EU Commission reveals its 2010 work plan for now and its future years
Traditionally, the EU commission releases a work programme which contains its goals for the year as well as effective measures on achieving these goals. But recently, it has created a programme that highlighted a large number of initiatives that could cover the entire period (2010 – 2014) that Jose Manuel Barroso would serve as the Commission President, for the second time. These proposed initiatives are based on his previously published “political guidelines for the next Commission” which was released before he was appointed again.
The new work programme consists of four main sections which deal with economic crisis and maintaining the EU social market economy, building an agenda devoted to citizens, enhancing the current external agenda so as to maximize outreach services and lastly, creating a new modern approach to current EU instruments and the way of working. This programme has taken Barroso's guidelines into account on financial market management and combating poverty.
Under the financial market management section of the programme, the Commission promises to develop as well as create new control and management systems within the Commission and the Member States in terms of EU budget and spending in various policy areas. In addition, there is a priority for the Commission will continue to discuss and ponder on the future of OLAF. For instance, in the past, it has been considered whether OLAF could be more effective if separate from the EU Commission. In order to combat poverty, the Commission hopes to build on the 2010 Year to combat poverty and social exclusion by creating new jobs and a possibility of gaining new skills, for those affected by poverty.
Under the 2003 report on “Attitudes related to defrauding the European Union and its Budget: Public Opinion in the Member States” as carried out by the European Opinion Research Group, it was mentioned that there were 94% of managers and 90% of manual workers aware of the existence of fraud in their country as compared with 89% of the unemployed. Additionally, 93% of those within EU member states on a higher income level had a better awareness of fraud than 89% of those who were on a lower income level. In 2008, the Flash Barometer on “EU 27's fight against fraud”, it was revealed that less educated individuals and manual workers were more likely not to have an opinion on the fight against fraud.
So taking into account the above statistics and these new employment based proposals, it should mean that more employed and better skilled people should lead to a better awareness of fraud. Therefore, if there is a better awareness of fraud, the fight against fraud could work better at a national and EU level.
- EurActive news article
- Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Commission Work Programme 2010 - Time To Act
- Political guidelines for the next Commission: José Manuel Barroso
- Citizens' perceptions of fraud and the fight against fraud in the EU27: Summary