Discharge 2024: General budget of the EU - Agencies
EMPL-AD-777054
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs · Rapporteur: Romana Tomc
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The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs recommends granting discharge to the executive directors of five EU agencies for the 2024 budget, while calling for improvements in budget management and procurement.¶¶ It welcomes the agencies' work and cooperation, but notes concerns about carry-over rates, late payments, and the impact of inflation on operational budgets.¶¶¶
Committee position. The committee recommends that discharge be granted to the executive directors of the five agencies for the 2024 budget, while asking for implementation of outstanding ECA recommendations.¶¶
Key points
- Expresses satisfaction that the European Court of Auditors declared the 2024 accounts of Eurofound, EU-OSHA, Cedefop, ETF, and ELA legal and regular.¶
- Calls on the Commission to better use the agencies' expertise and analytical capacity to increase coordination and efficient use of Union budget resources.¶
- Notes that weaknesses in public procurement procedures remain the largest source of irregular payments and that high inflation has reduced funding for core activities.¶¶
- Stresses the need to safeguard business continuity by reviewing operational budgets and ensuring adequate staff, and reminds that expanding mandates must be supported by adequate resources.
- Welcomes agencies' commitment to environmental management and calls for comprehensive gender-responsive budgeting to monitor and measure gender budget allocations.¶¶
- For Eurofound: welcomes its research and invites it to address ECA recommendations; notes a 15.1% carry-over rate, encouraging further reduction of unplanned carry-overs.¶¶¶
- For EU-OSHA: appreciates its work on occupational safety and health, notes 99% budget implementation, but is concerned about a 22.6% carry-over rate and invites it to address ECA observations.¶¶¶
- For Cedefop: welcomes its achievements including the first EU-wide AI skills survey, commends its high appropriations rates, and encourages amending rules for Greek experts' allowances.¶¶¶
- For ETF: appreciates its work in neighbouring countries, notes progress in gender balance with women as 57% of managers, and invites it to address ECA observations.¶¶¶
- For ELA: commends its performance including a 54% increase in inspections, calls for further support, and notes a qualified ECA opinion on payments.¶¶¶
- Notes ELA's irregular payments of EUR 2.6 million and high temporary staff proportion of 47%, encouraging conversion of seconded national experts to permanent posts.¶¶
- Asks agencies and the Commission to implement all outstanding ECA recommendations and recommends discharge for the 2024 budget.¶¶
Who is affected
- Eurofound, EU-OSHA, Cedefop, ETF, and ELA: their executive directors are recommended for discharge and must address ECA recommendations.¶¶
- The Commission: called to better use agencies' expertise and support ELA with resources.¶¶
- Greek seconded national experts at Cedefop: should become eligible for daily subsistence allowances.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 15.1% carry-over rate for Eurofound¶
- 22.6% carry-over rate for EU-OSHA, above the 15% benchmark¶
- 99% budget implementation and 93% work programme implementation for EU-OSHA¶
- 100% commitment and 98.89% payment appropriations rates for Cedefop¶
- 57% of managers at ETF are women¶
- 117 joint concerted inspections and 54% increase in inspections for ELA¶¶
- EUR 2.6 million irregular payments, 5.7% of total payment appropriations for ELA¶
- 47% temporary staff proportion in 2023 and 2024 for ELA¶