The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control decided on Monday 28 February to postpone the granting of discharge for the implementation of the EU Court of Auditors’ 2020 expenditure, after the revelations of the daily newspaper ‘Libération’ on dysfunctions in the internal rules of the institution (see EUROPE 12899/29).
The vote on the discharge of the Court of Auditors’ 2020 budget was close: 14 votes in favour of postponing discharge, 14 against and one abstention, during the adoption of the report by Isabel García Muñoz (S&D, Spain). The EPP and ECR Groups voted against a postponement, unlike the other political groups.
The Committee also decided to postpone the discharge for the 2020 expenditure of the European Economic and Social Committee (17 votes in favour of postponement, 11 against and one abstention), the EU Council and the European Council (27 votes in favour of postponement, one against and one abstention).
The President of the Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, has already taken steps to address the abuses that have been uncovered. But he will certainly have to do more to avoid a refusal of discharge, which would be detrimental to the reputation of this institution that oversees the EU’s accounts.
The plenary vote on the Committee on Budgetary Control’s recommendations will take place in May.
“I have taken note of both the allegations made by the media and all the documents provided by President Lehne and the Court of Auditors”, says Isabel García Muñoz. At this stage, “I cannot say that there is enough evidence to ensure that everything is correct in terms of how the Court spent its money in 2020 or the recent revisions to its internal rules”, she adds.
The final Parliament vote will take place in autumn. By then, Mrs García Muñoz will have examined all the new elements made available to Parliament. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)