2011 discharge: European Training Foundation (ETF)

Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2011 and the balance sheet at 31 December 2011 of the European Training Foundation, as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Foundation for the financial year 2011, accompanied by the Foundation's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommends the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Director of the Foundation in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2011.

The observations in the Court of Auditors' report in relation to the financial year 2011 call for some comments by the Council, which may be summarised as follows:

• the Council calls on the Foundation to adopt and implement a treasury policy in order to minimise and spread the financial risk;
• it encourages the Foundation to remedy the weaknesses identified by the Court on the lack of countersignature of some of the Foundation's contracts;
• it expresses its concern regarding the uncertain situation of the Foundation's premises and calls on the Foundation, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to pursue its efforts to solve
• this issue;
• lastly, the Council encourages the Foundation to pursue its efforts to address the shortcomings detected by the Court in its staff recruitment procedures.