European Parliament, Brussels, P9 CRE PROV
(2021)1-18(1-063-0000).
Frau President, Herr Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen,
dear President Lehne.
Many thanks for the Court’s two general reports. I must say,
they’ve really got it. I suppose Commissioner Hahn must initially have gulped
when he saw the promised audit opinion on expenditures. But that is good – only
thus does financial control work. It must hurt. As the reporter for the
discharge of the 2019 Commission, I am naturally quite especially interested in
the reports; indeed, well instructed therein. And I am very grateful for the
clear structure. I thus can more easily write my report.
Nevertheless, I do not want here today to speak of your
reports. We have already quite often and quite basically and thoroughly done
that in the CONT [budgetary control] Committee. I want to refer to a specific
problem: I have the impression that the Court of Auditors is certainly respected
by us in parliament, yet it does not receive the support needed to fulfill its
duties. I fear that too many of us are thereby employed to consider where we
may require yet more resources or which program we could yet issue. In my view,
it would be much more important to ask of proposals [Überlegungen] how to deal more carefully and frugally with the taxpayers’
money.
Actually, the whole parliament should be a control
authority. We however prefer to shift this duty onto the few colleagues who
here sit on the CONT Committee – who are all there certainly super engaged, and
who will then set it right. Dear colleagues of the entire EP [European
Parliament], may I for once place before you this small but effective committee?
It is one of the most diligent. Please allow that it can better look after its
general control duties.
Dear Commission, give us access to all information relevant
to the budget and also in regards to the GD SANTE [director general, health and
safety]. And then, honored colleagues, let us also please then strengthen the
Court of Auditors with personnel and substantial means – the President has
appealed for it – as well as with a general examination right of the EIB [European
Investment Bank]. We cannot increase the budget by 85% as well as conclude six
new sources of our own revenue, and then hope that the Court of Auditors could
manage that with its previous personnel. He only can want that who wants less
control. Let us not only respect the good work of the Court, no, let us
strengthen it and concern ourselves with that so that it is not a rider without
a sword, but a real weapon in the fight for the defense of the EU’s financial
interests. I am sure that not only President Lehne will rejoice over that.
[trans: tem]
