2004 discharge: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

 The committee adopted the report by Umberto GUIDONI (GUE/NGL, IT) recommending that Parliament should grant discharge for the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training for 2004.

In their accompanying comments, MEPs referred to the "express reservations" in respect of the 2004 financial year noted by the Court of Auditors concerning the Centre. They urged the Centre to: adapt future budgets to ensure that differentiated appropriations are properly presented; ensure that the accounts are complete and that all activities are properly controlled; ensure that tendering specifications and competition rules are strictly applied; and ensure fairness, openness and transparency in recruitment. They also wanted the Centre to confirm whether changes to its financial organisation had been completed, as Parliament had requested in its previous discharge decision.

MEPs also made a number of general comments applicable to all the Community agencies:

- EU enlargement in 2004 had affected the structures and operating arrangements of the agencies in many ways, and the Commission should assess the real or supposed problems encountered and recommend the regulatory changes required;

- the agencies should spend the money available to them as efficiently and effectively as possible;

- the agencies should avoid duplication as far as possible and clarify measures for improving transparency and communication with the public, to overcome their often negative image which many of them did not deserve;

- the Commission should help harmonise the activity reports of the agencies - which differed significantly in terms of content - by informing them of the common indicators that they must provide;

- there was a need for improved cooperation between the agencies, particularly in such common areas as training, the use of the latest management systems and solving problems relating to sound management of the budget.