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DRAFT OPINION (COM(2022)0209 – C9xxxx/xxxx – 2022/0155(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council - Proposal for a regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.

BUDG-PA-740759

Committee on Budgets · Rapporteur: Niclas Herbst

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This is the Committee on Budgets' draft opinion on the proposed regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, which would set up a European Centre (the EU Centre). The rapporteur welcomes the proposal's aims but says the lead committee should handle policy substance. The draft opinion focuses on financial provisions, governance, reporting and evaluation. It proposes amendments to oppose financing the agency by cutting the Internal Security Fund, to give the EU Centre an autonomous budget and recruitment autonomy, and to shift powers from the Executive Board to the Management Board. The amendments also add rules on the Single Programming Document, the annual budget, the consolidated annual activity report, anti-fraud and other strategies, and the appointment of the Executive Director and other officers.

Committee position. The Committee on Budgets calls on the lead committees to take into account its amendments. The rapporteur proposes to oppose financing the agency by cutting the Internal Security Fund, to give the EU Centre an autonomous budget and recruitment autonomy, and to shift powers from the Executive Board to the Management Board.

Key points

  1. The rapporteur welcomes the proposal's aims and believes the EU Centre can help implement it, but says the lead committee should deal with policy substance.
  2. The draft opinion focuses on financial provisions, governance rules, and reporting and evaluation to ensure parliamentary scrutiny.
  3. It opposes financing the agency's additional resources in heading 5 through a compensatory reduction of the Internal Security Fund envelope.
  4. It calls for the agency to be resourced in line with its tasks and to have autonomy over contract agent recruitment, noting gaps in the Legislative Financial Statement.
  5. It clarifies costs for contact officers that the EU Centre can cover and the content and adoption procedure of the Single Programming Document.
  6. It reallocates tasks from the Executive Board to the Management Board and removes the Commission's veto over administrative and budgetary decisions.
  7. It adds that the EU Centre should be mainly financed from the Union budget, with appropriations from unallocated margins or special instruments, and have recruitment autonomy.
  8. It requires the EU Centre to bear analysis costs for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises if compliant with available budgetary resources.
  9. It gives the Management Board powers to adopt the draft and final Single Programming Document, the annual budget, the consolidated annual activity report, anti-fraud and other strategies, and to appoint the Executive Director and other officers.
  10. It allows the Management Board to delegate appointing authority powers to the Executive Director and to temporarily suspend such delegation in exceptional circumstances.
  11. It requires the Management Board to consult the European Parliament before appointing members of the Technology Committee.
  12. It sets budget rules: the EU Centre's budget is balanced, includes a Union contribution, and is adopted by the Management Board by a two-thirds majority of members entitled to vote.

Who is affected

  • The EU Centre: would gain an autonomous budget, recruitment autonomy, and a Management Board with more decision-making powers.
  • Providers that are micro, small or medium-sized enterprises: would not bear the costs of data sample analysis if compliant with available budgetary resources.
  • The Commission: would lose its veto right over administrative and budgetary decisions and its representatives on the Executive Board would be reduced.
  • The European Parliament: would have an independent expert observer with voting rights on the Management Board and would be consulted on the Single Programming Document and Technology Committee appointments.

Figures and deadlines

  • Start-up phase for the EU Centre: 2025 to 2029.
  • Total annual budget for the EU Centre in 2030 at cruising speed: EUR 28,5 million.
  • Estimated annual staff of the EU Centre: 113.
  • Correction coefficient in the Netherlands in 2022: 110.3.
  • Deadline for sending the consolidated annual activity report: by 1 July each year.
  • Deadline for adopting the draft Single Programming Document: by 30 November of each year.
  • Deadline for forwarding the Single Programming Document to the European Parliament, Council and Commission: by 31 January of the following year.
  • Deadlines for draft estimates: provisional by 31 January each year, final by 31 March each year.