Brussels, 14/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Greater involvement of regional and local stakeholders, transparent decentralised management and more effective monitoring must be at the heart of the EU's future regional cohesion policy. With two resolutions (Manescu and Luhan) adopted on Tuesday 14 December, the Parliament sets out pointers for the improved use of structural funds on the basis of partnership and good governance at European, national and local level.
According to the report by Nicole Ramona Manescu (ALDE, Romania), the Commission must step up its monitoring role in order to reduce the rate of error highlighted in the recent report by the Court of Auditors. It should also improve the control system and increase assistance to sub-national authorities and beneficiaries. The resolution, which was approved by 615 votes to 15 with 39 abstentions, urges the Commission to develop a guide for public and private actors on how to implement in practice the principles of multilevel governance and the integrated approach. This would encourage better cooperation between regions in different member states, for example through European groupings of territorial cooperation. Furthermore, a stronger role for the regional and local level must correspond to a strengthened supervisory role of the Commission, the resolution states. Emphasis must be placed on checking audit systems rather than single projects and an EU certification system for national audit bodies is also necessary. The Parliament thus underlines its “commitment to a strong and properly funded cohesion policy that ensures that all European Union regions develop harmoniously”. Finally, MEPs call for the financial means of this policy to be maintained after 2013 and for any attempt to renationalise it to be rejected.
During a joint press conference, Nicole Ramona Manescu underlined the fact that the simplification of rules at European and national level was a prerequisite for good governance. “Hitherto, governance has been linked to the crisis. But it cannot be linked to a sporadic occurrence - it must be applied permanently”, she noted, also pointing out that there was a need for a common audit manual to prevent double controls with the same errors occurring time and time again. Nicole Ramona Manescu told Commissioner Johannes Hahn of the need to give greater powers to local stakeholders so that they become more actively involved in decision-making. Johannes Hahn replied that he agreed with the principle but did not know “how to go about it!” Manescu went on to conclude that it was up to the Commission and member states to demonstrate how to resolve problems.
Plunging in to support Manescu (as he did a couple of weeks ago), Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (ALDE, Germany), who is rapporteur on budget discharge 2009 (and whose report is still under preparation), said that, over the past ten years, Greece has lost 10% of its competitiveness. “Why have a cohesion policy if it has no effect? That is because things are not being done right”, Chatzimarkakis criticised. Member states and the Commission make mistakes, entailing cases of fraud. “€7.7 billion were inappropriately spent over recent years”, the rapporteur went on to say, adding: “And at the front of the pack, there is Spain with €3 billion spent badly! The Court of Auditors, which controls the situation on the ground for the Parliament, notes that, in 30% of all cases, the Commission knew the funds spent in Greece and Spain were being used wrongly!” That is why Jorgo Chatzimarkakis calls for a “performance assessment” based on the Lisbon Treaty (Article 310). In cases where the Commission knows the money does not reach destination, it should suspend payment, he said, adding that this is in fact done in most cases by Commissioner Lázsló Andor for the European Social Fund but not by his colleague, Johannes Hahn, when it should be done automatically. As far as the simplification of rules is concerned, member states hide behind complex rules and regulations, which is easier but entails more room for error, the German MEP continued, calling for clear and simple rules from the next financial perspectives on. “In the case of Greece, I shall overturn a taboo regarding sovereignty”, Chatzimarkakis warned, saying: “Out of the €25 billion, 17% has been absorbed to date. Greece therefore still has €20 billion on its account. That money could be used immediately and invested by Greece!”, he exclaimed. For details, see EUROPE 10270/10269/10267).
The Parliament also adopted the report by Petru Constantin Luhan (EPP, Romania) by 491 votes to 117 and 13 abstentions, on “achieving real territorial, social and economic cohesion within the EU - a sine qua non condition for global competitiveness?”, which places emphasis on the need to increase synergies between European structural funds and means dedicated to innovation to support regional competitiveness. (G.B./transl.jl)