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2012 discharge: EU general budget, Committee of the Regions

2013/2202(DEC)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Bogusław SONIK (EPP, PL) in which it called on the European Parliament to grant discharge to the Secretary-General of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in respect of the implementation of the Committee of the Regions' budget for the financial year 2012.

Members welcomed the fact that, on the basis of its audit work, the Court of Auditors concluded that the payments as a whole for the year ended on 31 December 2012 for administrative and other expenditure of the institutions and bodies were free from material error. They observed that no significant weaknesses had been identified in respect of the audited topics related to human resources and procurement for the CoR.

Budgetary and financial management: Members noted that in 2012, the Committee had an approved budget of EUR 86.5 million of which EUR 85 million were commitment appropriations, with a utilisation rate of 98.2%. They also noted with satisfaction that the budget implementation rate of 98.2% represents an increase on the 2011 rate of 97.5%.

CoR’s framework action: Members also made a series of observations on the daily management of the CoR and called for:

  • information on the internal organisation of the Committee of the Regions and their budgetary consequences;
  • continuous monitor of the staff structure in order to ensure that the organisation of posts is fully efficient and contributes to a better spending of the allocated budget;
  • the inclusion of information on unused interpretation services in the annual activity report;
  • rationalisation of human resources in the Joint Services with the European Economic and Social Committee and in translation;
  • a mid-term review of the cooperation between these institutions;
  • information on the precise amount of budgetary savings as a result of the updated administrative cooperation agreement with the EESC and on the precise areas which will be affected by the new agreement;
  • the rapid conclusion of the updated administrative cooperation agreement with the EESC will lead to the strengthening of cooperation in the management of common services.