2012 discharge: Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (CdT)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI) in which it recommended the European Parliament to grant discharge to the Director of the Translation Centre for the Bodies (CdT) of the European Union in respect of the implementation of the Centre's budget for the financial year 2012.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the Centre for the financial year 2012 are reliable, and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Members approved the closure of the Centre’s accounts. They made, however, a number of recommendations that needed 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.

• Budget and financial management: Members noted that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2012 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 87.45% and that the payment appropriations execution rate was 90.23%. They noted that the Centre held cash and short term deposits amounting to EUR 35 million at the end of 2012. They noted that the Centre cannot adjust prices during the year in order to balance income and expenditure, although it has occasionally refunded its clients in order to reduce the surplus. Members called on the Centre to propose a remedy to this situation.

Members also made a series of observations on transfers, procurement and recruitment procedures as well as comments on internal controls.

Lastly, they acknowledged that the Centre will assess its policy on the prevention and management of conflicts of interests on the basis of the Commission's Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of Conflict of Interest in EU Decentralised Agencies. They called on the Centre to inform the discharge authority of the assessment results once available.