Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-04-Speech-3-337"
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"en.20001004.13.3-337"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission’s great reform project as summarised in the White Paper is primarily aimed at boosting efficiency, i.e., at making a real improvement in financial management, covering in fact every aspect of the budget. In future the money is to be spent in a more targeted and effective manner, and of course we also want a better guarantee that the funds are actually spent for the purposes decided by the budgetary authority.
Let me say briefly that the Commission accepts Amendment No 2, which – most importantly – provides for an annual report by the financial controller, to ensure greater transparency. In my view, the concern set out in Amendment No 3 is also most important, namely that a differentiated approach should be taken to the different institutions. That means the Commission, the Council and Parliament must under all circumstances separate ex ante control from the independent audit service, while the small institutions, which do indeed have a far, far smaller operational budget, should be free to choose whether to separate them. That is, of course, also a question of experience. Perhaps it will be concluded at some point that this should be made compulsory; but for the time being it should be left to their discretion. I think that will also make it easier to implement this reform.
I really find this proposal so useful that I am only sorry I did not think of it myself. But that also shows how important it is for the Commission and Parliament to interact constructively. Let me therefore thank you for your proposals and your opinions.
That is the primary aim and my colleague, Mr Kinnock, has repeatedly set out all the steps we will take in seeking to achieve it, for the reform process consists of a great many measures. Let me point out that we have already implemented a large number of these individual steps, be it in relation to workplace definition or to setting up a central financial service in the Budgets Directorate-General, to name only two important ones.
We are now concerned with amending the Financial Regulation, a process which in fact only began in 1998 when people realised how important it is to conduct not only an ex ante control, but also an internal ex post control, i.e. to have an internal audit service. It is only since 1998, with the seventh amendment of the old Financial Regulation, that the independent financial controller has been responsible for both activities. Shortly thereafter, the Committee of Independent Experts informed us that this system is not the ideal solution either, because it contains latent conflicts.
Regardless of whether such conflicts have in fact arisen, there is a potential for conflict. That in itself can lead to the question whether the person who gave the go-ahead for expenditure ex ante really is in a position to conduct an accurate ex post control – with the necessary objectivity. If even the slightest impression could arise that the controller might no longer be independent, that is reason enough for us to split this function again. That is the proposal before us.
It has also been pointed out that this proposal should, of course, be incorporated in the general revision of the Financial Regulation, but since that revision will take quite a long time – if only because it is such a complex business – the Commission has asked for this single issue to be decided in a fast-track procedure.
On the question of the Financial Regulation in general, let me say very briefly that I really am very sorry that the revised version is still not available in all the languages. I personally will do my utmost to speed things up, so that Parliament finally has this document in all the languages.
I want to thank both committees – the Committee on Budgetary Control and the Committee on Budgets – for this intensive debate and in particular the rapporteurs, Mr van Hulten and Mr Dell’Alba, who was unable to be here today. I really do appreciate the fact that Mr van Hulten made such personal efforts to find a good solution for this change to the Financial Regulation and thus to get this key component of the reform up and running.
Turning now to the proposed amendments, let me say briefly that the Commission approves the insertion of the extra recital. This recital – as also the amendments to Article 2(a) that you proposed – relates to your concern, expressed here, that the financial controller’s function of ex ante control could be weakened during the transitional period. That will not be the case, because we have decided – speaking only in terms of posts now – that 80 posts will be available for this ex ante control during the transitional period. Let me point out again – since misunderstandings sometimes arise here – that ex ante control is in fact based on a sampling method. In the past, 10% of operations were controlled, which, however, accounted for 89% of the total budget. That is why this always has to be taken into account too. The percentage has now been cut to about 80%, but it is based on a risk assessment. That means that we have 100% control for some high-risk areas.
I can understand the concern that in the absence of this ex ante control – before the money is spent – a deficit could appear. Of course the Commission has taken note of Parliament’s concern here. So I can only underline again that we have developed a very accurate procedure for checking whether the individual Directorates-General that are to be responsible for this ex ante control in future are in a position to conduct it. Only if they are able to do so will we revert to sampling, to selecting, which is often controlled. Obviously that is a guarantee that must exist."@en1
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