Mr President, today is an important day for Commission reform. Well, that is how I was going to begin but looking around the room I am beginning to doubt my own words. It is indicative of the way Parliament works that we are still not used to putting the items where we really have a big input at the top of our agenda and instead first debate those issues where Parliament does not have a formal say. (Applause from Mr Kinnock) Six months after the Commission set out its plans in a White Paper, Parliament is ready to give its opinion. I would also like to congratulate the rapporteurs. They did an excellent job under difficult conditions. Admittedly, we created the difficult conditions ourselves, but they were difficult conditions nonetheless. On matters as important as this one it is important that Parliament speaks with one voice. I believe that is what tomorrow’s vote will demonstrate we are doing. I would like to extend my particular thanks to Mr Pomés Ruiz who drew up the report for the Committee on Budgetary Control. He demonstrated great willingness to take on board the views of his fellow members of the committee. The result of this exercise is a strong set of reports which will receive the near-unanimous endorsement of the House tomorrow. So I think the Commission had better take them seriously. It is also an important day for Commission reform because the Commission today adopted a number of proposals which I believe will be the key to restoring the confidence of the people of Europe in our institutions. First, the Commission has accepted the need for rules to protect whistle-blowers. The crisis which led to the Commission’s resignation last year demonstrated the absence of adequate provisions for dealing with genuine, honest complaints put forward by hard-working officials. While we may continue to differ over the role played by Mr Van Buitenen it is clear that he should never have been punished for following his conscience. Second, the Commission proposes to overhaul the disciplinary procedure. This is long overdue. The Commission has now decided to accept the recommendations by the Committee of Independent Experts that the disciplinary board should be headed by an independent chair. This will greatly enhance, and will be seen to enhance, the fairness and accuracy of the disciplinary process. Third, the Commission has adopted a proposal for an advisory group on standards in public life to be set up by inter-institutional agreement. This is also in line with the proposals made by the independent experts, and one which was strongly endorsed by Parliament in its resolution of 19 January of this year. The report by Mr Pomés Ruiz sets out Parliament’s position on this issue in greater detail. I am happy to see that the Commission’s proposal appears to be consistent with the position we are due to adopt tomorrow. But important challenges still lie ahead. The overhaul of the system of financial management and control has only just begun and while I do not share the pessimistic view just expressed by my EPP colleague I do think there is a lot of work left to be done. The de-centralisation of financial control to DGs is an important step but it will only work if staff are properly trained, if sufficient resources are available, and if the responsibility of line managers is properly enforced. In this context two aspects of the process are of particular concern to us. First, the Commission has not yet taken up our suggestion to set up an external chamber for financial discipline. The Commission may have perfectly good reasons for not doing so, but we would like to know what they are. Second, the setting up of a financial irregularities help-desk or panel as proposed in the White Paper is acceptable to my group only if it can be shown that such a help-desk will in no way undermine the ability of OLAF to do its work. After one and a half years of discussion and preparation the Commission is now putting its money where its mouth is. The reform process is on track and being implemented as the Commission’s progress reports have shown. The only danger in my view right now is that we become complacent and that we give in to the forces of conservatism. They are everywhere: in Parliament, in the Council, in the Commission. I therefore call on the Commission to redouble its efforts and to make sure that in two years’ time, we have the first results that will show the people of Europe that the Commission is working again.

Political group: PSE