Today the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control committee adopted a number of reports on the discharge (‘signing off’) of the EU’s 2011 budget. Many of the reports were prepared by rapporteurs representing the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group

Today the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control committee adopted a number of reports on the discharge (‘signing off’) of the EU’s 2011 budget. Many of the reports were prepared by rapporteurs representing the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group.

Ryszard Czarnecki, Co-ordinator of the ECR Group in the Budgetary Control Committee, prepared reports on the Court of Auditors, Court of Justice and European External Action Service. He underlined that particularly the last report constituted a significant challenge because it was prepared for the very first time (the EEAS was created by the Lisbon Treaty). “Undoubtedly it will set a path for future discharge reports on this issue”, said Czarnecki (ECR, Poland Law and Justice).

In the report on the EEAS, the committee expresses its deep concern regarding non-compliance with the rules that has led to incorrect payments to staff members, legal uncertainty for temporary staff, a failure to respect the Financial Regulation, unrecovered VAT, and a breach of procurement rules. “What we need is more transparency in terms of the EEAS’s structure and expenditure. The EEAS must do better”, stressed Ryszard Czarnecki.

The committee also encourages the Court of Auditors to improve the quality and impact of its work and calls for special attention to be given to the external experts’ reviews of the content and presentation of the Court of Auditors’ reports.

In the report on the Court of Justice the committee underlines the necessity of human resources reinforcement. “Negotiations are at standstill whereas the number of pending cases in the General Court had greatly increased. The European Council has to solve this matter”, underlined Ryszard Czarnecki.