2020 discharge: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound)

The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) for the financial year 2020 and to approve the closure of the accounts for the financial year in question.

Noting that the Court of Auditors has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Foundation’s annual accounts for the financial year 2020 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 544 votes to 78 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

The final budget of Eurofound for the financial year 2020 was EUR 21 395 000 representing a decrease of 0.44 % compared to 2019.

Budget and financial management

The budget monitoring efforts during 2020 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99.91 %, representing a slight decrease of 0.07 %. Payment appropriations execution rate was 80.44 %, representing a decrease of 0.48 % compared to 2019.

Other observations

Parliament also made a series of observations regarding performance, staff policy, procurement, conflict of interests and Covid-19.

In particular, it noted that:

- the delivery of work programme outputs planned for 2020 reached 98 % of achievement, with 45 out of 46 deliverables achieved in 2020;

- the Foundation successfully adapted to the difficult conditions created by the Covid-19 pandemic (i.e. teleworking, platform work, increasing gender inequalities and intergenerational differences, labour shortages, long-term care, industrial relations, etc.);

- on 31 December 2020 the establishment plan was 95 % implemented, with 11 officials and 76 temporary agents appointed out of 91 authorised under the Union budget (compared to 91 authorised posts in 2019);

- there were more women in senior management with four men and five women, however there is no gender balance at management board level with 49 men and 32 women and among the overall staff with 41 men and 58 women;

- on procurement, the Foundation concluded a framework contract for a maximum amount of EUR 170 000 for the supply of electricity on the basis of a negotiated procurement procedure with a single candidate and without the prior publication of a contract notice. The Foundation stated that a new tender was launched in early 2021;

- the Foundation updated its rules for the prevention and management of conflicts of interests. It confirmed that no declaration of conflict of interest from a board member or an external gave reason to launch a detailed assessment of the declared interests during 2020.