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~~PR_DEC_Agencies~~

PA_NonLeg

~~1. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION~~

SUGGESTIONS

~~on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022~~

The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

~~(2023/2152(DEC))~~

A. whereas Article 8 TFEU states that in all its activities the Union shall aim to eliminate inequalities, establishing the principle of gender mainstreaming and to promote gender equality between men and women; whereas gender equality must be incorporated into all EU policies, including via gender budgeting at all levels of the budgetary process;

~~– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022,~~

B. whereas EIGE's staff are actively engaging in the exchange of best practices and the activities of the EU Agencies Network (EUAN) and its subnetworks, in order to develop its synergies such as human resources, building management, IT services and security, cooperation and exchange of good practices with other Union agencies with a view to improving efficiency; whereas EIGE has taken pro-active steps to apply ongoing measures for improving gender balance among its staff;

~~– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2022, together with the agencies’ replies,~~

C. whereas the 2023 Gender Equality Index demonstrates that Member States have made a modest increase of only 1.6 points to reach 70.2, and with some domains showing signs of regression, in particular in economic and income metrics; whereas the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) was established in order to contribute to, and strengthen the promotion of, gender equality in the Union, including gender mainstreaming in all Union policies and the resulting national policies, the fight against discrimination based on gender, and raising Union citizens’ awareness of gender equality;

– having regard to the statement of assurance 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 2022, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

D. whereas there is an ever-growing urgency for the Union to advance on its Gender Equality Strategy, in the light of ongoing crises such as wars, the climate crisis, inflation, and the backlash against women’s rights, especially sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the Union and world-wide; whereas the current subsequent crises bear the risk of slowing down efforts to achieve gender equality and the risk of hindering the full enjoyment of women’s rights; whereas women in the EU are more severely affected by poverty or social exclusion than men; whereas their role as primary carers in the family puts a disproportionate amount of unpaid care and domestic work on women, who play an essential role in this regard; whereas the EU gender pay gap is 13 %, with variations between the Member States; whereas the gender pay gap has a number of implications, including a 29 % gap in pension entitlements, which places elderly women at greater risk of poverty and social exclusion; whereas the right to equal pay for equal work is not always upheld and remains one of the biggest challenges in efforts to overcome pay discrimination; whereas the importance of combating discrimination between men and women in access to employment and work, and promoting equality in careers and professional categories in vocational training is essential; whereas the Member States should increase public investment in policies that, directly or indirectly, aim to counteract the negative effects of the cost of living crisis on women in all their diversity, to guarantee access to high-quality, affordable public services for care, education, health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and housing, and to protect victims of gender-based violence;

– having regard to the Council’s recommendation of … February 2024 on discharge to be given to the Institute in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2022 (00000/2024 – C90000/2024),

E. whereas the final budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality (“EIGE”) for the financial year 2022 was EUR 8,432,920, representing a decrease of 3 % compared to 2021 (EUR 8,693,358); whereas the entire budget of the Institute derives from the Union budget;

~~– having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,~~

1. Recalls that EIGE was established in order to contribute to and strengthen the promotion of gender equality in the Union through providing quality research and comparable data, to help the European institutions and the Member States to mainstream gender equality in all their policies and combat gender-based discrimination; stresses therefore EIGE’s crucial role in collecting, analysing, processing and disseminating data and necessary information for policy makers, the polices of the European Union and its respective Member States; welcomes in particular the Institute’s continuous work on the Gender Equality Index and its low-threshold access to information for citizens; emphasises the need for stronger and more efficient integration of gender equality policies and gender mainstreaming tools; reiterates its repeated calls for further staffing resources, including statutory staff to be allocated to EIGE in the light of increasing urgent demands, technical assistance and requests for its services; calls, therefore for greater amounts to be allocated in the budget of the Institution in order to be able to enhance their recruitment and research capabilities to further enhance their work and output in view of subsequent crises and backlashes against gender equality and LGBTIQ+ persons which affect women disproportionately;

– 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, and in particular Article 70 thereof,

2. Stresses the importance of combating inequalities and injustices against women; calls on the Commission and Member States to take urgent action to address poverty and increasing inequalities among women, especially among groups in vulnerable situations, including single mothers, women with disabilities, racialized women, LGBTIQ+ women, migrant women and refugees, elderly women, women in rural or scarcely populated areas; notes that this could be achieved by meeting the need for increased funding for gender equality actions in terms of employment and growth, as well as to combat gender-based violence and the pay gap between men and women, the pension pay gap between men and women, the impact of crises on women, gender mainstreaming and budgeting the increasing poverty rate among women, as well as in terms of rights and democracy and the rule of law; welcomes to that end the ongoing cooperation between the EIGE and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM); stresses the herculean efforts and the valuable contribution that the EIGE makes to ensuring the European Parliament’s objectives, values and priorities; strongly supports the work of the Institute, which, by means of studies, research and high- quality data enables the Committee to properly do its work; notes the importance of availability of reliable gender-disaggregated data in order allow for evidence-based policy making; notes the valuable contribution EIGE can make to all the European Parliaments’ Committees and other EU agencies in order to better integrate gender mainstreaming in all EU policies;

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on establishing a European Institute for Gender Equality, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

3. Notes EIGE’s continuous high level of budget execution, despite the persistent understaffing of the agency, with commitment appropriations of up to 97,91 % in 2022(compared to 98,92 % in 2021), and a payment appropriations rate of 81,10 % (72,16 % in 2021);

– 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, and in particular Article 105 thereof,

4. Acknowledges the decrease in the EIGE’s carry-over operating expenditure to 42,28 % in 2023 (54,79 % in 2022);

~~– having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,~~

5. Notes that the European Court of Auditors confirmed EIGE’s annual accounts present fairly, in all material respects, its financial position as at 31 December 2022 and the results of its operations, its cash flows and the changes in net assets for the year subsequently came to an end;

~~– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality,~~

6. Is of the opinion on the basis of the data currently available that discharge shall be granted to the Director of the EIGE in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2022.

~~– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A90000/2024),~~

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

1. Grants the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality discharge in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2022;

The Chair in his capacity as rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

~~2. Sets out its observations in the resolution below;~~

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

3. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality, 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).

Date adopted

~~2. PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION~~

24.1.2024

~~on the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022~~

Result of final vote

~~(2023/2152(DEC))~~

~~– having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022,~~

–:

~~– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2022, together with the agencies’ replies,~~

~~– having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,~~

Members present for the final vote

Christine Anderson, Robert Biedroń, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Annika Bruna, Maria da Graça Carvalho, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, Frances Fitzgerald, Lívia Járóka, Arba Kokalari, Alice Kuhnke, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Andżelika Anna Możdżanowska, Johan Nissinen, Carina Ohlsson, Samira Rafaela, Evelyn Regner, Diana Riba i Giner, Eugenia Rodríguez Palop, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Maria Veronica Rossi, Sylwia Spurek, Marco Zullo

Substitutes present for the final vote

~~– having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,~~

Laura Ballarín Cereza, Sylvie Brunet, Marina Kaljurand, Eleni Stavrou

~~– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality,~~

Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote

~~– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A90000/2024),~~

Milan Brglez, Rainer Wieland

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022;

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality, 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).

Key to symbols:

~~3. MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION~~

~~with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022~~

~~(2023/2152(DEC))~~

~~– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022,~~

~~– having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,~~

~~– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality,~~

~~– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A90000/2024),~~

A. whereas, according to its statement of revenue and expenditure, the final budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality (the “Institute”) for the financial year 2022 was EUR 8 432 919,91, representing a decrease of 2,99 % compared to 2021;

B. whereas the Court of Auditors (the “Court”), in its report on the annual accounts of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2022 (the “Court’s report”), states that it has obtained reasonable assurance that the Institute’s annual accounts are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular;

~~Budget and financial management~~

1. Notes that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2022 resulted in a budget implementation rate of current year commitment appropriations of 97,91 %, representing a decrease of 1,01 % compared to 2021; notes that the current year payment appropriations execution rate was 81,10 %, representing an increase of 9,72 % compared to 2021; commends the Institute for the close monitoring of the budget implementation and the satisfactory budget implementation rates in 2022, despite the challenges of that year linked to the war of aggression against Ukraine and the economic volatility in the Union;

2. Notes that the amount of the Institute’s final budget is the result of amending budgets of in total EUR 175 000 adopted by the Institute’s Management Board due to the sharp rise in the inflation rate in the Union and particularly in Lithuania in 2022, an indexation of salaries of 6,9 % and a rise in the correction coefficient applicable to Lithuania of 7,3 %;

3. Notes with concern from the Court’s report that for a framework contract for event organisation services, the Institute had not disclosed the related earmarked budget appropriations of EUR 3,7 million in the Institute’s single programming documents (SPD), thus undermining the budgetary transparency towards the Institute’s board and other stakeholders; calls on the Institute to include all operational framework contracts in its single programming documents;

~~Performance~~

4. Observes that the Institute uses certain key performance indicators in relation to operational objectives to assess the added value provided by its activities; notes with appreciation that the Institute achieved 96,1 % of its work programme in 2022, and reached the targets set in the amended SPD 2022-2024;

5. Notes that in 2022 the Institute supported the Union policymaking by monitoring gaps and trends in gender equality through the launch of the Gender Equality Index, and organized its first Gender Equality Forum where various panel discussions, workshops and experience sessions were featured by high-level political decision-makers and members of civil society; notes further that the Institute produced a policy brief regarding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on young women and men providing recommendations to engage and empower the youth; notes in addition that the Institute published the ‘Artificial Intelligence, platform work and gender equality’ report showing that artificial intelligence and platform work have the potential to improve gender equality in the economy;

~~Efficiency and gains~~

6. Notes the Institute’s synergies with the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the European Agency for Safety and Health Work, among others; observes from the Institute’s replies that the Institute is an active member of the justice and home affairs (JHA) agencies’ network, keeps regular contact with all JHA agencies and actively participates in activities of the EU Agencies Network of Scientific Advice (EU-ANSA); further notes the Institute’s cooperation with data providers such as Eurostat, FRA, Eurofound or Eurojust;

7. Commends the Institute for the progress made to improve its internal efficiency in 2022 through further digitalising its work processes as well as maximising the use of online communications and virtual participation in meetings and events; notes in particular that in 2022 the Institute has developed and/or deployed several tools, such as the electronic signature, Sysper2 (the Commission’s HR management tool), the e-recruitment tool and the project management tool contributing to the automatisation and digitalisation of key processes (HR, project and financial management); observes that the Institute has shared its human and financial resources in order to use the inter-agency contract for the provision of services for the evaluation of projects; observes further that the Institute defined several measures to reduce CO2 emissions and adopt environmentally friendly work practices (environmental sustainability clauses in the Agency’s contracts, recycling of paper and plastic, electronic workflows, and collection of data on CO2 emissions caused by the Institute’s business travels);

~~Staff policy~~

8. Notes that, on 31 December 2022, the establishment plan was 100 % filled, with 27 Officials and Temporary Agents (TAs) appointed out of 27 TAs and Officials authorised under the Union budget (same number of posts as in 2021); notes that in addition in 2022 the Agency’s staff turnover rate was 11 %, identical to the same rates in 2021 and 2020;

9. Notes the balanced gender distribution in senior and middle management (2 men (50 %) and 2 women (50 %)), and the recurrent unbalanced gender distribution on the management board (8 men (21,62 %) and 29 women (78,38 %)) and among staff overall (14 men (29,17 %) and 34 women (70,83 %)); reiterates its call on the Institute to ensure gender balance in the future; acknowledges, nevertheless, from the Institute’s written replies that, in order to improve gender balance among its staff, it has taken concrete pro-active steps and measures such as, among others, increasing the reach of vacancy notices to attract more diverse talent pool or the use of gender sensitive wording in vacancy announcements to attract the attention of both women and men; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Institute’s management board;

10. Notes from the Institute’s replies that there were no cases of harassment reported, investigated, concluded internally or taken before the court in 2022; points out, however, that this does not automatically imply the absence of such cases, particulary because harassment might take various forms and remain unreported; calls on the Agency to continue its work in order to maintain the existing trend while putting in place all relevant safeguards to ensure that no case remains unreported; commends the Institute for having organised in 2022 training on the prevention of harassment, for both management and staff; notes further that the Institute made use of its appointed external law firm to manage in a legal way previous harassment cases; observes that the Institute does not have its own legal services unit, nor a post of legal advisor;

11. Notes that in 2022, an ongoing case against company UAB Manpower Lit, instituted with the Vilnius City District Court at the beginning of 2018 by a number of formal interim workers, was finalised; recalls that the final ruling of November 2021 of the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) confirmed the applicability of Directive 2008/104/EC to decentralised agencies of the Union, as well as the principle of equal treatment of interim workers with statutory members of staff; notes that the Supreme Court of Lithuania upheld that ECJ ruling in its decision and ruled in favour of interim workers; welcomes that the Institute no longer hires interim workers as of 1 January 2022;

12. Welcomes the Institute’s comprehensive wellbeing policy, with a number of measures in place to support work-life balance, teleworking and a healthy life style of its staff members; notes the Institute’s sustained efforts to enhance the working environment in 2022 through a combination of respect and integrity, team spirit and cooperation across the units to strengthen staff’s understanding of and support for the Institute’s zero tolerance on psychological and sexual harassment; further notes the Institute’s measures to support the staff such as extending teleworking possibilities in case of documented personal situations or reimbursing non-statutory staff for psychotherapeutic sessions;

~~Procurement~~

13. Notes with concern from the Court’s report the observation with regard to a framework contract, whereby the payment of amount EUR 25 571,18 (out of a total of EUR 511 296 paid under that contract) made by the Institute in 2022 for the cost category “unforeseen expenditure” was found irregular due to the fact that that cost category was not included in the framework contract; welcomes that the Institute has introduced a formal amendment to the framework contract defining the percentage of the budget for and the purpose of usage of unforeseen expenditure;

14. Notes another observation from the Court’s report with regard the irregularity of the procedure and the resulting contract in connection with an audited negotiated procedure with at least three candidates, with a value below EUR 60 000; acknowledges nevertheless with regard to the latter observation that in 2022 no payments were made yet under that contract; calls on the Institute to address the shortcomings of its internal control deficiencies in the area of procurement;

~~Prevention and management of conflicts of interests and transparency~~

15. Notes the Institute’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, the prevention and management of conflicts of interest (COI) and whistle-blower protection; notes in particular that the Institute is carrying out prevention and management of COI through awareness-raising and by monitoring the validity of the declarations of interest signed by the Management Board, senior management and staff involved in recruitment and procurement procedures; further notes that the Institute updated its COI policy in 2023 taking into account the recommendations on ‘revolving doors’ issued by the Court in its 2021 audit report on decentralised agencies of the Union and other relevant reports or studies issued by the discharge authority and the European Ombudsman; calls on the Court to include the Institute’s new COI policy in the Court’s future audit plans;

16. Notes that the Institute published on its website the CVs and the declarations of interests of its Director and management board members; recalls the importance of CVs and declarations of interests being published; calls on the Institute to publish its meetings with interest representatives without delay and provide the discharge authority with the webpage where such meetings are published;

~~Internal control~~

17. Welcomes the Institute’s measures taken in 2022 to strengthen its internal control system; notes in this context that the Institute is on track with regard to the progress made in its internal control and audit related activities, such as the implementation of the recommendations or observations issued by the Court and the Internal Audit Service (IAS) in their audit reports from 2021 and the actions and measures defined in the Institute’s anti-fraud strategy for 2021-2023; welcomes that those actions and measures include the provision of fraud prevention trainings, awareness-raining though a dedicated anti-fraud intranet page and dedicated controls and fraud risk assessments;

18. Notes that the IAS performed a specific assessment of the Institute’s internal control system in 2022; notes further the results of that assessment, whereas four moderate deficiencies related to components I (the control environment), III (control activities) and IV (information and communication) and one major deficiency in component III, as well as the need for improvement or significant improvement of various principles (4, 10, 11 and 13) were identified; calls on the Institute to report to the discharge authority on the progress made in addressing the IAS’s findings;

19. Observes that a second independent external evaluation of the Institute was published in 2022; notes in this context that the Institute’s Management Board has addressed to the Commission a letter with recommendations regarding the Experts’ Forum, the functioning of the Management Board and staffing issues; understands from that letter that addressing those recommendations may require a formal amendment of the Institute’s Founding Regulation; calls on the Commission to support the Institute in the follow-up analysis and discussions regarding the outcome of that external evaluation;

~~20. Commends the Institute for having taken the necessary actions with regard to the Court’s observations from 2021 that are all deemed by the Court as closed;~~

~~Other~~

21. Notes that the Institute signed in 2022 a new lease contract for its premises in Vilnius for a period of 10 years; further notes that the Brussels liaison office started its activities in 2022 and it helped to strengthen the visibility of the Institute as a stakeholder;

22. Welcomes the Institute’s commitment to digitalise its procurement procedures through the onboarding of the Public Procurement Management Tool, expected to be completed in Q4 of 2023; notes from the Institute’s replies that it has updated its cybersecurity policy in 2022 to enhance security measures;

23. Notes that the Institute has further increased its public visibility and online presence by launching and/or hosting several campaigns or events such as: - the #3StepsForward campaign in order to invite policy makers and general audiences to reflect on concrete steps to advance gender equality in the Union; - the #SafeSpaces campaign to show, among others, how cyber violence undermines the safety of women and girls and; - the Institute’s first Gender Equality Forum with forum sessions open to public via livestreaming and recordings;

~~° °~~

24. Refers, for other observations of a cross-cutting nature accompanying its decision on discharge, to its resolution of [...] 2024 on the performance, financial management and control of the agencies.