Comissão do Controlo Orçamental

On 25.01.2021, the Committee on Budgetary Control considered the draft discharge reports for the European Parliament and Other institutions: Council, Court of Justice, Court of Auditors, European External Action Service, European Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Ombudsman, European Data protection Supervisor. The draft reports were presented by their respective Rapporteurs as they discussed the main points for this year's discharge cycle.

On 25.01.2021 the CONT Committee considered a draft opinion on strengthening transparency and integrity in the EU institutions by setting up an independent EU ethics body. The Committee on Budgetary Control called on the Committee of Constitutional Affairs, as the committee responsible, to incorporate it's suggestions into its motion for a resolution.

On 26.01.2021, ECA Member Juhan Parts presented to CONT and DEVE Members the Special Report no 14/2020: EU development aid to Kenya. According to the European Court of Auditors the Commission and EEAS have not demonstrated that EDF aid to Kenya between 2014 and 2020 addressed the country's development obstacles and reduced poverty.

This report provides the preliminary findings of the study prepared on the request of the CONT committee. It assesses the 289 systems providing data on the beneficiaries of the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy. It also provides a preliminary analysis of the approximately 10 million beneficiaries of the CAP and more than 500 000 projects receiving cohesion funds. Finally, it assesses the barriers to better transparency on beneficiaries of EU funds and possibilities to enhance it.

In this issue of the Policy Department’s Monthly Highlights, Evelyn Regner, Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality describes how the pandemic has affected women’s health, their economic situation and their prospects. A recent EP study gives insight to some of the most important gendered effects of the crisis. Other topics include Horizon 2020, space, state aid, and cohesion. Forthcoming publications and events are announced.

The Budgetary Affairs Policy Department prepared a briefing to explore the performance gap between EU-15 and EU-13 countries under Horizon 2020, the reasons for this gap and policy options at national and EU levels.