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Select Committee on European Legislation Tenth Report
EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL GUIDANCE AND GUARANTEE FUND: GUARANTEE SECTION |
7.1 The 25th Report on the
EAGGF Guarantee Section was presented to the Council in a new
format which did not cover all the issues previously addressed.
At our request, we were supplied with a copy of a working document
which set out the information in the traditional format. Although
the Commission document covered its relations with European Parliament,
it did not emphasise the role of the Council of Ministers - which
is significant in relation to the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF
budget because it is compulsory expenditure. We asked for the
Minister's views on whether the shortened report was adequate
and on points of concern in the working document in respect of
fraud.
7.2 In a letter of 16 December
the Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food (Mr Baldry) said that the Commission's decision to change
the presentation was "essentially resource driven".
On the question of fraud he told us that it was for the Commission's
services to ensure that proper penalties are in force. In a further
letter of 21 January 1997 the Minister expands on the reference
to "essentially resource driven". He points out that
a formal report needs to be translated into all eleven languages,
which delays consideration of official text by two to three months.
He emphasises that the Council and its working groups have been
regarding the formal report and the working document as one, and
that their ability to scrutinise the Commission's discharge of
its financial responsibilities has not been diminished. He considers
that this development is an opportunity for examining whether
further changes could be made to improve transparency and accountability.
7.3 On relations between
the Commission and the Council, the Minister of State confirms
that "where compulsory expenditure such as a CAP spending
is concerned, the Commission and the Council necessarily work
very closely together". He says that there have been no
new developments in this relationship, but that relations with
the European Parliament have been evolving and were therefore
mentioned in the report.
7.4 In view of this further
information and the Minister's assurance that the formal report
and the working document are considered as an entity, we are now
clearing the document. 14 (17610) 11133/96; see HC 36-v (1996-96), paragraph 5 (4 December 1996). Back |
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| © Parliamentary copyright 1997 | Prepared 31 January 1997 |