Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-06-07-Speech-2-426-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110607.26.2-426-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mrs Jensen, thank you very much for your question. When it comes to absorption capacity and its consideration in the allocation of funds in the forthcoming period, I make reference right now to the existing rule regarding the upper limit on the allocation of funds – in a word, capping. There is a rule that says that, given a certain sliding scale per Member State, only a specific sum measured by the overall GDP of a Member State is available for structural policy. The annual allocation must not exceed this upper limit.
For the forthcoming period, we will certainly consider whether the level of the current upper limit is justified and whether any adjustments are necessary in order to better design or secure the absorption capacity.
When it comes to the programmes meeting their targets, I must remind you of the fifth cohesion report and the budget review, in which it was made clear that the performance of the programmes must be given more attention. For the forthcoming period, a set of tests and incentive systems are envisaged in this regard, which the Commission has put forward in the legislative report package for cohesion policy after 2014.
When it comes to the error rate, I have made reference many times, including in this House, to the methodological problems involved in auditing multiannual programmes. Around half of the EU budget certainly is composed of resources that are allocated for multiannual activities. The auditing by the Court of Auditors in respect of budget implementation always only considers the year in progress, and for that reason, methodological challenges result as, in relation to regional policy, the third audit level applies, while the annual audit by the Court of Auditors already takes place under the first audit level and therefore, a higher error rate will always result here than at the end of a programme cycle, as we can prove already.
In any event, my predecessor, Mrs Hübner, also put in place an action plan together with Parliament in this regard, the efficacy of which is already evident and which has shown its effect. One of these measures, however, was also giving Directorates-General the ability to suspend payments for up to six months in justified cases. By way of example, this tool was used over fifty times last year. All these suspensions of payment were able to be lifted again before their deadlines expired, as the issues about which an objection had been raised had been resolved.
When it comes to the error rate, however, I would also ask you to always take into consideration that regional policy has, if you like, a kind of snowplough function in this connection, that, in relation to certain statutorily developed elements, we check how they are implemented in day-to-day practice, how effective they are and what problems result. The issue of public procurement is repeatedly the subject of discussions with the Member States, regions and final beneficiaries. Around 70% of the error rate occurs in this area. If we succeed in simplifying this system – and we have launched an initiative to this end together with Commissioner Barnier – we will also reduce the practical error rate in this area, too. We are attempting to do our homework in this area and to make progress in this regard."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples