Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-11-Speech-2-043"
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"en.20000411.3.2-043"2
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"Postponement of the granting of discharge is in itself the result of a quite incredible situation. Even though it is not a question of discharge being refused at the present time, the postponement is a consequence of the Committee on Budgetary Control’s not having been able to obtain adequate information on time, of documents’ having disappeared and of the fact that there is so much that can be criticised in the financial and administrative spheres that the impression is one of dealing with a South American banana republic rather than with a supranational European organisation. These extraordinary results from a seedy administrative culture go back to 1998 and are not this Commission’s direct responsibility, but it is the present Commission’s responsibility to show that the misconduct, fraud and betrayal of mandates which have taken place really do belong to the past. We have still not obtained proofs of this in all areas. We have heard excuses, often in a dismissive tone, from the Commission, as if it were the Commission which was to be giving
discharge, rather than the other way round. We have seen an express reluctance to hold those officials to account who are responsible for the circumstances open to criticism. It is not that there are no rules. Rather, it is a case of rules having been quite deliberately set aside in many areas.
As Mr Kuhne rightly pointed out, it is important that we should also direct criticism against Parliament’s own economic administration. I would especially point out the quite unacceptable buildings administration and the way in which the rules for using the competitive tendering procedures were circumvented. The impression cannot be avoided of systematic nepotism of precisely the kind which the competitive tendering procedure should prevent. We shall therefore vote against the discharge for Parliament’s 1998 accounts. If there are no dramatic improvements in the financial administration, European taxpayers will know how to react against this irresponsible misuse of their money. The Commission must understand that they are not Europe’s overlords but the servants of European citizens. I should like to emphasise that there is broad agreement within the Committee on Budgetary Control about postponing the discharge for the most important accounts, and I would thank the rapporteurs for the splendid and painstaking work they have carried out. I would also especially draw attention to Mrs Stauner’s and Mrs Rühle’s very efficient work, just as I should like to thank Mrs Theato for her very conscientious and effective leadership of the Committee on Budgetary Control. Mrs Theato should know that we value her desire to call a spade a spade."@en1
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