Report on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Institute for Gender Equality for the financial year 2010

(C7-0351/2011 – 2011/2264(DEC))

This report, by Monica Luisa MACOVEI (EPP, RO), was written for and approved by the Committee on Budgetary Control. Some of the major issues raised in this report are summarised below.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) had a budget in the financial year 2010 of EUR 6.5 million and by the end of the year employed 29 staff. More information about the EIGE and a copy of its accounts can be found on the EIGE website.

Budgetary and Financial Management

The report makes note of the information received from the Annual Activity Report (AAR) from 1st January to 15th June 2010 that the EIGE made payments of EUR 846,876 over that period. The AAR explains that the Institute had a budget execution rate of 65% in terms of committed appropriations and 26% in terms of paid appropriations from the period between six months after adoption of the Annual Work Programme 2010 and gaining administrative and financial independence. In light of this the report “invites the Institute to take immediate steps to ensure a satisfactory budget execution rate in the future”.

It is also noted that, upon revision of its draft budget for the financial year 2010, the Management Board highlighted two explicable budgetary imbalances amounting to an under expenditure of EUR 415,000.

Public Procurement

In 2010, 63 procurements were carried out and contracts for the procured services were signed, with a total contracted amount of EUR 1,974,626. The AAR identified two difficulties which occurred during this process. These were:

- A tight time span for implementing the procurement procedure

- A lack of qualified staff: the “majority of staff had little or no knowledge of public procurement procedures”

This resulted in delays and some procedures having to be cancelled. This caused the major part of the budgetary commitment to be carried forward to 2011; therefore the European Parliament calls on the Institute to improve the situation and inform the discharge authority of the action taken.

Performance

The report notes the institute’s lack of an independent external evaluation of its achievements by 18 January 2010, and therefore requests that the institute immediately communicates the results of its ex-ante evaluation of 2010 to the discharge authority.

The European Parliament wishes to remind the Court of Auditors that the work of the Institute is “of utmost importance for the promotion of gender equality in the Union” and it is further noted that all future reports should reveal in detail whether the Institute's activity is hindered by difficulties at any stage of the budgetary procedure. Reference is made to the economic crisis and austerity measures that may affect it adversely, but that it is “vital” that the Institute offers best value for money without jeopardising the successful fulfilment of its important remit.

The European Parliament voted to approve the report on the 10th May 2012 with 528 for, 81 against and 23 abstentions.

To read the report click here

Alternatively visit the website at www.europarl.euopra.eu

Please share with others