1999 discharge: follow-up. Report

The European Parliament adopted the resolution by Mr Freddy BLAK (PES, DK) on the action taken by the Commission in response to Parliament's comments in its discharge decision for 1999. (Please refer to summary dated 23/01/02). Other issues taken up in the report include a call for the disciplinary procedure to be reformed as soon as possible, a more effective system of debt recovery, and progress in investigations into possible fraud in flax, adulterated butter and the Stockholm office. It should be added that the Parliament regrets that the Commission has not acceded to Parliament's request for the key results of, recommendations from, and follow-up to internal audits to be forwarded to it every six months and it regrets also that the Commission is not able to explain what steps have been taken to follow up specific problems. Parliament equally regrets that no progress has yet been made in reforming the disciplinary procedure appreciates that this is a difficult task but holds that the procedure must be reformed as soon as possible and that the external element must be strengthened as much as possible. It, on the other hand, welcomes, in this respect, the Commission's inclusion of a so-called 'financial irregularities panel' in its revised proposal for recasting the Financial Regulation. Moreover, with regard to enlargement, the Parliament calls on the Commission to make a special effort to ensure that, before accession, all applicant countries have introduced proper control systems in the areas of shared management of Community funds and to inform Parliament regularly of progress in chapter 28 (financial control) of the accession negotiations.�