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2011 discharge: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)

2012/2206(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision on discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in respect of the implementation of the Institute’s budget for the financial year 2011. The vote on the decision to grant discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure).

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the EIGE’s annual accounts for the financial year 2011 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted a resolution containing a number of recommendations that need 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:

  • Financing, budget and financial management: Parliament recalls that the overall budget of the Institute for the financial year 2011 was EUR 7.53 million, which shows a 32.6% increase since 2010, and is entirely financed by the Union’s contribution. Members note that the Institute recorded a positive budget outturn which was then recorded in the accounts as a liability towards the Commission.
  • Implementation rate of appropriations and carryovers: Parliament notes that the Institute registered a budget execution ratio of 44.19% for payments and of 88.54% for commitments at the end of 2011. It also observes that considerable commitment appropriations contracted by the end of 2011 but not yet paid were carried forward to 2012, representing 50% of total commitments. Parliament calls on the Institute to inform the discharge authority of the actions taken to ensure a satisfactory budget execution rate in the future.

Lastly, Parliament made a series of observations as regards the Institute’s accounting system, procurement procedures, recruitment procedures, performance and control systems.