2022 discharge: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) for the financial year 2022 and to approve the closure of the accounts for that year.
Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it had obtained reasonable assurance that the Institute's annual accounts for the financial year 2022 were reliable and that the underlying transactions were legal and regular, Parliament adopted, by 475 votes to 121 with 4 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations which form an integral part of the discharge decision and which complement the general recommendations contained in the resolution on the performance, financial management and control of EU agencies.
The Institute's financial statements
The Institute's final budget for the financial year 2022 amounted to EUR 8 432 919.91, representing a decrease of 2.99 % compared to 2021.
Budgetary and financial management
Budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2022 resulted in a budget implementation rate of current year commitment appropriations of 97.91 %, representing a decrease of 1.01 % compared to 2021. Payment appropriations execution rate was 81.10 %, representing an increase of 9.72 % compared to 2021. There was also a decrease in the Institute’s carry-over operating expenditure to 42.28 % in 2023, compared to 54.79 % in 2022.
The amount of the Institute’s final budget is the result of amending budgets of a total of EUR 175 000 adopted by the Institute’s management board due to the sharp rise in the rate of inflation in the Union and particularly in Lithuania in 2022, an indexation of salaries of 6.9 % and a rise in the correction coefficient applicable to Lithuania of 7.3 %.
Other observations
Parliament also made a series of observations concerning performance, staff policy, public procurement and internal controls.
In particular, it noted that:
- the Institute achieved 96.1 % of its work programme in 2022 and reached the targets set in the amended 2022-2024 single programming document;
- on 31 December 2022, the establishment plan was 100 % filled, with 27 officials and temporary agents appointed out of 27 temporary agents and officials authorised under the Union budget (the same number of posts as in 2021).
- there was a recurrent unbalanced gender distribution on the management board and among staff overall;
- the Institute should address the shortcomings of its internal control deficiencies in the area of procurement;
- the Institute is on track with regard to the progress made in its internal control and audit related activities, such as the implementation of the recommendations or observations issued by the Court and the Internal Audit Service (IAS) in their audit reports from 2021 and the actions and measures set out in the Institute’s 2021-2023 anti-fraud strategy;
- the Institute signed in 2022 a new lease contract for its premises in Vilnius for a period of 10 years.