The European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee is responsible for scrutinising the implementation of the EU's budget.

ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

The European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee is responsible for scrutinising the implementation of the EU’s budget. The committee decides whether or not to sign off the accounts for each institution, in a process known as discharge.

MAIN ECR PRIORITIES

Better scrutiny There has been a gradual deterioration in the management of the European Budget. Whilst the ECR welcomes efforts being made by the EU institutions to address the problems in the short term; we believe there is also a need for longer term solutions, including the creation of a dedicated Commissioner for Budgetary Control.

The ECR believes that the quality of expenditure should be given far more attention with an increased emphasis on accountability and a focus on performance and spending outcomes. We believe that a greater role for Parliament in scrutinising the budget may be the best way to bring about a much needed cultural change in how EU money is spent and managed.
ECR MEPs believe that it is vital that effective systems, rules, and controls are in place. This is not yet the case. We are leading the fight to have a fully integrated control framework. When wrong-doing is discovered, we believe a full range of sanctions such as payment interruptions, suspensions, financial corrections, and penalties should be available. Furthermore, we recently won parliamentary support for such a sanctions regime “with minimal scope for discretion when breaches of the rules are discovered” as we feel that sanctions are not applied with sufficient rigour and determination.

Better internal controls

ECR MEPs believe that it is vital that effective systems, rules, and controls are in place. This is not yet the case. We are leading the fight to have a fully integrated control framework. When wrong-doing is discovered, we believe a full range of sanctions such as payment interruptions, suspensions, financial corrections, and penalties should be available. Furthermore, we recently won parliamentary support for such a sanctions regime “with minimal scope for discretion when breaches of the rules are discovered” as we feel that sanctions are not applied with sufficient rigour and determination.

MEMBERS

ECR Members of the CONT Committee:

• Ryszard CZARNECKI MEP (PL), ECR Coordinator
• Monica MACOVEI MEP (RO), ECR Deputy Coordinator
• Notis MARIAS MEP (GR)
• Raffaele FITTO MEP (IT)
Substitute Members:

• Beata GOSIEWSKA MEP (PL)
• Richard SULIK MEP (SK)

http://ecrgroup.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Budgetary-Control.pdf