Committee on Budgetary Control
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Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union Committee on Budgetary Control Balance Sheet of activities July 2014 – April 2015 during the 8th legislative term CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 2 July 2014 to April 2015 Table of contents SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................5 I. COMMITTEE COMPOSITION....................................................................................................9 II. MEETINGS HELD FROM JULY 2014 TO APRIL 2015 DURING THE 8TH LEGISTLATURE .......13 III. DOCUMENTS PRODUCED BY THE COMMITTEE...................................................................17 REPORTS........................................................................................................................................19 OPINIONS ......................................................................................................................................25 WORKING DOCUMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DISCHARGE ...................................................26 IV. ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE...........................................................................................31 1. PUBLIC HEARINGS, ANNUAL MEETING WITH ECA .............................................................33 PUBLIC HEARINGS .........................................................................................................................35 ANNUAL MEETING WITH THE COURT OF AUDITORS....................................................................37 2. EXCHANGE OF VIEWS.............................................................................................................39 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR GENERALS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION................................................................................................................................41 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ECA SPECIAL REPORTS...............................................................................45 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH MEMBERS & REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS......................................................................................................................................49 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SECRETARY GENERAL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT................................................................................58 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION .....59 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF OLAF .........................................................60 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH OLAF SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE....................................................61 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS..................................62 EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS AND BODIES .........................................................64 V. HEARINGS HELD IN THE FRAMEWORK OF A NOMINATION PROCEDURE..........................69 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 3 July 2014 to April 2015 HEARINGS WITH COMMISSIONERS DESIGNATES .........................................................................71 VI. ACTIVITIES OF THE POLICY DEPARTMENT FOR THE COMMITTEE .....................................73 EXTERNAL STUDIES .......................................................................................................................75 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 4 July 2014 to April 2015 Summary CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 5 July 2014 to April 2015 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 6 July 2014 to April 2015 COMMITTEE ON BUDGETARY CONTROL DRAFT BALANCE SHEET OF ACTIVITIES (July 2014 - April 2015) The first year of the 8th Legislative Term of the Budgetary Control Committee was a kick off year for the Committee during which it constituted its structures, held hearings of two consecutive Members of the European Commission responsible for budgetary matters as well as conducted a full cycle of the 2013 discharge for the various EU institutions and bodies. Additionally, the Committee worked on improving its performance and focused on how the political objectives are achieved through better control over the European Union's finances as well as through increased transparency. The Committee consisted of 30 members including the chair and four vice-chairs. Throughout the first year of the 8th Legislative Term the Committee held 19 ordinary meetings and 10 coordinators' meetings as well as a number of other meetings including extraordinary meetings and joint committee meetings. The meetings were held throughout the term as follows: - 12 ordinary and 6 coordinators' meetings in 2014, - 7 ordinary and 4 coordinators' meetings in 2015, During the first year of the 8th Legislative Term the Committee adopted 55 reports, 6 opinions and 27 working documents mainly in the context of the discharge. In addition, the Committee held 3 public hearings and had 1 annual meeting with the Court of Auditors. The Committee did not conduct any delegations during this period. The Committee held 21 exchanges of views with Members and Director Generals of the European Commission, out of which 9 were with the two consecutive Commissioners responsible for budgetary issues. Furthermore, 25 exchanges of views were held with the Representatives of the European Commission in the framework of the European Court of Auditors' Special Reports and 60 exchanges of views were held with the Members and Representatives of the European Court of Auditors. 2 exchanges of views were held with the Secretary General of the European Parliament and 1 exchange of view with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In addition to the abovementioned, the following exchanges of views were held: 3 with Director-General of OLAF, 3 with OLAF Supervisory Committee, 12 with Representatives of other Institutions and 12 exchanges of views with 41 special guests and bodies. Within the context of nominations as Commissioners designates, the Committee held 2 hearings with the nominated candidates. As regards the activities of the policy department for the Committee in the course of the first year of the 8th Legislative Term, 1 external study was requested. CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 7 July 2014 to April 2015 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 8 July 2014 to April 2015 I. COMMITTEE COMPOSITION CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 9 July 2014 to April 2015 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 10 July 2014 to April 2015 COMMITEE COMPOSITION The constituent meeting took place in Brussels on 7 July 2014 1. Bureau Chair: Ingeborg Gräßle (EPP, Germany) - since July 2014 1st vice-chair: Derek Vaughan (S&D, United Kingdom) - since July 2014 2nd vice-chair: Igor Šoltes (Greens/EFA, Slovenia) - since July 2014 3rd vice-chair: Martina Dlabajová (ALDE, Czech Republic) - since July 2014 4th vice-chair: Dan Nica (S&D, Romania) - since July 2014 2. Members Since July 2014 till April 2015, the committee was composed of 30 Members distributed by political groups as follows: EPP: 9 S&D: 8 ECR: 3 ALDE: 3 GUE/NGL: 2 Greens/EFA: 2 EFDD: 2 N-A: 1 3. Coordinators Chair: Ingeborg Gräßle (EPP, Germany) - since July 2014 PPE Petri Sarvamaa Monica Macovei (Deputy Coordinator) S-D Inés Ayala Sender ECR Ryszard Czarnecki ALDE Michael Theurer Ali Nedzhmi (Deputy Coordinator) GUE/NGL Cornelis de Jong Greens/EFA Bart Staes EFDD Marco Valli CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 12 July 2014 to April 2015 II. MEETINGS HELD FROM JULY 2014 TO APRIL 2015 DURING THE 8TH LEGISTLATURE CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 13 July 2014 to April 2015 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 14 July 2014 to April 2015 CONT MEETINGS The Committee on Budgetary Control held 19 ordinary meetings (37 half days), 5 other meetings and 10 Coordinators’ meetings from July 2014 until April 2015 2014 - From July to December 2014 - CONT Committee meetings · 12 ordinary meetings in Brussels (20 half days) - Other meetings · 1 constituent meeting on 7 July · 1 extraordinary meeting in Strasbourg for the new Commissioner: 14 July - Hearing of Jacek Dominik, Commissioner-designate of the Commission responsible for Financial Programming and Budget Hearing hosted by BUDG/CONT Committees · 1 extraordinary meeting in Brussels for the new Commissioner: 2 October - Hearing of Kristalina Georgieva, Vice-President-designate of the Commission responsible for Budget and Human Resources Hearing hosted by BUDG/CONT/JURI Committees (1 half day) · 1 on site meeting with the Members of the European Court of Auditors on 6 October (1 half day) - Coordinators' meetings · 6 meetings in Brussels in coincidence with ordinary meetings (22 July, 8 September, 23 September, 7 October, 6 November and 2 December) 2015 - From January to April 2015 - CONT Committee meetings · 7 ordinary meetings in Brussels (17 half days) - Other meetings · 1 joint hearing: o 23 March with JURI/AFCO/LIBE on "'Towards a high degree of accountability, transparency and integrity in the EU Institutions", in Brussels (1 half day) - Coordinators' meetings · 4 meetings in Brussels in coincidence with ordinary meetings (21 January, 24 February, 24 March, 14 April) CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 15 July 2014 to April 2015 CONT BALANCE-SHEET OF 8TH TERM ACTIVITIES - 16 July 2014 to April 2015 · III. 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