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REPORT (2023/2144(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) for the financial year 2022

A-9-2024-0098

Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Petri Sarvamaa

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Parliament grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) discharge for the 2022 financial year and approves the closure of the Agency's 2022 accounts. It sets out observations in a resolution: the Court of Auditors gave a qualified opinion on payments because of irregular payments totalling EUR 4,2 million, and Parliament calls on the Agency to fix its procurement procedures. Parliament commends the Agency's 100 % budget implementation and working programme delivery, its training of 43 838 participants, its response to the war in Ukraine and its gender balance. It asks for more training on cybercrime, artificial intelligence, data protection, fundamental rights and anti-racism, and for full transparency and respect for fundamental rights in all activities, including with third countries. It raises concerns on high staff turnover, geographical balance, missing systems to monitor savings and energy efficiency, and calls on the Commission to revise the correction coefficient for the host city.

Committee position. The Committee on Budgetary Control proposes that Parliament grant CEPOL's Executive Director discharge for the 2022 financial year, approve the closure of the accounts, and adopt observations on budget management, performance, staff, procurement, transparency and internal control.

Key points

  1. Parliament grants the Executive Director of CEPOL discharge for the implementation of the Agency's budget for the financial year 2022.
  2. Parliament approves the closure of CEPOL's accounts for the financial year 2022.
  3. The Agency's final 2022 budget was EUR 28 295 362, a decrease of 5,82 % compared to 2021, financed by a Union contribution and external assigned revenue.
  4. The Court of Auditors found the accounts reliable but issued a qualified opinion on payments, identifying irregular payments of EUR 4,2 million, including EUR 4,1 million in 359 payments under two framework contracts and EUR 152 655 under an educational editorial services contract.
  5. Parliament notes a 100 % budget implementation rate and an 84,66 % payment execution rate, and EUR 1,6 million carried forward to 2023.
  6. It commends the Agency for implementing 100 % of its 2022 working programme, with 418 training activities against 417 planned and a 97 % customer satisfaction rate.
  7. It notes 43 838 training participants against 27 800 planned, the second EU Strategic Training Needs Assessment, a new 2023-2027 strategy and training on protecting investigative journalists, hate crime and victims' support.
  8. It commends the Agency's response to the war in Ukraine, including an open source intelligence course for the Ukrainian General Prosecutors Office with the Council of Europe.
  9. It calls for more Union-level training on cybercrime, cyber forensics, artificial intelligence, data protection, fundamental rights and anti-racism, and for full transparency and respect for fundamental rights and international law in all activities, including with third countries.
  10. It notes cooperation with Europol, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the EMCDDA, and calls on the Agency to continue cooperating with other agencies so all resources can be used.
  11. It regrets the absence of a system to monitor gains and savings, the lack of a corporate plan for energy efficiency and climate neutrality and the fact that EMAS certification has not started, and calls for green procurement.
  12. It notes high staff turnover at 11,8 %, reiterates support for more staff, calls on the Commission to revise the correction coefficient, and welcomes the new decision on teleworking, the right to disconnect and gender balance.

Who is affected

  • CEPOL and its Executive Director: receive discharge and must address the Court's procurement observations and other recommendations.
  • CEPOL staff and management: affected by high turnover, interim and seconded staff use, teleworking rules and geographical balance concerns.
  • Law enforcement officials in member states and third countries: the target group of the Agency's training activities.
  • The Commission: called on to revise the correction coefficient for the Agency's host city.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 28 295 362: CEPOL's final budget for the financial year 2022.
  • 5,82 %: decrease in the 2022 budget compared to 2021.
  • EUR 4,2 million: total irregular payments identified by the Court, of which EUR 4,1 million in 359 payments.
  • EUR 152 655: payments under a framework contract that could not be reconciled with services provided.
  • 13,5 %: share of payment appropriations available in 2022 represented by the irregular payments.
  • 100 %: budget implementation rate in 2022; 84,66 %: payment appropriations execution rate.
  • 43 838 participants attended the Agency's trainings in 2022, against 27 800 planned.
  • 11,8 %: staff turnover rate in 2022.

Legal basis: Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.