Area of freedom, security and justice

Highlights - 2021 Discharge: Hearing with Agencies - Committee on Budgetary Control

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
EUROJUST, European Medicines Agency, ECHA, ENISA, ESMA, ECDC, European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, EEA, Hearing, EASA, EMA, Director, CDT, ETF, EMSA, ACER, EIOPA, ERA, Area of freedom, security and justice, Strategic autonomy, European Operations Management Association, ELA, European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control, Security, EFCA, EUROPOL, Committee, European Union Agency for the Space Programme, Eu-LISA, EMCDDA, ECA, CEPOL, Justice, EBA, EUSPA, Area, ESA, EIT, BEREC, FRA, EFSA, EU, Renewable energy

2021 Discharge: Hearing with Agencies

Key Points: 
  • 2021 Discharge: Hearing with Agencies
    29-11-2022 - 12:18
    On 30 November 2022, in the framework of the 2021 discharge cycle, the Committee on Budgetary Control will hold a hearing with the Chair of the EU Agencies Network and three decentralised European Agencies (eu-LISA, EUAA, and EMA).
  • The CONT Committee will hold a hearing with Hans Bruyninckx, outgoing Chair of the EU Agencies Network, as well as with the Executive Directors of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
  • The hearing will be held in the presence of the ECA reporting member Mihails Kozlovs.
  • - Rapporteur Agencies: Gilles Boyer (Renew) for EIOPA, ESMA
    - Rapporteur: Olivier Chastel (Renew) for CdT, Cedefop, EASA, EIGE, ERA, Eurofound, Horizontal Report
    - Rapporteur Agencies: Katalin Cseh (Renew) for ACER, BEREC, ECDC, ECHA, EEA, EFSA, EIT, EMA, ENISA, ESA, EUSPA
    - Rapporteur Agencies: Pierre Karleskind (Renew) for EFCA, EMSA
    - Rapporteur Agencies: Alin Mitua (Renew) for EBA, ELA, ETF, EU-OSHA
    - Rapporteur Agencies: Ramona Strugariu (Renew) for CEPOL, EMCDDA, EUAA, eu-LISA, EUROJUST, EUROPOL, FRA, Frontex
    - 2021 Agencies Discharge

Forbes Measures the Impact of Public Institutions With Pomilio Blumm Commended as a Leading Communication Agency

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Friday, September 16, 2022
Financial Times, EFSA, Health, MAECI, Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, European Parliament, Area of freedom, security and justice, Strategic autonomy, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, EUIPO, ITA, Justice, European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Editorial, Museum, Publication, Pandemic, G20, Central bank, Time, European Union Agency for the Space Programme, Economics, Food safety, AP, Agency, European Operations Management Association, Colosseum, European Central Bank, Area, European Union Intellectual Property Office, 2019 Italian government crisis, Food, Method, Security, Conference, GLOBE, Uffizi, Multimedia, Awareness, Communication, European Commission, EU, Renaissance, Culture

ROME, Sept. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Forbes Social Awards showed the ever-increasing impact of public institutions on the health of society and economics.

Key Points: 
  • ROME, Sept. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Forbes Social Awards showed the ever-increasing impact of public institutions on the health of society and economics.
  • Among the communication agencies, Pomilio Blumm had the lion's share, thanks to its communication strategies which showed resilience in the new international reality for the EU.
  • Pomilio Blumm is considered by the Financial Times among the fastest growing agencies, and recently announced a doubling turnover.
  • The institutions whose campaigns are powered by Pomilio Blumm are also the most interesting projects.

DGAP-News: CANCOM SE: CANCOM secures attractive framework agreement with EU institution eu-LISA

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Organizations, European Union, Articles, Eu-Lisa, Area of freedom, security and justice, Foreign relations of the European Union

The client is the EU institution eu-LISA with a major project worth a total of around 440 million euros and a maximum term of six years.

Key Points: 
  • The client is the EU institution eu-LISA with a major project worth a total of around 440 million euros and a maximum term of six years.
  • As part of the international ecos consortium, the CANCOM Group has won an attractive framework contract with the EU institution eu-LISA.
  • eu-LISA is the European Union's agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.
  • "We are looking forward to this major international project, which is one of the largest data center projects in the EU.

Stronger together: EU agencies join forces to respond to COVID-19

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
European Union law, Jha, Area of freedom, security and justice, Humans

Over the past months, all JHA agencies have taken the necessary measures to ensure business continuity and uninterrupted operational support in their respective areas of work.

Key Points: 
  • Over the past months, all JHA agencies have taken the necessary measures to ensure business continuity and uninterrupted operational support in their respective areas of work.
  • The agencies individual and joint efforts to deal with the impact of the pandemic have been captured in a Joint Paper on the COVID-19 response by the JHA agencies, which was formally endorsed by the Heads of JHA agencies during a video conference held on 9 July.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Justice and Home Affairs agencies' network.
  • In the past decade, this family of JHA agencies has joined forces as guardians of the area of Freedom, Security and Justice.

Stronger together: EU Agencies join forces to respond to COVID-19

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
European Union law, Jha, Area of freedom, security and justice, Humans

In the past months, all JHA agencies have taken the necessary measures to ensure business continuity and uninterrupted operational support.

Key Points: 
  • In the past months, all JHA agencies have taken the necessary measures to ensure business continuity and uninterrupted operational support.
  • The agencies individual and joint efforts to deal with the impact of the pandemic have been captured in a Joint Paper on the COVID-19 response by the JHA agencies, which was formally endorsed by the heads of JHA agencies during a videoconference held on 9 July.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Justice and Home Affairs agencies' network.
  • In the past decade, this family of JHA agencies joined forces as guardians of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice.

Eurojust action against criminal groups abusing corona crisis

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Law enforcement in Europe, Agencies of the European Union, European Union law, Organizations, Continents, Eurojust, European Union, European Arrest Warrant, EJN, The Hague, European Public Prosecutor, Area of freedom, security and justice

The Hague,8 April 2020 Eurojust has taken action in various cases of online fraud and computer hacking by criminal organisations abusing the current COVID 19-crisis.

Key Points: 
  • The Hague,8 April 2020 Eurojust has taken action in various cases of online fraud and computer hacking by criminal organisations abusing the current COVID 19-crisis.
  • Eurojust, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, is assisting national authorities in the follow-up of this case.
  • The Agency has furthermore stepped up its support to judicial authorities to execute the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in times of corona.
  • Via Eurojust, European Investigation Orders and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance have been issued to France and Switzerland to follow up investigations.
  • Practical implications in times of the corona crisis Eurojust continues to be fully operational.
  • An EAW crisis group will be set up by the European Commission, in which Eurojust, EJN and the General Secretariat of the Council will participate.
  • In order to have all relevant information at hand, Eurojust and the EJN have swiftly compiled an inventory of key judicial measures taken at national level to respond to the global health crisis.
  • The inventory covers measures by all EU Member States, Iceland and Norway and will be continuously updated as the crisis response further develops.

REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Οperational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (before 11 December 2018: European Agency[...]

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
European Union, Organizations, Europe, European Union law, Eu-Lisa, Government procurement, Agencies of the European Union, European Court of Auditors, European Atomic Energy Community, European Parliament, Area of freedom, security and justice, Brexit and arrangements for science and technology

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (before 11 December 2018: European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice) for the financial year 2018 (2019/2097(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) for the financial year 2018, having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the agencies' replies[1], having regard to the statement of assurance[2] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to the Councils recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 C90064/2020), having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[3], and in particular Article 208 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[4], and in particular Article 70 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 establishing a European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice[5], and in particular Article 33 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1726 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of LargeScale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (euLISA), and amending Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 and Council Decision 2007/533/JHA and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011[6], and in particular Article 47 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30 September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council[7], and in particular Article 108 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council[8], and in particular Article105 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0053/2020), 1.Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agencys budget for the financial year 2018; 2.Sets out its observations in the resolution below; 3.Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).

Key Points: 
  • on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (before 11 December 2018: European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice) for the financial year 2018 (2019/2097(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) for the financial year 2018, having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the agencies' replies[1], having regard to the statement of assurance[2] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to the Councils recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 C90064/2020), having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[3], and in particular Article 208 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[4], and in particular Article 70 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 establishing a European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice[5], and in particular Article 33 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1726 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of LargeScale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (euLISA), and amending Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 and Council Decision 2007/533/JHA and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011[6], and in particular Article 47 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30 September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council[7], and in particular Article 108 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council[8], and in particular Article105 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0053/2020), 1.Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agencys budget for the financial year 2018; 2.Sets out its observations in the resolution below; 3.Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).
  • on the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (before 11 December 2018: European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice) for the financial year 2018 (2019/2097(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) for the financial year 2018, having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the agencies' replies[9], having regard to the statement of assurance[10] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to the Councils recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 C90064/2020), having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[11], and in particular Article 208 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[12], and in particular Article 70 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 establishing a European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice[13], and in particular Article 33 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1726 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of LargeScale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (euLISA), and amending Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 and Council Decision 2007/533/JHA and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011[14], and in particular Article 47 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30 September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council[15], and in particular Article 108 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18 December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council[16], and in particular Article 105 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0053/2020), 1.Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) for the financial year 2018; 2.Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).
  • with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (before 11 December 2018: European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice) for the financial year 2018 (2019/2097(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the perational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) for the financial year 2018, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0053/2020), A.whereas, according to its statement of revenue and expenditure[17], the final budget of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of LargeScale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (the Agency) for the financial year 2018 was EUR205657227, representing a significant increase of 32% compared with 2017; whereas the increase was related to additional tasks and to the strengthening of the Agencys mandate, whereas the budget of the Agency derives mainly from the Union budget; B.whereas the Court of Auditors (the Court), in its report on the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2018 (the Courts report), states that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Agencys annual accounts are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular; Budget and financial management 1.Notes that budget-monitoring efforts during the financial year 2018 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 75,18%; observes that the low implementation rate is due to outstanding commitments, mainly related to operational expenditure, which is subject to adoption of their legal basis; notes furthermore that the payment appropriations execution rate was 94,08%, representing an increase of 2,55% compared with 2017; 2.Notes that having suffered considerable delays, the construction of the Agencys new premises in Strasbourg had a 88,17% completion rate, according to the latest accepted works progress report from April 2018, and that the Agency protects its financial interests with a EUR1,2million performance guarantee; notes that the Agency registered statements of defence with the Court of First Instance in Strasburg on 15 May 2018 and on 15 February 2019, while the decision of the Court of First Instance has not yet been issued; and that, meanwhile, talks aimed at reaching an out-of-court settlement were restarted in April 2019; calls on the Agency to inform the discharge authority without delay in case an out-of-court settlement is reached or as soon as the judgement of the Court of First Instance is issued; 3.Notes with concern that, according to the Courts report, the Agencys budget implementation was less than planned because of the late adoption or entry into force of legal acts (a matter which is outside the Agencys control), affecting both the evolution and the development of existing and new systems; notes that in response the Agency returned to the Commission EUR74000000 in payment appropriations and carried forward EUR49000000 of commitment appropriations, thereby calling into question the planning assumptions contained in the legislative financial statements prepared by the Commission; highlights that the inscription of budgetary resources in the Agency's voted budget for legal acts not yet adopted introduces significant risks to sound financial management; calls on the Commission, together with the Agency, to improve the alignment of budgetary planning with the timing of legal acts; Performance 4.Welcomes the Agencys sustained cooperation with other Union agencies and the strengthened mandate given by the entry into force of the Regulation (EU) 2018/1726[18] in December 2018 which will bring new opportunities to reinforce cooperation, deliver proactive advice and additional support and assistance to the Commission, Member States and other justice and home affairs agencies, and to work more closely with international organisations; 5.Observes the possible development of a centralised router for the exchange of Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Records information among Member States; notes that the use of such information for checks against large-scale IT systems has been proposed as an element of interoperability of future interest; further notes the related feasibility study carried out by the Commission between April 2018 and January 2019; 6.Notes, in light of the observations and comments made in 2018 by the discharge authority, that the Agency manages three separate, non-integrated, large-scale IT systems in accordance with the respective legal instruments governing those systems, and that the different development timelines and constraints stemming from these legal frameworks have caused the IT systems to be built separately and in a non-integrated way; notes that the Agency recognises that this approach is neither sustainable nor efficient from an operational or budgetary perspective; welcomes the fact that the Agency has begun an initiative to streamline system architecture and design with the Commissions Interoperability Initiative as the main driver; encourages the Agency to further explore the possibilities of establishing common procedures and shared systems; 7.Recalls (particularly in view of the fact that this Agency deals with the interoperability of sensitive data) the importance of data management and processing services and the need to internalise these services; highlights in this regard the importance of the protection and confidentiality of such data, and the potential risks that the current external IT services management system involves; 8.Welcomes the new organisational structure put in place by the Agency to reinforce the capabilities needed for operational planning and the associated procurement, including the provision of legal and technical input, but calls for further efforts to be made to ensure compliance with procurement rules and for more accurate reporting; notes the Court's observation that the Agency may consider using the methodology of the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), a standard methodology for determining the price of development activities; 9.Welcomes the progress made regarding the Courts recommendations from previous years; notes, however, that the Agency still does not publish vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO); calls, therefore, on the Agency to take steps to ensure the publication of vacancies through the EPSO website; 10.Notes that, in relation to e-procurement procedures, the Agency has introduced e-invoicing and e-tendering for certain procedures, but notes that the introduction of e-submission remains ongoing; 11.Stresses the importance of providing gender-based data in order to be able to analyse the evolution of the gender balance within the staff of the Agency and in its governing bodies.
  • Staff policy 12.Notes with concern that on 31 December 2018 the establishment plan was only 89,71% executed, with 122 temporary agents appointed out of 136 temporary agents authorised under the Union budget (compared with 131 authorised posts in 2017); notes that, in addition, 31 contract agents and 9 seconded national experts worked for the Agency in 2018; welcomes the Agency's reply that this execution rate can be attributed to the late adoption of legal acts and urges the Agency to report on future progress; 13.Notes with concern that according to the reported figures the gender balance within the Management Board for 2018 is highly uneven with 40 male members and 6 female members; 14.Notes in light of comments and observations made in 2018 by the discharge authority that the Agency acknowledges the significant risks for the continuity of its operations of having a small number of staff; highlights the fact that the Agency has requested additional staff in its programming documents; acknowledges that such staff increase is subject to approval by Parliament and Council, and that the Agency is trying to mitigate the risk through reprioritisation of tasks and speedy recruitment; points out that the current practice of recruiting the necessary staff for the implementation of a legal act only once such legal act is in force implies reliance on existing staff to conduct preparatory measures for the implementation of such legal act, stretching the Agency's core team capabilities and, therefore, carrying the risk of affecting the Agency's performance of its daily activities; calls on the Commission to allow for the front-loading of some of the staff foreseen in a proposal for a legal act in order to allow the Agency to efficiently prepare the implementation of such legal act; 15.Notes that, according to the Courts report in relation to one particular recruitment procedure, the Agencys selection committee, to the detriment of the transparency of the procedure, deviated from the published vacancy notice and applied a higher minimum score than that published for applicants to be placed on the reserve list; notes from the Agencys reply the commitment to using a more stringent wording in the vacancy notices to be published in the future; welcomes the fact that the Agency has immediately re-adjusted its practice for ongoing procedures, and that the guidelines on recruitment procedures will include the principle that the threshold for the reserve list should be established ex-ante; calls on the Agency to ensure that published selection criteria are respected; 16.Notes the adoption in March 2018 by the Agencys Management Board of the new organisational structure in anticipation of the growth of the Agency due to increased tasks following adoption of new legal acts and the additional staff granted in that respect; notes that the Agency will almost double its number of staff by the end of 2020 and that the reorganisation was expected to be fully enabled by the end of 2019; Procurement 17.Notes with concern that, according to the Courts report, two audited payments for the provision of corrective maintenance in working order of the Schengen Information System (MWS) were partly irregular in that the Agency amended one specific contract by increasing monthly maintenance charges without amending the MWS framework contract to provide for the price increase, and later extended the contract by 1,5 months after the expiry of the MWS framework contract; stresses that the additional amount paid for the monthly maintenance and the payment for maintenance after the expiry date of the framework contract are partially irregular; notes the Agencys reply that delays incurred in the launch of the successor framework contract, and that additional steps taken during the award process resulted in the requirement to ensure continuity of maintenance for the Schengen Information System in line with the Agencys legal obligations, and that the process of finalising the set of checklists and templates for procurement procedures and the creation of capabilities for planning support of operational activities and underlying procurement is ongoing; calls on the Agency to ensure compliance with public procurement provisions; 18.Notes further that, according to the Courts report, the formula stipulated in the tender specifications for identifying the best quality offer for the MWS contract was different from the one communicated in the question-and-answers document for bidders, and that other shortcomings in the quality, completeness and consistency of the information provided were identified; notes that the Agency acknowledges the need to improve and document consistency checks and comparability between the tender planning and the actual contracts to allow for ex-post assessment (something that is currently not deployed as a function within the procurement process due to lack of human resources); calls on the Agency to strengthen procurement-related internal control; 19.Notes with concern that, according to the Courts report, in the case of a contract for the provision of telecommunication services, the Agency awarded a contract to the sole economic operator who had submitted a tender with the value of the awarded contract amounting to EUR144000 as published in the initial contract notice; notes, however, that the financial offer submitted by the operator was EUR45700 only, resulting in the award of a contract for an amount exceeding the offer, something which is not in line with public procurement rules; notes the Agencys reply that the financial offer was intended merely as a non-binding scenario for the purpose of tender evaluation and the actual monthly payments are based on actual rendering of services according to the initially offered unit prices; calls on the Agency not to award contracts for prices which exceed tenderers' offers; 20.Notes that, according to the Courts report ,the Agency extended the duration of a direct contract for the provision of security and reception services from four to six years, increasing the contract value by 73 % (which is not in compliance with the Financial Regulation), thereby making payments executed after the initial period irregular; notes the Agencys reply that the situation occurred under exceptional circumstances which were reported in a timely manner and analysed in the register of exceptions; acknowledges that decisions have been made to ensure the continuous provision of security services; calls on the Agency to ensure compliance with public procurement rules; 21.Welcomes the fact that, in light of comments and observations from the discharge authority related to the extensive use of external contractors for the development and maintenance of IT projects, the Agency is working on a sourcing strategy to ensure the best use of its own resources; highlights the fact that the Court has identified a horizontal trend across agencies in the use of external staff hired as IT consultants; stresses that the Agency's dependence on external recruitment in this area needs to be urgently addressed; acknowledges that the decision to allocate sufficient staff resources lies with Parliament and Council as budget authorities; 22.Urges the Agency to explore possibilities of sharing resources on overlapping tasks with other agencies with similar activities; encourages the Agency to start looking for ways of sharing non-expert staff in areas such as ITC and accounting, in particular with the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications based in Riga and the European Chemicals Agency based in Helsinki; Prevention and management of conflicts of interests and transparency 23.Notes with satisfaction that in November 2018 the Agency finalised the implementation of the new rules on the prevention and management of conflicts of interest for members of the management board and of the advisory groups, which encompass annual submission of their declarations of interest and the assessment of the declarations by the chairpersons of the management board and the respective advisory groups (as applicable) with the support of the Agency; welcomes the adoption of a new model of declarations of interest, followed by their publication on the Agencys website; notes that the Agency has in place rules on the prevention and management of conflicts of interest for staff members; notes that in 2018, all members of staff submitted declarations of interest of which 31 declared an interest (corresponding to 20 % of the staff) which were assessed by the line managers, and that for three staff members (corresponding to 2 % of the staff) actions were taken to mitigate the risk of potential conflict of interest; regrets, however, that the new model of declaration of interest has not been applied also to the executive leadership; notes with regret that only a declaration of absence of conflict of interest is available for the executive director; notes that in June 2018, the management board adopted the Agencys decision on guidelines on whistleblowing; notes that according to the Agencys reply there is no legal obligation to publish the CVs of the members of its management board; highlights in that respect that the Union agencies should set a model in terms of transparency and calls on the members of the management board to publish their CVs on the Agency's website; Internal Controls 24.Notes, in the light of comments and observations from the discharge authority related to open audit recommendations that the implementation rate of action plans put in place following various audit recommendations had a descending trend in 2018, and that the Agency adopted and deployed the revised internal control framework early in 2019; notes that the internal audit service has established a strategic audit plan for the period 2019-2021, based on the results of a risk assessment exercise carried out in February 2018 at both the headquarters in Tallinn and the technical site in Strasbourg, covering the Agencys major administrative and operational processes; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on the implementation of the audit recommendations; Other comments 25.Notes, in light of comments and observations from the discharge authority related to delays in the reconstruction of the Agencys operational site in Strasburg and the construction of the new headquarters building in Tallinn, that the headquarters reconstruction project was finalised by the Estonian government in accordance with the original plan and that the Agency was moved to its permanent location in July 2018; notes that reconstruction works at the operational site in Strasbourg were contractually finalised in June 2018, that the delay was attributed to the changes in design agreed with the contractor, and that the Agency is working closely with the contractor to remedy technical inefficiencies spotted and to progress with the acceptance of works; 26.Calls upon the Agency to focus on disseminating the results of its research to the public, and to reach out to the public viasocial media and other media outlets; o o o
  • for the Committee on Budgetary Control on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) for the financial year 2018 Rapporteur for opinion: Roberta Metsola SUGGESTIONS The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution: 1.Stresses that the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) (the 'Agency') offers an important contribution to a safer Europe by providing high-quality services and helping to align the technological capabilities of Member States with their needs; 2.Welcomes the fact that the Court of Auditors (the 'Court') has declared the transactions underlying the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2018 to be legal and regular in all material respects and that its financial position on 31 December 2018 is fairly represented; highlights that in 2018 the Agency's budget increased from EUR79million to EUR97million (an increase of 22%) and its staff from 152 to 162 (an increase of 6%); 3.Notes the very low implementation of the Agency's budget in 2018 with close to 25 % (EUR 49 million) of commitment appropriations being carried forward and 76 % (EUR 74 million) of payment appropriations being unused; acknowledges that this situation arose due to reasons beyond the control of the Agency, namely the late adoption or entry into force of certain legal acts; believes, however, that the lower absorption capacity should have been anticipated, and therefore calls on the Agency and the Commission to improve budgetary planning in the future including by consulting closely with the Agency during the preparation of new legal acts; 4Stresses that the current practice whereby the Agency may only recruit the necessary staff for the implementation of a legal act once that act is in force stretches the capabilities of the Agencys core team and therefore carries the risk of preventing the Agency from maintaining a good performance in its daily activities; notes that the Court has identified a horizontal trend across agencies in the use of external staff being hired in IT consultancy roles; calls for the Agency's dependence on external recruitment in this area to be addressed in view of the responsibility it has for large-scale IT systems in the Union; calls, therefore, on the Commission to enable the front-loading of some of the staff foreseen in a proposal for a legal act in order to allow the Agency to prepare the work required for the implementation of that legal act; 5.Recalls, particularly in view of the fact that this Agency deals with the interoperability of sensitive data, the importance of data management and processing services and the need to internalise these services; highlights in this regard the importance of the protection and confidentiality of such data and the potential risks that the current external IT services management system involves; 6.Takes note of several flaws detected by the Court in relation to compliance with public procurement rules; regrets the fact that flaws related to a framework contract for provision of corrective maintenance in working order of the Schengen Information System led to irregular payments totalling EUR 759 000; deplores the fact that the Court detected further shortcomings in the quality, completeness and consistency of information related to that contract; takes note of the Agencys reply that the irregular payments were necessary to comply with its legal obligation to continue to maintain the Schengen Information System in view of the fact that the launch of the procedure for the successor framework contract was delayed; welcomes the new organisational structure put in place by the Agency to reinforce the capabilities needed for operational planning and the associated procurement, including the provision of legal and technical input, but calls for further efforts to be made to ensure compliance with procurement rules and for more accurate reporting; takes note of the Court's observation that the Agency may consider using the methodology of the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), a standard methodology for determining the price for development activities; 7.Welcomes the progress made regarding the Courts recommendations from previous years; notes, however that the Agency still does not publish vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO); calls, therefore, on the Agency to take steps to ensure the publication of vacancies through the EPSO website; notes that the construction of the new building on the Strasbourg site has been completed; highlights the fact that continuity of operations is no longer threatened by the small number of staff in key operational units.
  • 8.Notes that, in relation to e-procurement procedures, the Agency has introduced e-invoicing and e-tendering for certain procedures, but notes, however, that the introduction of e-submission is still ongoing; 9.Stresses the importance of providing gender-based data in order to be able to analyse the evolution of the gender balance within the staff of the Agency andin its governing bodies.
  • INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Possible impact of Brexit on criminal justice cooperation raises concerns

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 28, 2020
Law enforcement, Law, Government, Criminal law, Warrants, European Union law, Crime prevention, Security, Arrest, European Arrest Warrant, Police, Area of freedom, security and justice

As an EU Member State, the UK was part of a number of agreements and information-sharing mechanisms, including: the ability to search DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration information held by other Member States; mutual recognition of criminal sentences handed down in another Member State; a system for sharing information about people wanted (or under surveillance) by the police; and the European Arrest Warrant (a mechanism designed to speed up the handing over of suspects or convicted criminals from one EU Member State to another).

Key Points: 
  • As an EU Member State, the UK was part of a number of agreements and information-sharing mechanisms, including: the ability to search DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration information held by other Member States; mutual recognition of criminal sentences handed down in another Member State; a system for sharing information about people wanted (or under surveillance) by the police; and the European Arrest Warrant (a mechanism designed to speed up the handing over of suspects or convicted criminals from one EU Member State to another).
  • Based on the negotiating mandates published by the UK Government and the European Commission, it seems unlikely that the future relationship will include current levels of criminal justice cooperation.
  • The UK Government has already stated, for example, that they will not be seeking to participate in the European Arrest Warrant.
  • Tuesday 3 March in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster
    Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin, National Police Chiefs Council; and
    The two committees will ask witnesses for their views on what level of future cooperation is desirable, what they think is likely to be agreed, and what impact changes in cooperation could have on the UKs police and criminal justice system.

Possible impact of Brexit on criminal justice cooperation raises concerns

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 28, 2020
Law enforcement, Law, Government, Criminal law, Warrants, European Union law, Crime prevention, Security, Arrest, European Arrest Warrant, Police, Area of freedom, security and justice

As an EU Member State, the UK was part of a number of agreements and information-sharing mechanisms, including: the ability to search DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration information held by other Member States; mutual recognition of criminal sentences handed down in another Member State; a system for sharing information about people wanted (or under surveillance) by the police; and the European Arrest Warrant (a mechanism designed to speed up the handing over of suspects or convicted criminals from one EU Member State to another).

Key Points: 
  • As an EU Member State, the UK was part of a number of agreements and information-sharing mechanisms, including: the ability to search DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration information held by other Member States; mutual recognition of criminal sentences handed down in another Member State; a system for sharing information about people wanted (or under surveillance) by the police; and the European Arrest Warrant (a mechanism designed to speed up the handing over of suspects or convicted criminals from one EU Member State to another).
  • Based on the negotiating mandates published by the UK Government and the European Commission, it seems unlikely that the future relationship will include current levels of criminal justice cooperation.
  • The UK Government has already stated, for example, that they will not be seeking to participate in the European Arrest Warrant.
  • Tuesday 3 March in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster
    Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin, National Police Chiefs Council; and
    The two committees will ask witnesses for their views on what level of future cooperation is desirable, what they think is likely to be agreed, and what impact changes in cooperation could have on the UKs police and criminal justice system.

Highlights - LIBE/DEVE/DROI ad-hoc delegation to the Global Refugee Forum - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Retrieved on: 
Friday, December 13, 2019
European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Area of freedom, security and justice, European Union, European Parliament elections, Politicians, Jan Philipp Albrecht, Malin Björk

As Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) I am pleased to welcome you on this page.

Key Points: 
  • As Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) I am pleased to welcome you on this page.
  • The LIBE Committee is in charge of most of the legislation and democratic oversight for policies enabling the European Union to offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice (Article 3 TEU).
  • Our 68-Member Committee carries out its work in daily interactions with the European Commission, the Council of ministers and as well as in close cooperation with national Parliaments.
  • Regular exchanges also take place with representatives from the judiciary, law-enforcement authorities, Justice and Home Affairs EU agencies, academics and civil society.