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2014 discharge: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound)

2015/2165(DEC)

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) in respect of the implementation of its budget for the financial year 2014. The vote on the decision on discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex V, Article 5 (1)(a) to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

Noting that the Court of Auditors has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Foundation’s annual accounts for the financial year 2014 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 507 votes to 115 with 8 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations, which form an integral part of the decision on discharge and which add to the general recommendations set out in the resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies:

  • Foundation’s financial statements: Parliament noted the final budget of the Foundation for the financial year 2014 was EUR 20 774 000, representing an increase of 0.73 % compared to 2013.
  • Budget and financial management: Parliament noted that the Foundation’s budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2014 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99.66 %. It also noted that the level of committed appropriations carried over to 2015 was 53.7 % for operational expenditure and acknowledge that those carry-overs related mainly to multiannual projects.

Parliament also made a series of observations regarding commitments and carryovers, the prevention and management of conflicts of interest, as well as on payments, contract award, recruitment and internal audit procedures.

Parliament noted, in particular, that although the Foundation became operational in 1975, a comprehensive headquarters agreement between the Foundation and the host Member State was not signed during 2014. It noted with satisfaction that negotiations with the host Member State, which started in February 2014, were completed and that the signing of the Foundation’s seat agreement took place on 10 November 2015.

Lastly, Parliament acknowledged that the Foundation remained an essential contributor to policy development, the use of its expertise in key Union policy documents remained significant. It welcomed the fact that the key performance indicators suggest a high visibility and recognition of the scientific value of the Foundation’s research. It appreciated the research provided by the Foundation and the valuable comparative information and their key importance for ensuring evidence-based discussions on social and work-related policies.