Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget...Workshop on Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget Budgetary Affairs Policy Department D for Budgetary

Workshop on Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget

Budgetary Affairs

Policy Department D for Budgetary Affairs

Directorate General for Internal Policies of the Union PE 572.714 - February 2017

EN

Study for the CONT committee

© European Parliament

DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES

POLICY DEPARTMENT D: BUDGETARY AFFAIRS

Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget

WORKSHOP

In the context of an own-initiative rapport (rapporteur: Markus Pieper, EPP), the CONT Committee decided last year to contract a study on “Democratic accountability and budgetary control of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funded by the EU budget” to experts from the consultancy Blomeyer&Sanz. The study was presented in a pre-release version last November. It identified difficulties in terms of data availability and transparency, stemming from the fragmentation of European Commission’s systems. It also concluded that the existence of multiple, complex, overlapping NGOs networks pose significant challenges to accountability and transparency, as does the emergence of new and innovative funding mechanisms that do not involve large institutional donors. The workshop followed on the findings of the study and aimed at providing the CONT Committee with views of NGOs, in presence of European Commission’s and Court of Auditors’ representatives. The authors of the study, now finalised and updated with feedback received, were also present to comment. Considering the limited timing, the workshop focused on the examples of development policy, and environment policy (LIFE programme). This document can not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. The workshop was public and live webstreamed. The video record can be found under the following link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/committees/video?event=20170206-1600-COMMITTEE-CONT

15/02/2017 PE 572.714 EN

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/committees/video?event=20170206-1600-COMMITTEE-CONT

CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS Mr Roderick Ackermann, Blomeyer&Sanz Mrs Victoria Gil Casado, DG Budget, European Commission Mr Thomas Heckeberg, EUNET, CSE Mr Seamus Jeffreson, Concord Mrs Elsa Perreau, Blomeyer&Sanz Mrs Kathrin Schick, VOICE Mr Christian Strasser, DG for Environment, European Commission Mr Jean-Louis Ville, DG for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission Mr Jeremy Wates, European Environmental Bureau, Green 10 Mr Dennis Wernerus, European Court of Auditors RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR Ms Beata Grzebieluch Policy Department D: Budgetary Affairs European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN ABOUT THE EDITOR Policy Departments provide in-house and external expertise to support European Parliament's committees and other parliamentary bodies in shaping legislation and exercising democratic scrutiny over EU policies. To contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its newsletter please write to: [email protected] Manuscript completed in February 2017. Brussels, © European Union, 2017. This document is available on the Internet at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/supporting-analyses DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorized, provided the source is acknowledged and the publisher is given prior notice and sent a copy.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/supporting-analyses




Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget ________________________________________________________________________________________

5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME 7

BIOGRAPHIES OF SPEAKERS 10

PRESENTATIONS 22 Panel 1 Presentation by Mrs Victoria Gil Casado (European Commission, DG BUDG) Presentation by Mr Roderick Ackermann and Mrs Elsa Perreau (Blomeyer & Sanz)

23 28

Panel 2 Presentation by Mr Christian Strasser, (European Commission, DG ENV) Presentation by Mr Dennis Wernerus (European Court of Auditors) Presentation by Mrs Kathrin Schick (VOICE) and Messrs Thomas Heckeberg (EUNET -CSE), Seamus Jeffreson (Concord) and Jeremy Wates (EEB-Green 10)

33 38 44

Policy Department D: Budgetary Affairs __________________________________________________________________________________________

6


7

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME


8

WORKSHOP ON BUDGETARY CONTROL OF NGOS’

FINANCING FROM THE EU BUDGET

Organised by the Policy Department D on Budgetary Affairs

Monday, 6 February 2017 16:00 - 18:30

European Parliament, Brussels Paul-Henri Spaak Building, Room PHS 04B001

DRAFT WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

Welcome and introduction

16:00-16:05 Dr Ingeborg Grässle, MEP, Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control

16:05-16:10 Mr Markus Pieper, MEP, Rapporteur

* * *

Panel 1: Financing of NGOs from the EU budget

16:10-16:20 Mrs Victoria Gil Casado, Head of Unit for Programme Management and Implementing Contracts, Central Financial Service, DG Budget, European Commission Mr Yiannos Asimakis, Head of Unit for Financial Report and Strategy, Budget Execution, DG Budget, European Commission

16:20-16:25 Mr Roderick Ackermann, Mrs Elsa Perreau, Blomeyer&Sanz

16:25-16:50 Q&A session, with floor open to public

* * *


9

Panel 2: Overview and controls of NGOs financed 16:50-17:00 Mr Roderick Ackermann, Mrs Elsa Perreau,

Blomeyer&Sanz

Perspective of EU Institutions

17:00-17:10 Mr Jean-Louis Ville, Director for Directorate B Human Development and Migration, DG for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission

17:10-17:20 Mr Christian Strasser, Deputy Head of Unit, LIFE Programme, DG for Environment, European Commission

17:20-17:30 Mr Dennis Wernerus, Senior Auditor, European Court of Auditors

Perspective of Non-Governmental Organisations

17:30-17:35 Mr Thomas Heckeberg, Director at the European Network for Education and Training (EUNET), member of the Civil Society Europe (CSE), on behalf of the latter;

17:35-17:40 Mrs Kathrin Schick, Director, Voluntary Organisation in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE);

17:40-17:45 Mr Seamus Jeffreson, Director, Confederation for Relief and Development (Concord);

17:45-17:50 Mr Jeremy Wates, Secretary-General of the European Environmental Bureau, member of Green 10

17:50-18:20 Q&A session, with floor open to public

* * *

Closing remarks 18:20-18:25 Mr Markus Pieper, MEP,

Rapporteur

18:25-18:30 Dr Ingeborg Grässle, MEP, Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control

* * *

http://www.european-net.org/the-eunet-office/

https://civilsocietyeurope.eu/2016/11/16/civil-society-recommendations-on-budgetary-control-of-financing-ngos-from-the-eu-budget/

http://www.ngovoice.org/index.php?page=39

https://concordeurope.org/

http://www.green10.org/


10

BIOGRAPHIES OF SPEAKERS


11

Mrs Victoria GIL CASADO, Head of Unit for Programme Management and Implementing Contracts, Central Financial Service, DG Budget, European Commission

Nationality: Spanish

Academic qualifications Master in European Law, Institut d'études européennes - Brussels, Belgium (1990-1991)

Maîtrise en droit privé, mention droit des affaires, University of Bordeaux - Bordeaux, France (1989-1990)

Licenciatura en derecho and Business Administration and Economics Degree, University of Deusto - Deusto (Bilbao), Spain (1985 – 1990)

Professional experience in the European Institutions

1/2016- to date: Head of Unit for Programme Management and implementing contracts, Directorate General for the Budget, European Commission

2/2015-1/2016: Head of Unit MOVE A1 - Planning, Communication & Interinstitutional Relations, DG MOVE.A.1, European Commission

1/2012-2/2015: Deputy Head of Unit, DG MOVE.A.1 1/2006-12/2011: Head of Sector of the Legal Cell for Financial

Ressources, DG ENER and MOVE, European Commission 1/2003-12/2005: Legal Officer, DG TREN.R.1 - Financial resources -

Activity Based Management, European Commission 5/2001- 12/2002: Director of the Catalonia's EU Office for

International Cooperation, COPCA (Agency for the Commercial Promotion of Catalonia), Spain

5/1999-4/2001: Country Desk (Nicaragua), DG RELEX – CENTRAL AMERICA AND MEXICO UNIT, European Commission

Professional experience before joining the European Institutions

5/1992-4/1999: Lawyer in EU law and Commercial International and Spaninsh Law, Kemmler Rapp Böhlke and Crosby and B. CREMADES ASOCIADOS, Law Firms (Brussels - Belgium)

Language Skills Spanish (mother tongue) English French


12

Mr Yiannos ASIMAKIS, Head of Unit for Financial Report and Strategy, Budget Execution, DG Budget, European Commission Nationality: Cypriot

Academic qualifications Master in Business Finance (MSc) University of Brunel, U.K. (1990–1991)

Bachelor in Economics (BSc) University of La Verne, CA, USA (1987-1990)

Professional experience in the European Institutions

5/2015- to date: Head of Unit for Financial Reporting and Strategy, Directorate General for the Budget, European Commission,

11/2014-4/2015: Advisor to the Director General for the Budget on Financial Reporting strategy,

1/2013-10/2014: Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Ms Androulla Vassiliou (Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth),

12/2011-12/2012: Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Ms Androulla Vassiliou (Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth),

5/2010-12/2011: Head of Unit for BudgWeb, Financial Training, Helpdesk for Institutions and Agencies, Directorate General for the Budget, European Commission,

9/2006-4/2010: Head of Unit for Monitoring and Reporting on the Implementation of the Budget, DG Budget, European Commission.

Professional experience before joining the European Institutions

7/2003-8/2006: Financial and Budget Counsellor: Permanent Representation of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU,

3/2003-6/2003: Head of Cabinet of Minister of Finance Mr. Markos Kyprianou, Nicosia, Cyprus,

9/2000-2/2003: Head of Permanent Secretary's Office, Ministry of Finance, Nicosia, Cyprus,

7/1998-9/2000: Economic and Financial Affairs attaché, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU, Brussels, Belgium,

3/1993-7/1998: Economic Policy Officer, Ministry of Finance, Nicosia, Cyprus,

11/1992-2/1993: Insurance Consultant, Cyprus Popular Bank Group, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Language Skills Greek (mother tongue) English


13

Mr Roderik ACKERMANN, Blomeyer & Sanz

Roderick Ackermann undertakes research and evaluation for European institutions, EU agencies, and NGOs. He has contributed to a number of European Parliament studies with Blomeyer & Sanz since 2007, including a 2010 study on ‘Financing of Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) from the EU Budget’, a 2013/14 study on tax havens: ‘European initiatives on eliminating tax havens and offshore financial transactions and the impact of these constructions on the Union's own resources and budget, and a 2016 study on the management and control of pre-accession funds in Turkey. Mr. Ackermann has extensive geographical experience, including EU Member States and Candidate Countries and was based in Bulgaria and subsequently Turkey from 1997 to 2007. His work also covers Eastern Partnership Countries, Central Asia, and Africa. Mr. Ackermann is based near Newcastle in the UK and is Director of Evalutility Ltd, and an associate of Blomeyer & Sanz.


14

Mrs Elsa PERREAU, Blomeyer & Sanz

Elsa Perreau recently graduated from the Paris School of International Affairs with a master’s in international public management with a special focus on European studies and human rights. She also holds a BA in political sciences from Sciences Po Paris. She contributed to several evaluation and research assignments for European institutions and non-governmental organisations, such as evaluations assignments for the Club de Madrid on the organisation’s activities in Haiti, and for the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces on development assistance in North Africa. Elsa Perreau also contributed to studies for the European Parliament, such as a study for the Committee on Budgetary Control on expenditure, management and control of pre-accession funding in Turkey, and a study for the Committee on Regional Development on the use of Simplified Cost Options in France. Before joining Blomeyer & Sanz, she gathered experience at the delegation of the European Union for the Pacific in Fiji, focusing on human rights in Pacific countries and monitoring the evolution of the political situation during the elections in Fiji. She speaks fluent French, English, German and is learning Spanish.


15

Mr Jean-Louis VILLE, Director for Directorate B Human Development and Migration, DG for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission

Jean-Louis VILLE is presently acting Director for Human Development and Migration at the European Commission in the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation (DEVCO). Previously, he occupied the position of Head of Unit, in charge of Human Rights, Gender, and Democratic Governance). He is in charge of the policy and thematic issues related to these areas and implementing a variety of instruments directed to CSOs and International partners. Working with the European Commission since 1987, he has occupied several positions in various Directorate General (Agriculture, Budget and Development and Cooperation) as Head of Unit for Budget, Finance and Contracts, Regional Programs for the Neighbourhood East and South). He also served for a period as Deputy Head of the private Office of the Rt Hon C. PATTEN during his mandate as European Commissioner for External Relations. He has studied political sciences in Strasbourg, European Affairs in Bruges and European law in Paris.


16

Mr Christian STRASSER, Deputy Head of Unit, LIFE Programme, DG for Environment, European Commission

Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Unit D4 - LIFE Programme For several years Christian Strasser worked in the Austrian Ministry of Finance in a tax department. He joined the Commission in 1998 and worked some years as desk officer and later as programme manager in the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affaires & Inclusion. In 2012 he moved on to DG Environment and in 2014, he became Deputy Head of Unit of the LIFE unit. He is co-responsible for the management of the unit and in particular for the implementation of the LIFE+ & LIFE 2014-2020 programme. In this respect he co-steers governance and policy coordination inside DG ENV related to LIFE. See also: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life.htm

http://europa.eu/whoiswho/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=idea.hierarchy&nodeid=3429763

http://europa.eu/whoiswho/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=idea.hierarchy&nodeid=3429763

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life.htm


17

Mr Dennis WERNERUS, Senior Auditor, European Court of Auditors (ECA)

Professional career Since 2007, Head of Task in ECA performance audits, opinions and risk reviews ranging from financial instruments (microfinance) and social inclusion to development cooperation, pre-accession and neighbourhood policies. Currently, Dennis Wernerus is also Assistant to the Director of Chamber 3, External action, security and justice, ECA. • 2005-2007: IFI Programme Manager at DG ECFIN (European Commission, Luxembourg) • 2003-2004: Private consultant (London) • 1999-2004: Project Finance Manager in the field of structured finance of public

infrastructure debt (ING Barings and ABN-AMRO, London) Education (qualifications and diplomas) • Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Government Audit Professional • 1999: MA in Regional Studies/South East Asian Studies (SOAS, London) and dissertation

on the performance of Indonesia’s industrial policy in the aftermath of the monetary crisis (Jakarta)

• 1998: Master’s degree in International Business and Management (ICHEC, Brussels)


18

Mr Thomas HECKEBERG, Director at the European Network for Education and Training (EUNET), member of the Civil Society Europe (CSE), on behalf of the latter;

Thomas Heckeberg, born 1967 in Munich, is active in the field of European political youth and adult education for more than 20 years. His work life began in 1995 as director of studies and commercial manager at the European Academy of Bavaria and took him to the European Academy Otzenhausen in 2001, where he was responsible for the educational programme of the academy. In 2004 he became deputy director of the European Academy of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since 2004 he is, first on a voluntary basis, then from 2007 full-time director of the European Network for Education and Training - EUNET. As representative of EUNET he is member of and consultant to a number of bodies of non-governmental organizations at national and European level. Thomas Heckeberg co-chaired a working group to represent the interests of 70 civil society organizations in the context of the negotiations of the new Financial Regulations of the European Union in 2013. Today he chairs the working group on financial issues within Civil Society Europe. He still does grass root work in civic education about Europe.

http://www.european-net.org/the-eunet-office/

https://civilsocietyeurope.eu/2016/11/16/civil-society-recommendations-on-budgetary-control-of-financing-ngos-from-the-eu-budget/


19

Mrs Kathrin SCHICK, Director, Voluntary Organisation in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE)

Kathrin Schick has more than 25 years of experience in the development sector. Since 2001, she is the Director of the VOICE network, bringing together more than 80 Humanitarian NGOs in Europe. She worked in organizations such as the Norwegian Red Cross and Norwegian People’s Aid, as well as for the Directorate for Immigration of Norway, focusing on refugee issues and programs in South America. She subsequently gained field experience in Guatemala as Protection Officer for the UNHCR and consultant for CARE International. As Deputy Secretary General of the SOLIDAR network, she worked for seven years mainly on EU development policies and education campaigns. Her educational background is in Social Anthropology and Business Administration from Oslo University, Norway.

VOICE (Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies) is a network representing more than 80 European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in humanitarian aid worldwide. VOICE is the main NGO interlocutor with the European Union on emergency aid, relief, rehabilitation and disaster risk reduction. As a European network, it represents and promotes the values and specificities of humanitarian NGOs, in collaboration with other humanitarian actors.

http://www.ngovoice.org/index.php?page=39


20

Mr Seamus JEFFRESON, Director, Confederation for Relief and Development (Concord)

Seamus Jeffreson has been Director of CONCORD, the European NGO confederation for Relief and Development, since January 2014. Prior to joining CONCORD he worked for 10 years on humanitarian and development projects in the Middle East and Ethiopia with the IMC, CARE International, Trocaire and CAFOD. Prior to his work with NGOs, he worked for the European Agency for Reconstruction in Kosovo and Serbia and as an adviser on EU regional development and cross border projects in Eastern Europe and the western Balkans. He began his career in the European Commission's technical assistance office in South Africa at the new time of the country's transition to democracy in the mid 1990s. @SeamusJeffreson

https://concordeurope.org/


21

Mr Jeremy WATES, Secretary-General of the European Environmental Bureau, member of Green 10

Jeremy Wates is the Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau, Europe’s largest federation of environmental organizations comprising over 150 member organizations from more than 30 European countries with a combined membership of around fifteen million environmentally concerned citizens. Prior to taking up his present post in May 2011, Jeremy served for more than a decade as Secretary to the Aarhus Convention with the Geneva-based United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The Aarhus Convention is the world’s most far-reaching international treaty on access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. During the 1990s, Jeremy led the campaign by the European ECO Forum, an NGO coalition, to persuade governments to start work on a treaty on environmental democracy and then coordinated the input from civil society organizations into the official negotiations over the text of what was to become the Aarhus Convention. In the 1980s, Jeremy founded the Irish environmental organization Earthwatch, the Irish member of Friends of the Earth International, and led the organization for more than a decade. Jeremy holds an MA Honours Degree in Philosophy and Social & Political Sciences from Cambridge University, UK. His permanent home is in West Cork in the south-west of Ireland. He holds dual British and Irish nationality. In 2011, Jeremy was awarded the David Brower Lifetime Achievement Award.

http://www.green10.org/


22

PRESENTATIONS


23


Presentation by Mrs Victoria Gil Casado, European Commission, DG BUDG


24


25


26


27


28


Presentation by Mr Roderick Ackermann and Mrs Elsa Perreau, Blomeyer & Sanz


29


30


31


32


33

Panel 2: Overview and controls of NGOs financed Perspective of EU Institutions

Presentation by Mr Christian Strasser,

European Commission, DG ENV


34


35


36


37


38


Presentation by Mr Dennis Wernerus,

European Court of Auditors


39


40


41


42


43


44


Presentation by Mrs Kathrin Schick (VOICE)

and Messrs Thomas Heckeberg (EUNET-CSE), Seamus Jeffreson (Concord)

and Jeremy Wates (EEB-Green 10)


45


46

.


47


48


49


50

NOTES __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

The Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) decided to organise the workshop in the context of an own-initiative rapport, as a follow-up to the findings of the study on ‘‘Democratic accountability and budgetary control of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) funded by the EU budget’’. The aim was to provide Members of the CONT Committee with views of NGOs, in presence of European Commission’s and Court of Auditors’ representatives. The authors of the study were also present to comment. The workshop focused on the examples of development policy, and environment policy.

DISCLAIMER This document is addressed to the Members and staff of the European Parliament to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of its authors and should not be taken to represent an official position of the European Parliament.

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Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget...Workshop on Budgetary Control of NGOs’ Financing from the EU Budget Budgetary Affairs Policy Department D for Budgetary