Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-13-Speech-2-209"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20010313.14.2-209"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I would first like to congratulate Mr Bösch on his report – he has done a really excellent job. And his conclusion that there have not yet been any appreciable improvements in the fight against fraud also coincides with the OLAF Supervisory Committee's view. Furthermore, the Commission itself says several times in its own report that there were no significant changes in 1999 as compared with previous years, and that the total of unlawfully used funds in fact increased in some areas, for example in the Structural Funds. Let me emphasise once again that we are talking about taxpayers' money here. We must do our best to protect it.
If we are to reach the zero-tolerance limit promised by the Commission, OLAF, the European Fraud Investigation Office established in 1999, must first and foremost be given greater independence. This involves recruiting its staff without interference from the Commission, for example. I support Mr Bösch's suggestion that the appointments committee should be chaired by an independent figure. And the Director himself must set out in advance a clearly structured programme of work. One thing that is clear is that we do not just want the old UCLAF to continue under the new name of OLAF. Unfortunately, an opportunity was missed in Nice to strengthen OLAF by creating a European Financial Public Prosecutor's Office and putting it under judicial control.
Despite all Parliament's requests over the years and the commitment demonstrated by Commissioner Barnier and Commissioner Schreyer in particular, this subject was not even on the agenda at Nice. I therefore have some questions for the Commission now, as to whether, in accordance with Paragraphs 9 to 12 of the Bösch report, it will submit proposals by 1 June 2001 for what we might call a European Public Prosecutor's Office with restricted jurisdiction.
I would also like put this question to the Commission: not all the Member States have yet ratified the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests and this is preventing it from entering into force. Could you please tell us which countries have not yet ratified it and what the Commission can do to remedy this intolerable situation?
Another point: what is the Commission doing to overcome varying national interpretations of Community law on the recovery of own resources, as described in Paragraph 7(1) of its report? And lastly, there is the recovery of unduly paid funds, for which there are no figures in the Commission's report for 1999. Can the Commission tell me how much the Commission has claimed back and received as compared with the losses calculated, especially in the case of own resources in the EAGGF and in the Structural Funds?"@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples