What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Added:44. Recalls that the EU’s humanitarian aid for civilians in dire need is indispensable and contributes to building stability and peace in the affected regions and that the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance must be guaranteed and not impeded in line with international rulings, accompanied by the usual screening and monitoring procedures; expects the financial needs for humanitarian aid to further increase as a consequence of wars, increasing geopolitical instability, persistent extreme poverty and more frequent natural disasters; considers, based on these assumptions, that the EU will have to reinforce significantly the humanitarian aid to respond to the intensified needs on the ground, notably to the people in need in the Middle East region;

Added:45. Reiterates that it condemns unequivocally the brutal terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and its people on 7 October and expresses its deepest sorrow for the innocent victims on both sides; underlines that the Union budget must continue to provide support to build peace and stability in the region, to combat hate, political extremism and fundamentalism and to promote human rights;

Added:46. Recalls its resolution adopted on 18 January 2024 acknowledging the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is providing shelter currently for over one million internally displaced persons and is the largest platform for providing humanitarian assistance to the population of the Gaza Strip, where the whole population faces deteriorating humanitarian conditions including shortages of shelter, clean water, food and medical assistance; reiterates, therefore, the importance of continued and predictable EU funding; welcomes the fact, that the UN launched an investigation without delay, following the serious allegations regarding individuals that were part of the UNRWA staff purportedly involved in the terrorist attacks against Israel of 7 October, and the information provided and prompt actions taken by the agency, notably to immediately terminate the existing contracts; notes the Commission’s call for an external audit reviewing thereby the pillar assessment of the UN control systems, agreed by UNRWA; supports the control, monitoring and scrutiny systems implemented by the Commission reminding that the use of EU funds by beneficiaries must respect EU rules and safeguards and international law; welcomes, in this regards, that the Commission’s review of EU aid to Palestine concluded that the controls and existing and effective safeguards in place work well and that no evidence has been found to date that money has been diverted for unintended purposes, as well as the risk assessment and related additional measures;

Added:Boosting the implementation of programmes

Added:47. Recalls Parliament’s full support for the cohesion policy in delivering on EU policy priorities and boosting the EU economy by contributing to fair, inclusive and sustainable growth and development, promoting economic and social convergence between Member States and their regions, supporting the green and digital transitions, and fostering innovation and employment; reiterates its conviction that the objectives of cohesion policy can only be achieved if delays in programme execution are tackled head on and as a matter of urgency; considers that such an approach to accelerating absorption and implementation would also be the most effective way of making the added value of EU spending visible and tangible for the people in the EU; recalls the need for increased technical assistance to further promote Member States’ absorption capacities;

Added:48. Stresses that EU budget funds need to reach EU citizens and SMEs; reminds that the simplification of administrative procedures, user-friendly and comprehensive websites and portals, the reduction of red tape and the creation of one-stop shops are essential for making EU programmes more accessible to local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, young entrepreneurs and SMEs;

49. Urges the Member States and the Commission to speed up the implementation of operational programmes under shared management funds and to ensure swift budgetary execution, notably of cohesion funds; notes that the share of funds under the 2014-2020 programmes that remained unused should be reallocated to Member States in order to further continue to reduce regional disparities; calls for speedy implementation of recovery and resilience plans, including an evaluation by the Commission regarding the implementation process, barriers and results; is concerned that under-implementation, unless swiftly mitigated, will result in a payment crisis, i.e. a mismatch of payment needs and available space under the MFF payment ceiling in 2026 and 2027;

Change 9

Removed:36. Calls for additional efforts by all actors involved to boost project implementation and absorption of eligible funding and thus to diminish the abnormal reste à liquider (RAL); considers that 2025 should be used to identify and rectify any bottlenecks that impede a more effective implementation; calls for adequate budget to accelerate the implementation of programmes through additional capacity building and technical assistance for Member States, as well as measures to expedite fair, competitive and efficient procurement and tendering procedures to boost implementation efforts;

Added:50. Believes that due diligence, accountability and respect of the Union’s values should apply to all beneficiaries of EU funds and implementing partners, in order to protect the EU’s financial interests and avoid undue interference, reiterates the importance of effective and thorough monitoring and control bodies that reveal, investigate, prosecute and bring to justice crimes against the financial interests of the EU as the money spent on fighting corruption yields a huge net return to the EU; considers therefore that these bodies should be adequately resourced and properly staffed in order to perform their tasks the most effective way; underlines, in a similar vein, that adequate EU oversight is necessary to ensure the financial sector works for the benefit of citizens and consumers; demands, in view of a healthy, inclusive and resilient financial sector, that the resources for the European financial supervisory authorities and agencies, mandated with supervisory tasks or the elaboration of technical regulatory standards in this respect, are fully adjusted to take into account all the new regulatory tasks the completion of these policy aims entail;

Removed:37. Recalls that a proper implementation of well-designed programmes is only possible with the support of a dedicated administration; emphasises the essential work carried out by bodies and decentralised agencies and considers that they must be properly staffed and adequately resourced so that they can perform their tasks;

Added:51. Calls for additional efforts by all actors involved to boost project implementation and absorption of eligible funding and thus to diminish the abnormal reste à liquider (RAL); considers that 2024 and 2025 should be used to identify and rectify any bottlenecks that impede a more effective implementation; calls for adequate budget resources to accelerate the implementation of programmes through additional capacity building and technical assistance for Member States, especially for those facing increased absorption difficulties including for RRF funds, as well as measures to expedite fair, competitive and efficient procurement and tendering procedures to boost implementation efforts;

Added:52. Underlines the importance of effective communication and visibility of EU policies and programmes in raising awareness of the added value that the EU brings to the citizens, businesses and partners; calls for ensuring adequate allocations in this regard;

Added:53. Recalls that a proper implementation of well-designed programmes is only possible with the support of a dedicated administration; emphasises the essential work carried out by bodies and decentralised agencies and considers that they must be properly staffed and adequately resourced so that they can perform their tasks; emphasises that their tasks evolve in line with policy priorities, such as the green and digital transitions, and stresses that new responsibilities, as well as the extension of their mandates, must be proportionately accompanied by fresh resources;

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54. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the European Court of Auditors.