2017 discharge: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Having examined the revenue and expenditure accounts for the financial year 2017 and the balance sheet as at 31 December 2017 of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), as well as the Court of Auditors' report on the annual accounts of the Institute for the financial year 2017, accompanied by the Institute's replies to the Court's observations, the Council recommended the European Parliament to give a discharge to the Director of the Institute in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2017.

The Council welcomes the Court's opinion that the Institute's annual accounts present fairly, in all material respects, its financial position as at 31 December 2017 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with the provisions of the Institute's Financial Regulation, and that the underlying transactions for 2017 are legal and regular with the exception of the matter described below.

Nevertheless, some observations need to be made.

Performance

The Council regretted the Court's finding related to amendments to the specific grant agreements with the Institute's Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), which goes against the purpose of encouraging KICs to find own resources of financing and become gradually financially independent from the Institute. The Council called on the Institute to reduce the use of amendments to the specific grant agreements.

Procurement

The Council regretted the weaknesses found by the Court in the Institute's procurement procedures and called on the Institute to take appropriate actions in order to ensure the effectiveness of the process, competition in its procurement procedures, as well as the full implementation without unjustified delay of electronic public procurement.