The European Parliament adopted by 623 votes to 4 against, with 27 abstentions a resolution on the Court of Auditors’ special reports in the context of the 2009 Commission discharge.
Parliament recalls that the Court’s special reports provide information on problems relating to the implementation of the funds and are useful to Parliament in the role that it exercises as discharge authority. It points out that the conclusions on the special reports form an integral part of its resolution relating to the general discharge procedure on the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for 2009, section III – Commission.
On the whole, Parliament welcomes the fact that the Court of Auditors has managed to produce, every year, more and better special reports but it regrets the fact that, unfortunately, these do not always get the political attention they deserve because of the rules applicable in Parliament.
It points out that those special reports are of great importance when reflecting on and changing and/or adapting programmes and projects because they can result in a more efficient use of human and budgetary resources.
It welcomes the positive attitude of the Commission in regard to these procedures and its willingness to act rapidly to remedy the majority of shortcomings highlighted by the Court of Auditors in these reports.
It, once again, calls upon Parliament’s competent bodies to adapt the rules in such a way that the competent committee can decide - based on the gravity of the findings of the Court of Auditors - whether there is a need to draw up an initiative report for plenary outside the quota set for own- initiative reports.
Lastly, Parliament returns to each of the special reports one by one and makes a certain number of recommendations with a view to improving the utilisation of Community funds.