Őry-opinions on the 2010 discharge of EU agencies

2012. 02. 14.

The Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament voted on 13th February 2012 at an extraordinary meeting on the opinions of Csaba Őry MEP (EPP, HU) concerning the 2010 discharge of 4 EU agencies in the Committee's merit, namely the European Training Foundation (ETF), European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EUROFOUND), European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

The rapporteur, Csaba Őry MEP draws attention in his opinions to the Court of Auditors' confirmation that the annual accounts fairly present the agencies' actual financial position as at 31 December 2010 and that the agencies' operations and cash flows for the financial year 2010 are in accordance with its financial rules. The EMPL Committee expresses its satisfaction as well that the Court of Auditors has declared the operations underlying the agencies' annual accounts for the financial year 2010 to be legal and regular.

However, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs has called on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the main responsible committee, to incorporate some other suggestions in its motion for a resolution. The Employment and Social Affairs Committee regards it as absolutely essential that the committees responsible for the agencies should scrutinise the agencies' annual work programmes as closely as possible and ensure that they reflect current circumstances and political priorities; and expects, in that connection, the agencies to work more closely with the Commission when drafting their annual work programmes and appointing directors.

The rapporteur, Csaba Őry MEP calls for closer cooperation among the agencies as a means of ensuring that they agree on and coordinate their annual work programmes. The Employment and Social Affairs Committee welcomes the fact that steps have been taken to respond to the suggestions made by the Court of Auditors and introduce closer monitoring and control of transfers of appropriations, and expects that in the future as well the agencies' budgets will continue to be subject to close scrutiny. Csaba Őry MEP as rapporteur takes the view that the problems affecting activity-based budgeting stem from a system which does not keep staff and administrative expenditure separate from operating expenditure for agencies whose main areas of activity cover information, consultancy services and confidence-building measures.

Therefore he calls on the foundations to indicate staff numbers, including contract staff, in a more transparent manner in their activity reports; and points out that the agencies' high administrative costs could be reduced by outsourcing and merging activities such as budget planning and personnel management.