98/332/EC: European Parliament Decision of 31 March 1998 giving discharge to the Management Board of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training in respect of the implementation of its budget for the 1996 financial year
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Cedefop, European Parliament, board of directors, budgetary discharge, implementation of the budget

L 146/32

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 5. 98

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

of 31 March 1998

giving discharge to the Management Board of the European Centre for the Develop-
ment of Vocational Training in respect of the implementation of its budget for the
1996 financial year

(98/332/EC)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

(cid:190) Having regard to the EC Treaty and in particular Article 206 thereof,

(cid:190) Having regard to the statement of accounts of the European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training and the report of the Court of Auditors on this subject (C4-0051/98) (1),

(cid:190) Having regard to the Council Recommendation of 9 March 1998 (C4-0164/98),

(cid:190) Having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control and the opinion of the

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A4-0092/98),

A. Whereas the Court of Auditors finds that the financial statements for the financial year ended
31 December 1996 are reliable and the underlying transactions are, as a whole, legal and
regular,

1. Notes the following figures for the accounts of the European Centre for the Development of

Vocational Training:

1996 Financial Year

Revenue

1. Subsidy from the Commission
2. Bank interest
3. Exchange rate gains
4. Other
5. Iceland subsidy
6. Norway subsidy

Expenditure

1. Final budget appropriations
2. Commitments
3. Unused appropriations
4. Payments
5. Carry-overs from 1995
6. Payments against appropriations carried over
7. Appropriations carried over and cancelled (5-6)
8. Carry-overs to 1997
9. Cancellations (1-4-8)

(ECU)

13 535 466,17

13 104 862,25
286 485,76
0,00
47 983,16
5 546,25
90 588,75

14 821 135,00
13 535 466,17
1 285 668,83
11 384 417,74
4 824 787,76
4 209 062,76
615 725,00
2 151 048,43
1 285 668,83

2. Asks the Commission’s Financial Controller to re-examine the contracting practices of the
Centre in the light of the Court of Auditors’ comments in order to clarify when it is necessary
for it to launch formal specific calls for tender;

3. Emphasises that the Centre must obtain compensation from the owner of its temporary
premises for improvements carried out at the Centre’s expense; asks the director to report to
the budgetary authority and to the Court of Auditors on this subject upon expiry of the
current rental agreement;

(1) OJ C 393, 29. 12. 1997, p. 1.

16. 5. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 146/33

4. Reiterates its belief that the mechanism employed for the purchase of the Centre’s new
premises lacks transparency and guarantees of value for money and is thus unsuitable for a
public sector property purchase; asks the Court of Auditors to monitor the progress of this
agreement and to report to Parliament in its next annual report on the Centre;

5. Takes note of the fact that the decommitment of ECU 1,1 million in the Centre’s 1996
budget was due to the fact that during that year it employed only 70 people out of the 81
initially budgeted; notes that the move to Thessaloniki has finally been completed and that
working conditions, at least in terms of staffing, are now back to normal;

6. Expects the Centre now to be in a position to submit an accurate forecast of its financial
needs, so that the budgetary appropriations decided by the authority are fully utilised;

7. Reiterates its belief that the Centre can make a valid contribution to the development of a
European vocational training policy; would like the Centre in this context to become more
involved in the activities of the European Parliament by making its expertise available to its
relevant committees;

8. Gives discharge to the Management Board of the European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training in respect of the implementation of its budget for the 1996 financial
year;

9.

Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Management Board of the European
Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, the Council, the Commission and the
Court of Auditors and to have it published in the Official Journal of the European
Communities (L series).

The Secretary-General

Julian PRIESTLEY

The President

Jos(cid:130) Mar(cid:146)a GIL-ROBLES