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2015 discharge: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)

2016/2161(DEC)

The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Inés AYALA SENDER (S&D, ES) on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) for the financial year 2015.

The committee called on the European Parliament to grant the Director of the Centre discharge in respect of the implementation of the agency’s budget for the financial year 2015.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it had obtained reasonable assurance that the annual accounts of the Centre for the financial year 2015 were reliable and that the underlying transactions were legal and regular, Members called on Parliament to approve 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:

  • Centre’s financial statements: Members noted that the Centre’s final budget for the financial year 2015 was EUR 18 356 560, representing an increase of 6.27 % compared to 2014. Its entire budget derives from the Union budget.
  • Performance: Members noted that the Centre cooperates closely with the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) and that that cooperation is formalised in cooperation agreements between those agencies as well as in previously agreed annual work programmes. They acknowledged the fact that the Centre actively contributed to a number of Union agencies’ performance development network activities, such as the working group on “activity-based budgeting, costing and management”, cooperating with other Union agencies to collect good practices and developing a toolkit for activity-based management in the Union agencies.

Members also made a series of observations regarding budget and financial management, commitment and carry-overs, transfers, internal controls and audits, the prevention and management of conflicts of interests, procurement and recruitment procedures.

Members noted that the building provided to the Centre by the Greek authorities is constructed on an active fault line, which resulted in structural damage to the building. They acknowledged the fact that the repair works on the building were finalised in December 2015. They noted that the Centre is addressing various safety issues related to the construction of the building. They noted with satisfaction that the recent crack meter readings conducted in April 2016 demonstrated the repair works as effective.

Members called on the Centre to assess whether the recurring problems with the current building call into question not only its economic viability, but more importantly the safety and security of its personnel and whether relocation to a new building would be a more preferable solution.