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DRAFT REPORT (2023/2179(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2022

CONT-PR-753499

Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Michal Wiezik

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This is a draft report by the Committee on Budgetary Control on granting discharge to the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking for the 2022 financial year. It proposes to grant discharge and approve the closure of accounts, and sets out observations on budget execution, procurement, staff, and audit controls. The rapporteur notes the Court of Auditors found the 2022 accounts fair and the underlying transactions legal and regular. Budget execution reached 96.60% for commitments and 86.25% for payments. The report notes delays in closing older programmes: FP7 still has EUR 44.9 million to pay, and Horizon 2020 has EUR 484.8 million outstanding. It agrees the Joint Undertaking should set a time-scheduled action plan for finalising these projects. It notes the Joint Undertaking's risk-based ex-ante and ex-post audit approach, and that the Court found no errors in sampled Horizon 2020 payments. It also notes the Joint Undertaking addressed a 2021 observation on pension contributions.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes that Parliament grant discharge to the Acting Executive Director for the 2022 budget and approve the closure of the 2022 accounts, while setting out observations in a resolution. The draft notes the Court's findings and calls for a time-scheduled action plan to finalise older projects.

Key points

  1. Proposes to grant the Acting Executive Director discharge for the implementation of the 2022 budget, and to approve the closure of the 2022 accounts.
  2. Notes the Court of Auditors found the 2022 accounts present fairly the financial position and that underlying transactions are legal and regular.
  3. Notes the 2022 available budget was EUR 272.4 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 174.8 million in payment appropriations.
  4. Notes budget execution reached 96.60% for commitment appropriations and 86.25% for payment appropriations.
  5. Notes the Joint Undertaking has not yet completed FP7 implementation; at end-2022, EUR 44.9 million remained to be paid for FP7 projects.
  6. Notes that for Horizon 2020, EUR 1 452.1 million was committed for signed grant agreements, with EUR 484.8 million remaining to be paid.
  7. Agrees with the Court that the Joint Undertaking should establish a time-scheduled action plan for finalising projects approved under previous multiannual financial frameworks.
  8. Notes that in 2022 the Commission made cash contributions of EUR 1.4 million to the Joint Undertaking's administrative costs for Horizon Europe.
  9. Notes that most 2022 contractual commitments used existing multiannual framework contracts, including interinstitutional ones, and that two tenders exceeding EUR 15 000 were launched outside them.
  10. Notes the staff establishment plan allows for 55 staff; on 31/12/2022, 49 positions were occupied, and around 65% of staff are women.
  11. Notes the Joint Undertaking reported a representative error rate of 2.1% and residual error rate of 0.8% for FP7, and 2.7% and 0.9% for Horizon 2020.
  12. Notes the Court found no errors or control weaknesses in sampled Horizon 2020 payments, and that the Joint Undertaking developed a risk-based approach to ex-ante and ex-post audits.

Who is affected

  • The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and its Acting Executive Director, who would receive discharge.
  • The Joint Undertaking's private members and associated partners, whose in-kind contributions are reported.
  • Beneficiaries of FP7 and Horizon 2020 projects, which still require payments and audits.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 272.4 million in commitment appropriations for 2022.
  • EUR 174.8 million in payment appropriations for 2022.
  • 96.60% budget execution for commitment appropriations.
  • 86.25% budget execution for payment appropriations.
  • EUR 44.9 million (or 5%) still to be paid for FP7 projects.
  • EUR 1 452.1 million (or 91%) of the maximum EU operational contribution of EUR 1 595.4 million committed for Horizon 2020.
  • EUR 484.8 million (or 33.4%) remains to be paid for Horizon 2020 projects.
  • EUR 1.4 million in Commission cash contributions to administrative costs for Horizon Europe.

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