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2011 discharge: European Training Foundation (ETF)

2012/2192(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision on discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Training Foundation (ETF) in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2011. The vote on the decision to grant discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure).

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the Foundation for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted a resolution containing a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalls that the total contribution of the Union to the Foundation's budget for 2011 was EUR 19.85 million, which represents an increase of 2.86%. At the end of 2011, the Foundation recorded a positive budget outturn of EUR 117 686,58.
  • Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: noting that the Foundation achieved a payment execution rate of 99.8% in 2011, Parliament, on the other hand, deplores the significant amount of carryovers. It notes that the rate for the carry forward of operational activities – differentiated appropriations (reste à liquider) is 33%.
  • Cooperation with Cedefop: Parliament welcomes the cooperation agreement between the Foundation and Cedefop. It invites the Commission, together with the Foundation, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work to further explore the synergies that exist between those agencies and to report to the discharge authority on the possible deeper integration of those four agencies.

Lastly, Parliament made a series of observations as regards ETF’s recruitment policies, premises, control and performances.