On Wednesday 7 May, MEPs granted budgetary discharge to almost all the EU institutions for the year 2023. It was decided to postpone granting discharge to the Council of the EU, “because of its lack of cooperation with the Parliament”, and to the European Union Agency for Asylum, because of a “worrying” investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
Parliament called for corrective measures in the resolution accompanying the discharge decision for the Commission (443 votes in favour, 202 against and 21 abstentions). “Up for the third year running”, the 5.6% error rate in EU spending was seen as worrying.
Guarantees against double-funding and the use of pre-existing projects have also been requested as part of the financing granted by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the budgetary instrument of the post-Covid-19 European recovery plan.
“Billions of euros have been transferred to the Member States under the RRF, but neither Parliament nor the European Court of Auditors have been sufficiently involved in their control. In particular, we have asked for a meaningful list of final beneficiaries, to no avail”, complained the Commission’s discharge rapporteur, Niclas Herbst (EPP, German).
MEPs were also critical of the fact that €543 billion in commitments remain unpaid in 2023. A delay that “could compromise the implementation of policies”, in their view. MEPs also warned the Commission about rising interest rates on EU loans.
Following heated debates on EU funding of NGOs at its plenary session on Tuesday 6 May, the European Parliament is calling for “full financial transparency on the part of NGOs and other interest representatives, and asks the Commission to forward the results of an internal audit on contracts concluded with the Parliament”.
On Thursday 8 May, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament’s political groups (CoP) could vote on the creation of a committee of inquiry into European funding of green NGOs (see EUROPE 13634/24). (Original version in French by Florent Servia)