Brussels, 13/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the report by Michiel van Hulten (the Netherlands, PES) on the second report of the Committee of Independent Experts, the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control (Cobuco) urges plenary to put pressure on the European Commission so that it follows-up the recommendations of the Wise, as well as those of the Court of Auditors. The van Hulten Report calls on the Commission to "create" a "transparent public European administration, in which "officials have the means to successfully carry out their duties success and must answer for their actions", an administration that "recognises and rewards merit". The report calls on the Commission to accompany its White Paper on administrative reform with a precise timetable, and intends receiving annual reports from the Commission on implementation of this reform.
MEPs will vote on the van Hulten Report in plenary next Tuesday in Strasbourg. This report calls on the Commission to carry out the following reforms (some of which are already part of the "twenty-one guidelines for the reform" that Commissioner Kinnock announced end-December):
- "Complete review of the Financial Regulation": the financial regulation defines the budgetary nomenclature, rules applicable to contracts, subsidies, etc.. The Committee of the Wise regarded it "totally unsuited" and recommended abandoning the separation between administrative and operational spending to spread expenditure according to political priorities. The Cobuco calls on the Commission to carry out this revision, and, especially to: I) define transparent rules for contracts, subsidies and outsourcing; ii) phase out the use of so-called technical assistance offices, and, in cooperation with the Council and EP, define a new form of implementing agency; iii) ensure the independence of a decentralised financial control in all Directorates General; iv) set up an independent audit service under the direction of the President of the Commission.
- Step-up the control of shared Member State/Commission management spending: as the Committee of the Wise had asked, the van Hutten Report calls on the Commission to ensure the independence of the "EAGGF Clearance of Accounts unit. It would like the Commission to "fully exercise its right to conduct on the spot checks in Member States, as well as reducing the time given to the clearance procedure. There needs also to be more control over the spending of the Structural Funds.
- Stepping up the fight against fraud, mismanagement and nepotism.: Olaf's independence is a "fundamental principle", the report stipulates. All the personnel must be informed on issues of financial management and control, officials exposing anomalies must be protected. The Cobuco also hopes that the Court of Auditors of Court of Justice, rather than the Commission itself, be now responsible for budgetary discipline, so as to judge independently the "financial responsibility of officials for the harm they may have caused.
- Improving "standards in European public life": the Cobuco approves the adoption of a code of conduct for Commissioners but would like the Commission to go further. Thus, the individual political responsibility of Commissioners should be "enshrined in the Treaty". In addition, the Cobuco considers that the EP should itself tackle improving its administrative and management procedures.
- Ensuring full respect of the constitutional obligation not to withhold anything from the EP and thus handing it all the necessary documents, including those that the Commission has in its possdession but which itself has not produced.
- Modernise human resources policy. The Cobuco "takes note" of measures already taken or announced, and urges the Commission to: reform the external examination system; ensure assessment and training throughout the careers of officials; reform the disciplinary procedure and set up a distinct procedure to settle cases of professional underperformance; encourage mobility; reduce temporary positions and set a maximum duration of three years for their employment in the Commission; modernise the system of remuneration; undertake an in-depth review of the system of allowances, including in particular expatriation allowances (which amount to 16% of an official's basic wage).
