Discharge 2022: European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions (Eurofound)
TA-9-2024-0239 · P9_TA(2024)0239 · PE753.538
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Parliament grants the Executive Director of Eurofound discharge for the 2022 budget and approves the closure of the Foundation's 2022 accounts.¶¶ A resolution sets out Parliament's observations on the Foundation's budget and financial management, performance, efficiency, staff policy, procurement, conflicts of interest, internal control and other matters.¶¶ Parliament notes the Foundation's 2022 budget of EUR 22 438 000, a 100 % commitment implementation rate and a 79,93 % payment execution rate.¶¶ It commends the Foundation's delivery of 30 out of 31 outputs, its response to the invasion of Ukraine and its environmental certification, while noting a procurement breach and weaknesses in the traineeship programme.¶¶¶
Key points
- Parliament grants the Executive Director of Eurofound discharge for the implementation of the Foundation's 2022 budget.¶
- Parliament approves the closure of the Foundation's accounts for the financial year 2022.¶
- The Foundation's final 2022 budget was EUR 22 438 000, an increase of 3,13% compared to 2021, and derives mainly from the Union budget.¶
- The Court of Auditors obtained reasonable assurance that the Foundation's annual accounts are reliable and the underlying transactions legal and regular.¶
- Budget implementation of current year appropriations reached 100 %, while the payment execution rate was 79,93 %, a decrease of 3,63 % compared to 2021.¶
- Parliament notes the Foundation's budget has been frozen or adjusted by less than 2 % annually for 20 years, risking its sustainable performance, and calls on the budgetary authority to adjust it within the next MFF.¶
- The Foundation achieved 97 % of its annual work programme, delivering 30 out of 31 outputs in 2022.¶
- Parliament notes improved uptake of the Foundation's expertise in Union policy documents (82 % in 2022) but decreases in media uptake, stakeholder engagement and academic journal mentions.¶
- Parliament commends the Foundation's publications, its input to policy debates and its rapid response to the invasion of Ukraine, including information on refugees and inflation.¶¶¶
- Parliament notes the Foundation's efficiency measures, including shared work programmes, zero-based budgeting, digitalisation and green procurement, and its Eco-Management and Audit Scheme certification in 2022.¶¶¶
- Parliament notes the establishment plan was 92,3 % completed at end-2022, a staff turnover of approx. 5 %, and encourages gender balance at all levels.¶¶
- Parliament notes a procurement procedure contravened Article 167 of the Financial Regulation, and weaknesses in the traineeship programme led to an underpayment of EUR 3 330 for 16 trainees.¶¶
Who is affected
- Eurofound and its Executive Director: granted discharge and account closure for the 2022 budget.¶¶
- The budgetary authority: asked to adjust the Foundation's budget within the next MFF.¶
- The Commission and member states: asked to consider gender balance when nominating management board members.¶
- The Foundation: invited to implement outstanding internal audit actions and all PPMT modules.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- EUR 22 438 000: the Foundation's final budget for 2022.¶
- 3,13%: increase in the 2022 budget compared to 2021.
- 100 %: budget implementation rate of current year appropriations in 2022.¶
- 79,93 %: current year payment appropriations execution rate in 2022.
- 3,63 %: decrease in the payment execution rate compared to 2021.
- EUR 3 330: underpayment for 16 affected trainees.¶
- EUR 15 000: threshold above which contracts are processed via the Public Procurement Management Tool.¶
Legal basis: Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.¶¶