2015 discharge: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

PURPOSE: to grant discharge to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) for the financial year 2015.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2017/1678 of the European Parliament on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the financial year 2015.

CONTENT: with the present decision, the European Parliament grants discharge to the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology in respect of its budget for the financial year 2015.

This decision is in line with the European Parliament's resolution adopted on 27 April 2017 and comprises a series of observations that form an integral part of the discharge decision (please refer to the summary of the opinion of 27 April 2017).

Amongst Parliaments main observations in the resolution accompanying the discharge decision, the latter noted that the Institute intends to conclude its internal rules on whistleblowing in the first half of 2017. It also called on the Institute to publish annual reports on the number of whistleblower cases and on how they were followed up and to provide those annual reports to the discharge authority.

Parliament expressed concern about the fact that the Institute has not taken specific initiatives in order to increase transparency relating to its contacts with stakeholders and lobbyists. A proactive transparency policy with regard to lobbyists is called for.

Noting the Institute's complex operational framework and management problems which have impeded its overall effectiveness, Parliament called for further coordination at EU level with the relevant Commission's DGs, and the interaction between the KICs and other Union initiatives to be strengthened.

Lastly, Parliament reiterated its call for the overall visibility of the Institute to be enhanced as some of the KIC partners are not even aware of their affiliation with the Institute.