Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-11-Speech-2-050"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000411.3.2-050"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mrs Stauner’s report, which we are discussing today, is important in more than one respect. Indeed, it is of direct concern to the citizens of our respective countries, since it discusses European Union finances, and the citizens of Europe are entitled to ask for explanations regarding the use made of their money.
This report is also important because it deals with serious inefficiencies in the European Commission’s implementation of the budget, inefficiencies involving considerable amounts of money.
Our Group is in favour of any action which may be taken to combat fraud, by definition, and therefore shares the rapporteur’s opinion regarding the overwhelming need to make the management of the European Commission more efficient and effective.
We are extremely concerned at both the irregularities committed within the scope of the MED and ECHO programmes and at some of the details of the Fléchard case. The Union for a Europe of Nations Group is convinced that such practices can only seriously impair the credibility and, hence, the image of the European Union as a whole.
We should also remember, ladies and gentlemen, that we have been forced to note shortcomings in the procedure for dialogue with the Commission, which seems not to have been able, or not to have wished, to respond to the expectations and questions of the members of the parliamentary supervisory body.
In view of the many contentious issues still pending, whether they involve irregularities or budget funds, our Group considers that, at the moment, it is essential to refuse discharge for the year 1998. All we can do is urge the European Commission to pass on, within the necessary time limits, all the information requested by the Committee on Budgetary Control regarding the measures adopted, in order to overcome the obstacles to the granting of discharge.
For us to grant discharge without asking the European Commission for further details would, of course, be evidence of weakness on the part of the European Parliament. This House would lose face and would discredit itself in the eyes of public opinion in our countries, and that is something we do not want.
Regarding the European Commission’s proposal, there could be no question of the Union for a Europe of Nations Group’s accepting sharing responsibility for the decision on discharge. The Treaties clearly establish the exclusive competence of Parliament in matters of budgetary control."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples