European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2667/2000 on the European Agency for Reconstruction (COM(2006)0162 - C6-0170/2006 - 2006/0057(CNS))
Date: 2006-10-12
Institutions: Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: European Agency for Reconstruction, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, cooperation policy, economic reconstruction, peacekeeping

16.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 308 E/145

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

Thursday 12 October 2006

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendments 13 and 14
Article 4

The implementation of this assistance shall take place in accor-
dance with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom)
No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation
applicable to the General Budget of the European Communities
and its implementing rules. In particular, the Memorandum of
Understanding referred to in Article 2(1)
shall provide for
appropriate measures by Kosovo related to the prevention of
and the fight against fraud, corruption and other irregularities
linked to this assistance. It shall also provide for controls by the
Commission, including the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF),
with the right to perform on-the-spot checks and inspections,
and for audits by the Court of Auditors, where appropriate, to
be carried out on the spot.

The implementation of this assistance shall take place in accor-
dance with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom)
No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation
applicable to the General Budget of the European Communities
and its implementing rules. In particular, the Memorandum of
Understanding referred to in Article 2(1)
shall provide for
appropriate measures by Kosovo related to the prevention of
and the fight against fraud, corruption and other irregularities
linked to this assistance. In order to guarantee greater trans-
it
parency in the management and disbursement of funds,
shall also provide for controls by the Commission,
including
the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), with the right to per-
form on-the-spot checks and inspections, and for audits by the
Court of Auditors and independent auditors where appropriate,
to be carried out on the spot

Amendments 15 and 16
Article 5

At least once a year the Commission shall submit to the Euro-
pean Parliament and to the Council a report, including an evalu-
ation on the implementation of this Decision in the previous
year.

At least once a year, and before 15 September, the Commission
shall submit to the relevant committees in the European Parlia-
ment and to the Council a report, including an evaluation of the
implementation of
this Decision in the previous year. This
report shall specify the linkage between the targets set out in
Article 2(1), Kosovo's ongoing economic and fiscal perfor-
mance and the Commission's decision to release tranches of
the assistance.

P6_TA(2006)0413

European Agency for Reconstruction *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Reg-
ulation (EC) No 2667/2000 on the European Agency for Reconstruction (COM(2006)0162 —
C6-0170/2006 — 2006/0057(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2006)0162) (1),

— having regard to the first sentence of Article 181a(2) of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council

consulted Parliament (C6-0170/2006),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on

Budgetary Control (A6-0285/2006),

1.

2.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

(1) Not yet published in OJ.

C 308 E/146

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

16.12.2006

Thursday 12 October 2006

3.

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if

4.
substantially;

it intends to amend the Commission proposal

5.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 1

RECITAL 5A (new)

In order to maintain the high level of EU involvement
(5a)
in the region, the Commission should ensure that relevant
expertise gained by the Agency in providing technical and
financial assistance to the countries concerned is not lost dur-
ing the transfer of responsibilities and that the necessary con-
tinuity of work is guaranteed.

Amendment 2

ARTICLE 1A (new)

Article 1a

Reports

In the interests of clarity and transparency, the Commis-
1.
sion shall provide quarterly reports to the European Parlia-
ment and the Council, setting out the ongoing operational
details of the transfer plan,
including the distribution of
tasks between the Agency and the relevant Commission dele-
gations and details concerning cooperation between them dur-
ing the transitional period. The reports shall also refer to the
envisaged timetable for the hand-over process, the objectives
achieved since the previous report and new goals to be set, in
addition to providing an overview of the way in which the
transfer will work in practice for all the countries concerned
and, in particular, for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Mace-
donia, in light of its status as a candidate country.

In the context of the reports referred to in paragraph 1,

2.
the Commission shall specify in detail:

(a)

the measures it intends to take to promote regional pro-
jects, such as projects involving cooperation between
countries and cross-border infrastructure projects, once
the Agency has ceased to exist;

(b) plans for the upgrading of the Commission delegations
and/or offices following the separation of the Republics
of Serbia and Montenegro. The report shall also include
proposals for upgrading the delegations and/or offices
dealing with the future status of Kosovo.