Non-transparent decision making in the EU's transport policy funding

29.4.2008

ORAL QUESTION H-0345/08
for Question Time at the part-session in June 2008
pursuant to Rule 109 of the Rules of Procedure
by Ari Vatanen
to the Commission

When will the EU’s transport policy funding be put under economic scrutiny and the normal control mechanisms of the Commission, in order finally to meet the criteria of accountability for the use of public funds? What defence is there for the way in which public money is used avoiding democratic cross-checks? This erodes people’s trust in political decision making.

 

In the spirit of the Common Market, transparency and economic efficiency, the European Commission has a working method whereby the financial decisions of other Commission directorates are put under the scrutiny of the Competition Directorate.

 

A few policy-making sectors were, however, excepted from this scrutiny for strategic reasons. The decisions to do so were taken long ago, and both the EU and the world around it have changed dramatically since then.

 

Rather than being simply a strategic aspect of society, transport and mobility in wider terms are nowadays a key factor in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives; they are the source of our well‑being and economic prosperity, and constitute one of our basic freedoms and a key element in our quality of life.

 

The current system whereby one and the same body ‘decides and executes’ clearly leads to biased transport policy decisions and abuse of public funds.

 

 

Tabled: 29.04.2008

fi