Activites

• 2017/09/29 Final act published in Official Journal
• 2017/04/27 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T8-0178/2017 summary

    The European Parliament decided to grant discharge to the Director of the European Training Foundation (ETF) in respect of the implementation of the agency’s budget for the financial year 2015. The vote on the decision on discharge covers the closure of the accounts (in accordance with Annex IV, Article 5 (1)(a) to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure). Noting that the Court of Auditors has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that Foundation’s annual accounts for the financial year 2015 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular, Parliament adopted by 502 votes to 114 with 6 abstentions, a resolution containing a series of recommendations, which form an integral part of the decision on discharge and which add to the general recommendations set out in the resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies. These recommendations may be summarised as follows: Foundation’s financial statements: Parliament noted that the final budget of the Foundation for the financial year 2015 was EUR 20 153 042, representing a decrease of 0.02 % compared to 2014. The entire budget of the Foundation derives from the Union budget. Commitments and carry-overs: Parliament noted that the carry-overs for administrative expenditure represent a considerable decrease of 20.1 % compared to the previous year. Financial and budgetary management: Parliament noted that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2015 resulted in a high budget implementation rate of 99.89 %, indicating that commitments were made in a timely manner, and that the payment appropriations execution rate was high at 96.04 %. Parliament also made a series of observations regarding the budget and financial management, the prevention and management of conflicts of interests, internal audits and transfers. Lastly, Parliament welcomed the Foundation’s continued contribution to modernising the education and training systems and to strengthening the human capital of partner countries, including the support provided to the Union’s migration dialogue and Mobility Partnerships with neighbourhood countries. It also welcomed the collaboration between the Foundation and the partner countries in order to analyse the “NEETs” phenomenon (Young people Not in Employment, Education or Training).

• 2017/04/26 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2017/03/30 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • A8-0118/2017 summary

    The Committee on Budgetary Control adopted the report by Inés AYALA SENDER (S&D, ES) on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Training Foundation (ETF) for the financial year 2015. The committee called on the European Parliament to grant the Director of the Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the agency’s budget for the financial year 2015. Noting that the Court of Auditors stated that it had obtained reasonable assurance that the annual accounts of the Foundation for the financial year 2015 were reliable and that the underlying transactions were legal and regular, Members called on Parliament to approve the closure of the Foundation’s accounts. They made, however, a number of recommendations that needed to be taken into account when the discharge is granted, in addition to the general recommendations that appear in the draft resolution on performance, financial management and control of EU agencies: Foundation’s financial statements: Members noted that the final budget of the Foundation for the financial year 2015 was EUR 20 153 042, representing a decrease of 0.02 % compared to 2014. The entire budget of the Foundation derives from the Union budget. Commitments and carry-overs: Members noted that the carry-overs for administrative expenditure represent a considerable decrease of 20.1 % compared to the previous year. Members also made a series of observations regarding the budget and financial management, the prevention and management of conflicts of interests, internal audits and transfers. Lastly, Members welcomed the Foundation’s continued contribution to modernising the education and training systems and to strengthening the human capital of partner countries, including the support provided to the Union’s migration dialogue and Mobility Partnerships with neighbourhood countries. They also welcomed the collaboration between the Foundation and the partner countries in order to analyse the “NEETs” phenomenon (Young people Not in Employment, Education or Training).

• 2017/03/22 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2016/10/04 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2016/07/11 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(2016)0475 summary

    PURPOSE: presentation by the Commission of the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2015, as part of the 2015 discharge procedure. Analysis of the accounts of the European Training Foundation (ETF). CONTENT: the organisational governance of the EU consists of institutions, agencies and other EU bodies whose expenditure is included in the general budget of the Union. The EU's operational expenditure of these institutions takes different forms, depending on how the money is paid out and managed. From 2014 onwards, the Commission classifies its expenditure as follows: Direct management: the budget is implemented directly by the Commission services. Indirect management: the Commission confers tasks of implementation of the budget to bodies of EU law or national law, such as the EU agencies. Shared management: under this method of budget implementation tasks are delegated to Member States. About 80 % of the expenditure falls under this management mode covering such areas as agricultural spending and structural actions. This Commission document concerns the EU's consolidated accounts for the year 2015 and details how spending by the EU institutions and bodies was carried out. The consolidated annual accounts of the EU provide financial information on the activities of the institutions, agencies and other bodies of the EU from an accrual accounting and budgetary perspective. It is the responsibility of the Commission's Accounting Officer to prepare the EU's consolidated annual accounts and ensure that they present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position, the result of the operations and the cashflows of the EU institutions and bodies, including the European Training Foundation (ETF), with a view to granting discharge. Discharge procedure: the final step of a budget lifecycle is the discharge of the budget for a given financial year. It represents the political aspect of the external control of budget implementation and is the decision by which the European Parliament, acting on a Council recommendation, "releases" the Commission (and other EU bodies) from its responsibility for management of a given budget by marking the end of that budget's existence. The European Parliament is the discharge authority within the EU. The discharge procedure may produce three outcomes: (i) the granting; (ii) postponement or; (iii) the refusal of the discharge. The final discharge report including specific recommendations to the Commission for action is adopted in plenary by the European Parliament and are subject to an annual follow up report in which the Commission outlines the concrete actions it has taken to implement the recommendations made. Each agency is subject to its own discharge procedure, including the European Training Foundation (ETF). European Training Foundation: the Foundation, which is located in Turin (IT), was created by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90. Its objective is to contribute to improving human capital development in the following countries: the countries eligible for support under Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 and Regulation No 1638/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council and subsequent related legal acts. It aims in particular to provide advice on human capital development issues in the partner countries and promote knowledge and analysis of skills needs in national and local labour markets. As regards Foundation’s accounts, these are presented in detail in the document on the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for 2015: Commitment appropriations: -          committed: EUR 21 million; -          paid: EUR 21 million; -          carried-over: 0. Payment appropriations: -          committed: EUR 22 million; -          paid: EUR 21 million; -          carried-over: EUR 1 million.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/budget_en', 'title': 'Budget'}, GEORGIEVA Kristalina

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2016)0475
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0118/2017
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T8-0178/2017

Amendments

Dossier

24

2016/2171(DEC) 2016/12/14 EMPL 13 amendments... Amendment 1 # Notis MARIAS Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses its satisfactionNotes that the Court of Auditors has declared the transactions underlying the Foundation’s annual accounts for the financial year 2015 to be legal and regular and that its financial position as at 31 December 2015 is fairly represented; Amendment 10 # Jean LAMBERT Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes strongly the full compliance of the Foundation with the 2004 EU Staff Regulation; Amendment 11 # Notis MARIAS Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Notes the efforts made by the Foundation to ensure security of its assets and hopeexpects this process willto be completed in the near future; Amendment 12 # Notis MARIAS Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. NoteAscertains the high level of committed appropriations under Title II (36,2 %) carried over to 2015 mainly attributed to planned purchases made at the end of 2014. Amendment 13 # Claude ROLIN Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Takes note of the fact that in 2015 the Foundation was still working on corrective actions in response to the comment made by the European Court of Auditors and the European parliament stressing that, by the end of 2013, the Foundation had 7,5 million EUR in accounts at a single bank with a low credit rating (F3, BBB). Amendment 2 # Eleftherios SYNADINOS Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses its satisfactionAcknowledges that the Court of Auditors has declared the transactions underlying the Foundation’s annual accounts for the financial year 2015 to be legal and regular and that its financial position as at 31 December 2015 is fairly represented; Amendment 3 # Notis MARIAS Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Acknowledges the Foundation’s continued contribution to modernising the education and training systems and to strengthening the human capital of partner countries including the support provided to the Union’s migration dialogue and Mobility Partnerships with neighbourhood countries; notes the Foundation’s inventory on migrant support measures from an employment and skills perspective (MISMES) as well as its recommendations regarding skills and migration; Amendment 4 # Jean LAMBERT Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Acknowledges and welcomes the Foundation’s continued contribution to strengthen human capital of partner countries including the support provided to the Union’s migration dialogue and Mobility Partnerships with neighbourhood countries; notwelcomes the Foundation’s inventory on migrant support measures from an employment and skills perspective (MISMES) as well as its recommendations regarding skills and migration; Amendment 5 # Claude ROLIN Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Acknowledges the Foundation’s continued contribution to strengthen human capital of partner countries including the support provided to the Union’s migration dialogue and Mobility Partnerships with neighbourhood countries; notes the Foundation’s inventory on migrant support measures from an employment and skills perspective (MISMES) as well as its recommendations regarding skills and migration; welcomes the collaboration between the Foundation and the partner countries in order to analyse the NEET phenomenon (Young people Not in Employment, Education or Training); Amendment 6 # Romana TOMC Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Takes note of the fact that the Foundation’s internal reorganisation came into effect on 1 January 2015 and hopes that the changed internal organisation will help the Foundation achieve better results; Amendment 7 # Notis MARIAS Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. CommendNotes the Foundation’s high achievement rate of 96 % in respect of the target set out in its work programme; Amendment 8 # Eleftherios SYNADINOS Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. CommendNotes the Foundation’s high achievement rate of 96 % in respect of the target set out in its work programme; Amendment 9 # Notis MARIAS Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. WelcomNotes the full compliance of the Foundation with the 2004 EU Staff Regulation; source: 595.465 2017/03/07 CONT 11 amendments... Amendment 1 # Inés AYALA SENDER Proposal for a decision 1 1 Paragraph 1 1. Grants the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Foundation for the financial year 2015; Amendment 10 # Petri SARVAMAA Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Notes that the exercise of collecting the declarations of conflicts of interests of the Foundation’s governing board members is not complete, although a majority of the members have submitted the requested documents; acknowledgnotes that there is no mechanism which obliges the members to provide the documents; notes that the available declarations are published on the Foundation's website but that in some cases the system requests a password in order to access the CVs and declarations; takes note of the fact that the Foundation is actively pursuing the publication of the residual number of outstanding declarations, which will be published upon receipt, provided that consent for publication is given; welcomes the fact that all declarations of conflicts of interests of the Foundation’s relevant staff have been collected; Amendment 11 # Barbara KAPPEL Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Notes that the exercise of collecting the declarations of conflicts of interests of the Foundation’s governing board members is not complete, although a majority of the members have submitted the requested documents; acknowledges that there is no mechanism which obliges the members to provide the documents; notes that the available declarations are published on the Foundation's website but that in some cases the system requests a password in order to access the CVs and declarations; takes note of the fact that the Foundation is actively pursuing the publication of the residual number of outstanding declarations, which will be published upon receipt, provided that consent for publication is given; welcomes the fact that all declarations of conflicts of interests of the Foundation’s relevant staff have been collected; deplores the fact that some declarations of conflicts of interest of various management board members are pending or are not available to the public; notes that this practice does not further transparency and the remaining declarations should therefore be published without delay; Amendment 2 # Ryszard CZARNECKI, Raffaele FITTO, Notis MARIAS Proposal for a decision 1 Paragraph 1 1. Grants the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the Foundation’s budget for the financial year 2015 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Training Foundation discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Foundation for the financial year 2015; Amendment 3 # Inés AYALA SENDER Proposal for a decision 2 2 Paragraph 1 1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2015; Amendment 4 # Ryszard CZARNECKI, Raffaele FITTO, Raffaele FITTO Proposal for a decision 2 Paragraph 1 1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2015 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Training Foundation for the financial year 2015; Amendment 5 # Inés AYALA SENDER Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas, according to its financial statements, the final budget of the European Training Foundation (“the Foundation”) for the financial year 20145 was EUR 20 153 042, representing a decrease of 0,02 % compared to 2014; whereas the entire budget of the Foundation derives from the Union budget, Amendment 6 # Benedek JÁVOR Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, Parliament stresses the special importance of further strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the institutions of the Union by improving transparency and accountability, implementing the concept of performance based budgeting and good governance of human resources; Amendment 7 # Petri SARVAMAA Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes with concern from the Court's report that funds amounting to EUR 7,5 million deposited at a single bank with a low credit rating made in the Court's 2013 report and marked as "ongoing" in the Court’s 2014 report are still marked as on "ongoing"; notes that due to specific banking issues, the Foundation is obliged to keep an Italian bank; acknowledges, however, that the funds held at that bank were reduced to EUR 1,8 million in 2015; notes furthermore that due to specific banking issues, the Foundation is obliged to keep an Italian bank; Amendment 8 # Petri SARVAMAA Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Points outNotes that the carry-overs aremay often be partly or fully justified by the multiannual nature of the agencies’ operational programmes, and do not necessarily indicate weaknesses in budget planning and implementation nor are they always at odds with the budgetary principle of annularity, in particular if they are planned in advance by the Foundation and communicated to the Court; Amendment 9 # Benedek JÁVOR Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Notes that the exercise of collecting tFoundation has not collected and published declarations of conflicts of interests of the Foundation’all of its governing board members is; not complete, although a majority of the members have submitted the requested documents; acknowledges thaes that at the moment there is no mechanism which obliges the members to provide thesuch documents; notes that even some of the available declarations are publishednd CVs on the Foundation's website but that in some cases the system requests a password in order to access the CVs and declarations; takes note of the fact that the Foundation is actively pursuing the publication of the residual number of outstanding declarations, which will be published upon receipt, provided that consent for publicatiare accessible only with a password; calls on the Foundation to adopt strict guidelines for a coherent policy on the prevention and management of conflicts of interest for members of the management board and to adopt and implement a clear policy on conflicts of interest, in accordance with the Roadmap on the follow-up to the Common Approach on EU decentralised agencies; calls on the Foundation to publish, in accordance with the guidelines above, all such documents and allows the public the necessary overview on its givsenior management; welcomes the fact that all declarations of conflicts of interests of the Foundation’'s relevant staff have been collected; source: 600.888

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)