51996AP0063

A4-0063/96

Proposal for a Council Regulation on the implementation of Member States' action programmes on control of EAGGF Guarantee Section expenditure (COM(95)0467 - C4- 0509/95 - 95/0244(CNS)

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 4

>Original text>

Whereas provision should be made, for a certain period and within the limit of the appropriations available, for Community financing for Member States' action programmes in the field of control of expenditure to amend or improve their monitoring structures or make them more effective;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas provision should be made, for a certain period and within the limit of the appropriations available, for Community financing for Member States' action programmes in the field of control of expenditure and for the purpose of recovering amounts to be repaid as a consequence of confirmed irregularities or negligence, and to improve their monitoring structures or make them more effective;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 7

>Original text>

Whereas provision should be made for consultation of the Fund Committee on the annual instalments which may qualify for Community financing;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas provision should be made for a consultative committee which must be consulted on the annual instalments which may qualify for Community financing;

(Amendment 3)

Article 1(1)

>Original text>

1. The Community shall contribute towards the costs incurred by Member States on implementing action programmes to improve the structures of inspection services or their effectiveness.

>Text following EP vote>

1. The Community shall contribute towards the costs incurred by Member States on implementing action programmes to increase the capacity and effectiveness of inspection or recovery services.

(Amendment 4)

Article 2(3a) (new)

>Text following EP vote>

3a. Priority shall be given to:

>Text following EP vote>

- programmes organized on a multiannual basis;

>Text following EP vote>

- innovative programmes set up as pilot schemes capable of serving as models to other Member States;

>Text following EP vote>

- programmes aimed in whole or in part at improving the training and briefing of agents responsible for controls or recovery;

>Text following EP vote>

- programmes that will help to establish or strengthen exchanges of information and cooperation between the Member States in this area.

(Amendment 5)

Article 3(2)

>Original text>

2. The annual instalment of the action programme shall be implemented between 1 January and 31 December of each year.

>Text following EP vote>

2. The annual instalment of the action programme shall be implemented between 1 January and 31 December of each year, the commitment and payment of the Community financing being carried out in accordance with the Financial Regulation.

(Amendment 6)

Article 3a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Article 3a

The Commission shall be assisted by a consultative committee made up of one representative of each Member State and chaired by the Commission representative.

>Text following EP vote>

The Commission representative shall submit to the committee a proposal regarding the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on this proposal within a period which the chairman may lay down in accordance with the urgency of the question at issue, where necessary holding a vote.

>Text following EP vote>

The opinion shall be entered in the minutes; in addition, each Member State shall be entitled to ask for its position to be included in the minutes.

The Commission shall take the greatest possible account of the opinion delivered by the committee. It shall inform the committee of the way in which it has taken account of its opinion.

>Text following EP vote>

Meetings of the committee shall generally be held in public, save in the case of a specific, reasoned decision, published in good time. The committee shall publish its agendas two weeks in advance of meetings. It shall publish the minutes of its meetings. It shall draw up a public register of the interests of its members.

(Amendment 7)

Article 4(2), first subparagraph

>Original text>

2. After consulting the Fund Committee referred to in Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 729/70, the Commission shall, for each annual instalment, set the rate of the Community financial contribution and the maximum amount of such contribution having regard to the appropriations available and on the basis of the information supplied by the Member State.

>Text following EP vote>

2. After consulting the consultative committee, the Commission shall, for each annual instalment, set the rate of the Community financial contribution and the maximum amount of such contribution having regard to the appropriations available and on the basis of the information supplied by the Member State. The Commission shall take account of:

- the European Union dimension of the proposed measures;

>Text following EP vote>

- the efficacy of the projects financed previously;

>Text following EP vote>

- evidence that the Member State has already used all the resources available to it for anti-fraud measures, in particular under the common customs policy (entitlement to customs revenue);

(Amendment 8)

Article 4(2), second subparagraph

>Original text>

Having regard to the interest represented by the measures provided for in the annual instalment and any difficulties faced by the Member State in financing it, the Commission may decide that the instalment in question or part thereof shall be charged entirely to the Community budget.

>Text following EP vote>

Having regard to the interest represented by the measures provided for in the annual instalment and any difficulties faced by the Member State in financing it, the Commission may decide that the instalment in question or part thereof shall be charged to the Community budget up to a maximum of 80% of the expenditure incurred.

(Amendment 9)

Article 4(2), third subparagraph

>Original text>

Acceptance of financing of an annual instalment by the Commission shall not prejudge the decision on a financial contribution to subsequent annual instalments, Community financing be reassessed each year as regard both the rate and the amount, in the light of the results achieved by previous annual instalments.

>Text following EP vote>

Acceptance of financing of an annual instalment by the Commission shall not prejudge the decision on a financial contribution to subsequent annual instalments, Community financing be reassessed each year as regard both the rate and the amount, in the light of the results achieved by previous annual instalments, with priority being given to those programmes which have functioned well.

(Amendment 10)

Article 7

>Original text>

After the fifth year, the Commission shall report to the Council on the results of the implementation of this Regulation.

>Text following EP vote>

After the second year, the Commission shall submit to Parliament and the Council an annual report on the results of the implementation of this Regulation as part of the EAGGF Guarantee Section annual financial report. After the fifth year the Commission shall submit a detailed report on the effectiveness of the programmes conducted in the different Member States on the basis of comparative data that shall be supplied in the Member States' evaluation reports.

(Amendment 11)

Article 8

>Text following EP vote>

1. The amounts involved in commitment and payment decisions shall be expressed and paid in ecus at constant prices; the Commission shall index the financing plans each year.

>Original text>

Amounts expressed in ecus and in national currency shall be converted using the exchange rate in force on the first working day of the calendar year during which the annual programme concerned begins, as published in the 'C' series of the Official Journal of the European Communities.

>Text following EP vote>

2. Amounts expressed in ecus and in national currency shall be converted using the exchange rate in force on the money market on the first working day of the calendar year during which the annual programme concerned begins, as published in the 'C' series of the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Legislative resolution embodying the opinion of the European Parliament on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the implementation of Member States' action programmes on control of EAGGF Guarantee Section expenditure (COM(95)0467 - C4- 0509/95 - 95/0244(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the proposal from the Commission to the Council, COM(95)0467 final - 95/0244(CNS) ((OJ C 336, 14.12.1995, p. 3.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 43 of the EC Treaty (C4-0509/95),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report by the Committee on Budgetary Control and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A4-0063/96),

1. Approves the Commission proposal subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

3. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

4. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.