REPORT on the nomination of Hans Gustaf Wessberg as a Member of the Court of Auditors

25.11.2011 - (C7-0342/2011 – 2011/0807(NLE))

Committee on Budgetary Control
Rapporteur: Inés Ayala Sender

PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

on the nomination of Hans Gustaf Wessberg as a Member of the Court of Auditors

(C7-0342/2011 – 2011/0807(NLE))

(Consultation)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to Article 286(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C7-0342/2011),

–   having regard to the fact that at its meeting of 23 November 2011 the Committee on Budgetary Control heard the Council’s nominee for membership of the Court of Auditors,

–   having regard to Rule 108 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A7-0415/2011),

A. whereas Hans Gustaf Wessberg fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 286(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU;

1.  Delivers a favourable opinion on the Council's nomination of Hans Gustaf Wessberg as a Member of the Court of Auditors;

2.  Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and, for information, the Court of Auditors, the other institutions of the European Union and the audit institutions of the Member States.

ANNEX 1: CURRICULUM VITÆ OF Hans Gustaf Wessberg

Born in Göteborg, Sweden, 26 April 1952

Education

BA in political science, history and communication from the University of Göteborg

Appointments

Since 10 June 2011     Member of the European Court of Auditors

2007 – 2010              State Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office

2007                         State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs

2006 – 2007              State Secretary, Ministry of Defence

2004 – 2006              Director-General, Swedish Companies Registration Office

2001 – 2004              Deputy Director-General, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise

1991 – 2001               Director of Information, Acting Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director and Managing Director of the Federation of Swedish Industries

1990 – 1991              Director of Information, SIAB (construction company)

1982 – 1990               Press Officer, Head of Press, and later Head of Information of the Swedish Defence Staff, and spokesman of the Supreme Commander

1980 – 1982              Chair, Swedish National Union of Students (SFS)

Board appointments and other appointments

2005 – 2006              Member of the Government Interoperability Board

2005 – 2006               Board Member, National Agency for Services to Universities and University Colleges

2003 – 2004              Chair, Central Defence and Society Federation

2003 – 2004               Member, Industrial Liaison Council of the Swedish Emergency Management Agency

2003 – 2004              Member, Supreme Commander’s Business Advisory Council

1997 – 2003              Chair, Moderate Party in Stockholm

1998 – 2002              Alternate Member, Riksbank Executive Board

1999 – 2002              Board Member, Birka Energi

1999 – 2001              Chair, Svenska Bostäder

1999 – 2001              Chair, Locum AB

1997 –                       Member of Academy of War Sciences

1996 – 1998              Board Member, Sveriges Radio (Swedish Radio)

ANNEX 2: SUMMARY BY Hans Gustaf Wessberg OF EXPERIENCE AS A COURT MEMBER AND OBJECTIVES FOR A FUTURE MANDATE

Experience

Since my appointment as Member of the Court on 10 June 2011, I have been working in Audit Chamber 3 which is responsible for auditing External Actions.

I directly started as reporting member for chapter five (External aid, Development and Enlargement) of the Court’s Annual Report for the financial year 2010. It was a unique opportunity to immediately involve myself in the detailed DAS audit work and quickly familiarize myself with the Annual Report procedure.

Simultaneously I took up the responsibility of the performance audit on the effectiveness of EU development aid for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. I expect the resulting Special Report to be published during the first quarter of 2012.

I also took up the task of a performance audit on the Commission’s management of external assistance to “fragile states” where state structures lack political capacity to provide basic functions that are needed for poverty reduction, development and to safeguard security and human rights of populations. After finalizing the preliminary study the audit work should start early 2012 with a Special Report publication foreseen in April 2013.

Personal objectives for a possible future mandate

My immediate priority will be to actively contribute to the discharge 2010 debate for External Actions with the European Parliament and the Committee on Budgetary Control and continue the work on the two above mentioned performance audits (food security - fragile states). Furthermore I will be responsible for a third performance audit on the EU assistance to the Palestinian people. This task will start in the second quarter of 2012.

I will cooperate actively in the preparation of the Court’s next strategy, focussing on further increasing the institution’s performance, promoting accountability and transparency and fostering added value. Among others I will strive for more focused and shorter Special Reports and further simplification of procedures that should lead to even more relevant and timely audits. I will also seek to improve the clarity and pertinence of conclusions and recommendations contained in the Court’s reports.

Furthermore I will follow and open-dialogue policy with the European Parliament as an important tool for targeting the appropriate issues that should lead to a wider impact of the Court’s work and subsequent improved management of EU expenditure.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted	23.11.2011
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	20 3 1
Members present for the final vote	Jean-Pierre Audy, Inés Ayala Sender, Andrea Cozzolino, Tamás Deutsch, Jens Geier, Ingeborg Gräßle, Iliana Ivanova, Monica Luisa Macovei, Jan Mulder, Jan Olbrycht, Crescenzio Rivellini, Georgios Stavrakakis, Søren Bo Søndergaard
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Zuzana Brzobohatá, Edit Herczog, Sidonia Elżbieta Jędrzejewska, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Derek Vaughan
Substitute(s) under Rule 187(2) present for the final vote	George Sabin Cutaş, Leonidas Donskis, Pat the Cope Gallagher, Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines, Marian Harkin, Sampo Terho