2012 discharge: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

2013/2242(DEC)

The European Parliament adopted a decision concerning the discharge to be granted to the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology in respect of the implementation of the Institute's budget for the financial year 2012. The vote on the discharge decision approved the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex VI, Article 5(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament.

Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the annual accounts of the Institute for the financial year 2012 are reliable, but that it could not obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence on the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions, Parliament adopted by 508 votes to 63, with 20 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations that form an integral part of the discharge decision and as well as the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies.

These recommendations are summarised as follows:

  • Qualified opinion: Parliament regretted that the Court of Auditors found the quality of the audit certificates is inadequate in many instances. It also deplored the fact that no ex post verifications have been carried out for transactions related to grants for 2010 activities (EUR 11.3 million). Furthermore, it deplored the fact that given the limited assurances that can be drawn from ex ante verifications, there is no reasonable assurance as to the legality and regularity of these transactions. Parliament noted that according to the Court of Auditors, except for the possible effects of the matters described in the basis for a qualified opinion, the transactions underlying the annual accounts for the year 2012 are legal and regular in all material respects.
  • Commitments and carryovers: Parliament noted that out of the committed appropriations carried over from 2011 amounting to some EUR 22 million, some EUR 10 million (45%) were cancelled in 2012.
  • Performance: Parliament requested that the Institute communicate the results and impact its work has on European citizens in an accessible way, mainly through its website.

It also made a series of observations on transfers, procurement and recruitment procedures as well as comments on internal controls.

Parliament acknowledged that the Institute has two framework rules regulating conflicts of interests. It called on the Institute to inform the discharge authority whether it intends to update those framework rules according to the Commission's Guidelines.