16.6.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 214/137 Thursday 19 January 2023
X. whereas cooperation with international partners is crucial to protect EU funds spent outside Europe and the revenue side of the EU budget; whereas OLAF signed administrative cooperation arrangements with two international partner authorities in 2021, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine and the World Customs Organization (WCO); whereas OLAF organised online events in 2021 to establish new operational contacts with investigative authorities in non-EU countries and encourage the reporting of fraud and irregularities through EU delegations around the world; 1.
Welcomes the 33rd Annual Report on the protection of the European Union’s financial interests and the fight against fraud — 2021; 2.
Is aware that 2021 was a challenging year in which the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic required the adaptation of control strategies and a focus on prevention through specific mitigating measures and targeted actions to detect irregularities and fraud; 3.
Recalls that, on 19 February 2021, the RRF, which is the main pillar of the NGEU, entered into force, financed by the Commission’s borrowing on the capital markets and aiming at financing reforms and investments in Member States retroactively from the start of the pandemic in February 2020; 4.
Underlines the fact that in 2021 operations were eligible for EU financing under the MFF 2014-2020 (which will end in 2024), under the MFF 2021-2027 and within the NGEU recovery package; 5.
Highlights the fact that the new MFF 2021-2027, the last programmes for which were adopted in 2021, coupled with the NGEU recovery plan, provides the EU with EUR 1,8 trillion, representing an unprecedented volume of resources; highlights the fact that Parliament (for the purpose of ensuring discharge), OLAF, the ECA, the Commission itself and, where applicable, the EPPO may access relevant data and verify the use of funds to complement and strengthen the auditing measures laid down by the regulations in force; 6.
Notes that Parliament and its Budgetary Control Committee should have a strong role in the RRF’s governance, including through regular, structured dialogues where the Commission is invited to discuss the implementation of the RRF, with the Commission being required to take into account the views arising therefrom; 7.
Stresses that a correspondingly high level of attention and control is also needed and expected in order to guarantee that these funds can make the best possible contribution to the common goals of the Union; recalls the increased pressure on the authorities managing EU funds, the increased volume of resources deployed and the increased risks related to their management (following the introduction, in the context of the pandemic, of simplified and urgent procedures, which are prone to abuse); 8.
Takes the view that the enhancement of transparency, the digitalisation of the fight against fraud and the continuous strengthening and development of fraud risk assessment and fraud risk management should be pursued in parallel with a sound implementation of the EU anti-fraud architecture; 9.
Calls for enhanced levels of digitalisation, interoperability of data systems and harmonisation of reporting, monitoring and auditing in the EU and, to this end, reiterates its call on the Commission to harmonise definitions so that comparable data can be obtained across the EU; 10.
Calls on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal on mutual administrative assistance in those areas of EU fund spending that do not so far provide for this practice; encourages the Commission to develop a system for the exchange of information between competent authorities to enable cross-checking of accounting records concerning transactions between two or more Member States in order to avoid transnational fraud within the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), so as to ensure a cross-cutting approach to the protection of the financial interests of the EU; 11.
Expresses concern about the quite late publication of the annual PIF Report, since the report for year n is only published in September of year n+1; understands that the main reason for this is the fact that the Member States submit their information quite late; invites the Commission to be more proactive in requesting that the Member States submit their data earlier so that its annual report can be finalised sooner, which would allow the Parliament resolution on the report to be adopted earlier, ideally within year n+1;