Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-09-14-Speech-2-115"
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"en.19990914.5.2-115"2
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"Mr President, Professor Prodi, ladies and gentlemen, in the course of the 19 hearings of the future Commissioners, we continually heard talk of the fine-sounding concepts of transparency, efficiency, responsibility and accountability. Not piecemeal improvements, but root and branch reform is to be carried out, as you plausibly inform us Mr Prodi. That is a difficult task for Mr Kinnock, however, because words are not enough. Deeds must quickly follow, and in a way which is fully open to scrutiny by Parliament. For us, constructive co-operation with the Commission is a prerequisite for achieving a sustained improvement in the regrettable image our citizens unfortunately have at present of Europe.
Specifically, I should like to touch upon three points relating to budgetary supervision. Firstly, it is normal practice to separate the power to spend and the responsibility for supervising spending. You, Professor Prodi, have combined both areas in the one department. What is your view on possibly separating the two areas, either now or in the future? As matters stand, don’t you fear conflicts of interest?
Secondly, I was pleased at what you said about keeping the public informed. I also wish to see openness of this kind in relation to our Committee, especially within the framework of the discharge procedure where we are entitled to expect the information we require from the Commission to be of a particular quality. In future, we do not want initially to have to find out from the press when there have been difficulties, poor management and so on.
The third point concerns OLAF, the new office for combating fraud. This year’s staffing of the office is quite inadequate. Unfortunately, Mrs Schreyer has not expressed a clear opinion about the possibility of a further 15 posts this year, giving a total of 30. From the answers at yesterday’s meeting of the Committee on Budgetary Control, there was no evidence of any change to the, so far, secretive attitude of the Commission and its administration.
There is still a lot to be done here in the services. This also applies to work on the 30 cases on the UCLAF-OLAF list which have still to be cleared up, not to mention the 900 other cases. I am counting on the fact that some life is going to be breathed into the words “transparency”, “efficiency”, “responsibility” and “accountability”."@en1
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