Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

2012 discharge: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)

2013/2236(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision concerning the discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2012. The vote on the discharge decision approved the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the Institute for the financial year 2012 are reliable, and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 496 votes to 80, with 14 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations that form an integral part of the discharge decision and as well as the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies.

These recommendations are summarised as follows:

  • Budget and financial management: Parliament noted that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2012 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 95.56% and that the payment appropriations execution rate was 63.95%. It acknowledged from the Institute that in the third quarter of 2014, it plans to create budget monitoring guidelines, including control functions and deviations, in order to ensure adequate monitoring and reporting of the budget implementation.
  • Commitments and carryovers: Parliament noted that the Institute has reduced the overall level of carry-overs of committed appropriations from 50% in 2011. It pointed out that the carry-overs to 2013 amount to EUR 2.5 million and mainly concern administrative expenditure. It also noted that 7% of committed appropriations carried over from 2011 to 2012 had not been used and had to be cancelled.
  • Performance: Parliament requested that the Institute communicate the results and impact its work has on European citizens in an accessible way, mainly through its website. It took note of the main findings of the Institute's activity report and points out that in 2012, inter alia, the Institute produced two reports for the Presidencies, focusing on ‘gender equality - climate change’ and ‘violence against women - victims support’, finalised the construction of the Gender Equality Index, launched seven studies and developed an online database of gender training resources.

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

Lastly, it acknowledged that the Institute's conflict of interests policy was presented to the Commission for consultation on 12 November 2013. It called on the Institute to inform the discharge authority of the results of that consultation and of the final adoption of its conflict of interests policy.