Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 24 October 2018 - Strasbourg

Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report - 2017 (debate)

  Brian Hayes (PPE). – Mr President, I want to congratulate the Court of Auditors once again for a job well done. I think it is really significant that the error rate continues to fall and we need to welcome that as real progress that has been shown. The most important job of the job of auditors is to shine a light on public expenditure as it relates to European funds, and shining a light must lead to change, it must lead to new practices. As other colleagues have said, it must lead to less bureaucracy, not more bureaucracy. We have to do things differently, and in any new budget we have got to prioritise new areas of public expenditure.

As we go forward to the multiannual financial framework (MFF )for the next seven years, let us agree that earlier rather than later. Let us also ensure that we breach the 1% cap, which many Member States do not want to breach, because that will show real solidarity to the 27 Member States that remain within the European Union, and it will also show real determination to be ambitious on European projects that can lead to a better, stronger single market.

I also think it’s important that we highlight in this debate the way in which we can change attitudes and change procedures through better public expenditure. A new MFF must be about new priorities; not just the same old systems but new priorities. That is the best way to respond to the concerns of EU taxpayers.