On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022
TRAN-AD-753752
Committee on Transport and Tourism · Rapporteur: Vlad Gheorghe
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The Committee on Transport and Tourism gives its opinion on the 2022 budget discharge of Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking. It welcomes the Court of Auditors' finding that the transactions are legal and regular, notes budget implementation issues, and proposes that Parliament grant discharge to the Executive Director.¶¶¶ It notes a fall in the operational payment implementation rate to 47%, a representative error rate of 2.2% and a residual error rate of 1.3%, and calls for clearer recording of cash and in-kind contributions.¶¶ It calls for more support for rail freight, intermodal transport, innovation and a zero-emission rail system, and for increased research support to deliver an integrated European railway network.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Transport and Tourism proposes that Parliament grant discharge to the Executive Director of Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking for the 2022 budget implementation, and asks the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its suggestions into its resolution.¶¶
Key points
- Calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control to incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution.¶
- Welcomes the Court of Auditors' finding that the 2022 transactions of Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking are legal and regular.¶
- Welcomes the start of EU-Rail's activities as successor to the Shift2 Rail Joint Undertaking and its role coordinating Back Office Arrangement accounting services under Article 13 of the Single Basic Act.¶
- Notes challenges in 2022 payments for Horizon 2020 activities, a fall in the operational payment implementation rate to 47% from 61% in 2021, extended project durations and final payments postponed to 2023.¶
- Acknowledges a representative error rate of 2.2% and a residual error rate of 1.3% for Horizon 2020 expenditure, below the threshold.¶
- Notes the estimated total value of 2022 activities at EUR 102.4 million, of which EUR 90 million from members other than the EU, and calls for transparency distinguishing cash and in-kind contributions.¶¶
- Notes the 2022 final annual budget of EUR 171.4 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 180.8 million in payment appropriations, with implementation rates of 100% and 79.1%.¶
- Notes that no audit certificate on 2022 IKOP/IKAA was received and awaits validation of 2022 IKOP following project cost submissions in February 2023.¶
- Stresses delivering a sustainable, resilient rail system through zero-emission, silent rail, climate-resilient infrastructure, circular economy and innovative processes and materials.¶
- Calls for more support for innovation in rail freight and intermodal transport, automation and digitalisation, demonstration projects in member states, and synergies with other Union policies and funds.¶
- Welcomes the EU-Rail Master Plan and the new Europe's Rail Programme, and notes that the programme lacks coverage for essential developments in telecommunications and localisation.¶¶¶
- Calls for increased research support for an integrated network covering traffic management, vehicles, infrastructure and non-standard gauges, and proposes that Parliament grant discharge to the Executive Director for 2022.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking and its Executive Director: subject to the 2022 discharge decision.¶
- Beneficiaries of Horizon 2020 projects: faced increased costs and delivery issues, with extended durations and postponed final payments.¶
- EU and private members of the Undertaking: their contributions are recorded with a disparity between cash and in-kind.¶
- The European rail industry: called to benefit from support for demonstration projects and a competitive integrated network.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- 47%: operational payment appropriations implementation rate in 2022, compared to 61% in 2021.¶
- 2.2%: representative error rate for Horizon 2020 expenditure.¶
- 1.3%: residual error rate for Horizon 2020 expenditure.
- EUR 102.4 million: estimated total value of 2022 activities, of which EUR 90 million from members other than the EU.¶
- EUR 171.4 million: 2022 final annual budget in commitment appropriations.¶
- EUR 180.8 million: 2022 final annual budget in payment appropriations.
- 100% and 79.1%: implementation rates for commitment and payment appropriations respectively.
- EUR 619.4 million: cumulative value of activities awarded by EU-Rail to S2R for Research and Innovation, of which EUR 92 million realised.¶