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DRAFT REPORT (2023/2142(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2022

CONT-PR-753508

Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Petri Sarvamaa

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This is a draft report by the Committee on Budgetary Control on granting discharge to the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2022. It proposes to grant the Director discharge and to approve the closure of the Centre's accounts for 2022, and sets out observations in a resolution. The observations cover budget and financial management, performance, efficiency, staff policy, procurement, conflicts of interest and transparency, internal control and other comments. The report notes the Court of Auditors' qualified opinion on the legality and regularity of payments, and asks the Centre to work towards gender balance and to publish all board members' documents.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes that Parliament grant the Director of the Translation Centre discharge for the 2022 budget and approve the closure of the Centre's 2022 accounts, with observations set out in a resolution.

Key points

  1. Parliament would grant the Director of the Translation Centre discharge for the 2022 budget and approve the closure of the Centre's 2022 accounts.
  2. The Centre's final 2022 budget was EUR 49 839 955, a decrease of 6,02 % from 2021, with 95,80 % coming from direct contributions from institutions, other agencies and bodies.
  3. The Court of Auditors found the accounts reliable but issued a qualified opinion on payments, identifying irregular payments of EUR 1,3 million, or 2,4 % of payment appropriations.
  4. Budget implementation reached 89,08 % for commitment appropriations and 83,50 % for payment appropriations, both up from 2021.
  5. The work programme implementation rate fell to 89,6 % from 93,4 % in 2021, and translated pages decreased by 5,2 % to 348 070.
  6. The Centre developed a 2024-2027 strategy, served a new client (the European Public Prosecutor's Office), upgraded IATE and EurTerm, and upgraded its computer-assisted translation technology.
  7. Despite external pressures, the Centre kept 2023 prices stable, reduced office space by 33 %, and introduced Commission tools such as ABAC, SYSPER, MIPS and ARES.
  8. The Centre lacks an EMAS certificate but is studying registration, and it joined the 'Joint EU Forces on AI' initiative.
  9. The establishment plan was 93,78 % implemented with 46 officials and 135 temporary agents; overtime hours rose 125 % to 252, and staff turnover was 7 %.
  10. Parliament asks the Centre to work towards gender balance at staff and management board level and notes the high number of board members.
  11. The Court found weaknesses in procurement, including contracts signed without prior publication and a EUR 1 million global ceiling not monitored, leading to EUR 0,5 million paid irregularly in excess.
  12. Parliament urges the Centre to publish all board members' CVs and declarations of interests, and notes no conflicts of interest or whistleblowing cases in 2022.

Who is affected

  • The Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union and its Director, who would receive discharge for the 2022 budget.
  • The Centre's management board, whose members' CVs and declarations of interests are not all published.
  • The Centre's staff, affected by gender balance, overtime and turnover observations.
  • The Centre's clients, including the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which received bespoke services.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 49 839 955 — final budget for 2022
  • 6,02 % — decrease in budget compared to 2021
  • 95,80 % — share of budget from direct contributions
  • EUR 1,3 million — irregular payments identified by the Court
  • 2,4 % — irregular payments as share of payment appropriations
  • 89,08 % — budget implementation rate for commitment appropriations
  • 83,50 % — payment appropriations execution rate
  • 348 070 pages — documents translated, modified, edited and revised

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