2000 discharge: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions EFILWC budget Dublin

2001/2111(DEC)
The European Parliament adopted the report by Mr Bart STAES (Greens/EFA) granting discharge to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in respect of the management of its budget for the year 2000. (Please refer to the previous text). In the resolution annexed to its opinion, the Parliament expresses concern at the volume of appropriations carried over from 2000 to 2001, appropriations which totalled EUR 3 600 000 or 25% of the commitments entered into (EUR 14 400 000). It urges the Foundation to take steps to ensure better monitoring of the implementation of its budget with the aim of keeping carryovers and cancellations of appropriations to a minimum and bringing an end to the situation whereby a large volume of appropriations is not disbursed; takes account of the installation of a computerised planning/monitoring system, improved scheduling of tender procedures and changes in the timing of the Administrative Board meeting (from November to October) at which it approves the annual work programme. The Parliament notes the replies given by the Foundation to the observations made by the Court of Auditors concerning the shortcomings in the accounting systems employed and welcomes the installation of an appropriate computerised system (the EXACT system) for maintenance of general ledger accounts. Parliament calls on the Foundation to take steps to ensure that all shortcomings have been remedied in time for the 2001 discharge. However, it regrets the fact that in 2000 the Foundation continued to make excessive use of imprest accounts, whereby in 2000 18% of all payments were still made via such accounts. On the other hand, it welcomes the completion of the staff assessment exercise for the two-year period ending 31 December 2001, using staff reports for nearly all assessments and notes with satisfaction that the Foundation has used the Commission's 'staff assessment handbook' and improved staff management and information arrangements during 2001. Concerning the external assessment, the resolution takes note of the fact that the Administrative Board commissioned an external evaluation report in March 2000 which will be examined by the Board at its meeting in March 2002. It insists on the immediate adoption of an action plan for implementation of the report's recommendations and requests that a copy of the report and the action plan be sent to the European Parliament.�