Activities of Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ related to 2021/2119(DEC)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) for the financial year 2020
Amendments (4)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Appreciates the Centre’s activities, providing research, analyses and technical advice in vocational education and training (VET), qualifications and skills policies; welcomes, in particular, the Centre's recent work in helping to analyse the impact of the pandemic and digital transition on adapting business practices to the new realities in the Union labour market through e.g. the COVID-19 European Company Survey in conjunction with Eurofound;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls the importance of the Centre's role in ensuring digital skills are integrated into VET across the Union and monitoring the implementation and impact of the Council Recommendations on the Skills Agenda for Europe, vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience and the Digital Education Action Plan; believes the Centre could also play a role in assessing Member States’ projects under the RRF’s digital transformation pillar;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets, in particular, that the Centre signed a contract exceeding the estimated budget by 98% without being able to justify it; notes that the Centrethrough a negotiated procedure with one tenderer, the prior contractor, based on the low estimated value of the contract; notes however that this assessment was not supported by any cost estimates based on current market values, or on any documented market research; further strongly regrets that the price accepted exceeded the estimated budget by 98% consequently bringing the value of the contract beyond the threshold above which a negotiated procedure with a single tenderer is not permitted under the Financial Regulation; underlines that the Centre should have sought offers from at least three tenderers under the circumstances in line with the Financial Regulation; notes that the Centre after the audit of the Court cancelled that contract with effect from 26 February 2021;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reminds that, similarly to 2019, the method for calculating contributions set out in the Statement on Cedefop-EFTA cooperation was not applied correctly in the 2020 financial year; due to determinations based on GDP rather than GNP and the misapplication of the budget reduction and surplus, resulting in Norway’s and Iceland’s contributions to the 2020 Cedefop budget being €20 272 higher than they should have been, and the Union contribution being €20 272 lower than it should have been; notes the Centre’s explanation that it had been using the proportionality factor provided by the Commission to calculate EFTA contributions to the general budget and welcomes the Centre's commitment to establishing a transparent and easy-to- apply methodology and their action to move to requesting its contribution as part of the ‘Agreement on the European Economic Area - Protocol 31’;