Resolution (EU) 2016/1493 of the European Parliament of 28 April 2016 with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2014
Date: 2016-04-28
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union, budgetary discharge, financial year, general budget (EU)








L_2016246EN.01018201.xml










14.9.2016   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 246/182








            RESOLUTION (EU) 2016/1493 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
         
of 28 April 2016
         
with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2014


THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,






—


having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2014,










—


having regard to Rule 94 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A8-0084/2016),











A.


whereas, according to its financial statements, the final budget of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (‘the Centre’) for the financial year 2014 was EUR 56 268 041, representing an increase of 7,81 % compared with 2013;










B.


whereas the Court of Auditors (‘the Court’), in its report on the annual accounts of the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union for the financial year 2014 (‘the Court’s report’), has stated that it has obtained reasonable assurances that the Centre’s annual accounts are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular;





Follow-up of 2013 discharge









1.


Acknowledges from the Centre that:






—


a headquarters agreement has been signed between the Centre and the government of the host Member State;










—


it will simplify the access to documentation related to its Management Board as part of the plan to redesign its website for 2017;










—


it has executed two refunds to clients since 2013 for a total of EUR 4 900 000 as part of the measures put in place in order to reduce budget surplus;









Budget and financial management









2.


Notes that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2014 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 79,34 %, representing a decrease of 4,13 % compared to the year 2013; ascertains that the payment appropriations execution rate was at 71,97 %, representing a decrease of 5,71 % compared to the year 2013;












3.


Notes from the Court's report that cash and short term deposits held by the Centre further increased from EUR 40 000 000 at the end of 2013 to EUR 44 000 000 at the end of 2014; observes that budgetary surplus and reserves increased from EUR 37 500 000 to EUR 40 400 000, which indicates scope to reduce prices; notes with concern that budget surplus is a recurring phenomenon for the Centre; acknowledges, however, the positive actions taken by the Centre to reverse this trend;












4.


Acknowledges from the Centre that its average price per page was reduced by 2 % from 2013 to the second half of 2014; notes, however, that the fee per page for ‘Revision’ increased by 23 % during the same period; calls on the Centre to inform the discharge authority of the criteria which led to the establishment of prices during the financial year 2014; asks that the Centre provide an update on current fees, deposits and surpluses;





Internal audit









5.


Notes from the Centre that at the start of 2014, five recommendations, which were issued by the Commission’s Internal Audit Service (IAS), remained open; ascertains from the Centre that it implemented corrective actions and closed two recommendations; notes, furthermore, that the remaining two recommendations rated as ‘Very Important’ and one rated as ‘Important’ were set to be implemented; calls on the Centre to implement these remaining recommendations as soon as possible and to keep the discharge authority informed;





Internal controls









6.


Notes that the Centre is compliant with 80 % of the Internal Control Standards (ICS) as it made considerable efforts to implement the remaining actions in the ICS Action Plan; notes, furthermore, that the Centre’s move to the Drosbach building required considerable redrafting of the Centre’s Business Continuity Plan; notes that the departure of several key members of the Centre’s management had a detrimental impact on the timely implementation of its Business Continuity Management which resulted in delayed review and update of its Business Impact Analysis;





Prevention and management of conflicts of interest and transparency









7.


Acknowledges from the Centre that it is in the process of establishing and implementing an anti-fraud strategy based on the European Anti-Fraud Office’s (OLAF) ‘Methodology and guidance for anti-fraud strategies for EU decentralised agencies’; invites the Centre to share with the discharge authority the advancements achieved in this regard;












8.


States that the annual reports of the Centre could play an important role in compliance regarding transparency, accountability and integrity; calls on the Centre to include a standard chapter on these components in its annual report;





Performance









9.


Notes with satisfaction the synergies created by the Centre through sharing services with other agencies; commends, in particular, the cooperation agreement established between the Centre and the European Railway Agency (ERA), by which the Centre hosts ERA's disaster recovery system, allowing the generation of savings as well as the provision of a higher security level to both bodies;












10.


Welcomes the Centre's implementation of a common pre-processing approach for Community trademarks with the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) with the aim of sharing translation memories and harmonising respective workflows so as to ensure transparency and efficiency of the process; notes that a final decision could not be reached during the financial year 2014; acknowledges that both agencies agreed to proceed with the project in 2015; supports such agreement and invites the Centre to inform the discharge authority of the developments of this initiative;





Other comments









11.


Notes with satisfaction the Centre’s adaptability project, started in 2014, which focuses on enhancing the adaptability of its staff and reducing detected skills gaps; observes that the Centre identified a list of trainers and started the implementation of the identified training actions; observes that the analysis of skills possessed by at least two people in each section performed at the end of 2015 shows that the percentage has considerably increased and is equal to 76,50 % compared to 65,46 % in 2014;












12.


Notes with satisfaction the interest of the Centre in improving its translation quality assurance and its client feedback system, as well as the workshop that the Centre organised for freelance translators in order to familiarise them with the Centre's working methods;












13.


Acknowledges from the Centre that it implemented a new budget planning and monitoring tool which was used for the preparation of the 2015 budget, a new translation workflow management system ‘e-CdT’ and a new computer-assisted translation tool;












14.


Refers, for other observations of a cross-cutting nature accompanying its decision on discharge, to its resolution of 28 April 2016 (1) on the performance, financial management and control of the agencies.






(1)  Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0159 (see page 447 of this Official Journal).