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DRAFT OPINION (2024/2019(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section III - Commission and executive agencies

DEVE-PA-766830

Committee on Development · Rapporteur: Charles Goerens

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The Committee on Development's draft opinion on the 2023 EU budget discharge expresses concern over crises, poverty, and climate change reversing progress on sustainable development goals, and stresses the need for transparent and effective use of EU development funds. It urges the Commission to reduce the high error rate in spending, ensure audit access, enforce visibility rules, and provide sufficient funding for field visits, while welcoming positive audit examples and special reports.

Committee position. The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its concerns and requests into the motion for a resolution on discharge for the 2023 budget.

Key points

  1. Is very concerned by the increasing number of crises worldwide, the rise in extreme poverty and hunger, and the increasingly frequent and severe consequences of climate change, which have halted or reverted progress on the sustainable development goals.
  2. Stresses the importance of using EU funds for development transparently, effectively and efficiently, and urges the Commission to reduce the high error rate found by the ECA for MFF heading 6 and the 9th, 10th and 11th EDF.
  3. Asks the Commission to intensify dialogue with international organisations to ensure the ECA has complete, unlimited and timely access to documents for audit work.
  4. Insists that implementing partners comply with visibility rules.
  5. Calls for sufficient budgetary means for EU Delegations to conduct field visits for monitoring project implementation and results.
  6. Welcomes ECA's special report 18/2024 on EU health support in Burundi, DRC and Zimbabwe, underlines findings on sustainability, and encourages the ECA to provide more special reports on international partnerships.

Who is affected

  • The European Commission, which is urged to reduce error rates and ensure audit access.
  • EU Delegations, which need more budget for field visits.
  • Implementing partners of EU development funds, who must comply with visibility rules.
  • International organisations receiving EU funds, which must provide audit access.

Figures and deadlines

  • 4 trillion USD: the current SDG financing gap.