The Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) is a committee of the European Parliament. with 30 permanent members. It can be seen as the European Union's internal "political watchdog", seeking to identify undesirable developments within EU institutions and other bodies and then to elaborate constructive suggestions for improvement.
The committee's chair as of 2022 is Monika Hohlmeier.[1]
Responsibilities
editThe Committee on Budgetary Control is responsible for the control of the implementation of the European Union's budget, meaning that the taxpayers' money is spent efficiently, effectively and according to EU law. In close cooperation with the Court of Auditors, it audits the accounts of EU institutions and suggests improvements in order to ensure sound financial management. It considers fraud and irregularities in the budget implementation, and suggests measures aimed at preventing and prosecuting such cases. In this context, it liaises with the union's Anti-Fraud Office OLAF to strengthen the fight against fraud and corruption.[2]
The discharge procedure is the main tool at hand of the parliamentarians in the committee. During this procedure it scrutinises the implementation of the EU budget by all actors involved, i.e. inter alia the commission, Parliament, other institutions and agencies, on the basis of the yearly annual report of the European Court of Auditors.[3] For this purpose, the committee organizes hearings to which it invites members of the examined bodies. The parliamentarians then transmit detailed questions about the activities and the performance of the respective proceeding working year (x, e.g. 2011). This process usually starts in October of the following year (x+1, e.g. 2012) and is then voted in the committee in March and in the Plenary in April of the next following year (x+2, e.g. 2013).[4]
Chairs
edit- 2004–2006: Szabolcs Fazakas (PES)[5]
- 2007–2009: Herbert Bösch (PES)[6]
- 2009–2011: Luigi de Magistris (ALDE)[7]
- 2011–2014: Jan Mulder (ALDE)[8]
- 2014–2019: Ingeborg Gräßle (EPP)[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "CONT > Members". European Parliament Committees. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ Committee on Budgetary Control Archived 2013-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, EPP Group in the European Parliament, retrieved on 13 April 2013.
- ^ Overview, Committee on Budgetary Control, retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ [1], Overview of Discharge Procedure 2011, Budget Control Committee of the European Parliament, retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ chairs chosen European Voice, 21 July 2004.
- ^ Simon Taylor (31 January 2007), Committee chairs finally saddle up European Voice.
- ^ Simon Taylor (22 July 2009), New-look Parliament carves up the top jobs European Voice.
- ^ Simon Taylor (22 July 2009), New-look Parliament carves up the top jobs European Voice.
- ^ The new committee chairs Politico Europe, 8 July 2014.